Method and apparatus for injecting a chromatographic sample

An apparatus for diluting a chromatographic sample comprising:

• a sample syringe to provide a flow of a sample;
• a diluent syringe to provide a flow of a diluent;
• a fluidic tee in communication with the sample syringe and the diluent syringe;
• an injection valve in communication with the fluidic tee to receive a diluted sample therefrom and in communication with a chromatographic system flow path;
• a holding element in communication with the injection valve;
• and
• a control module in communication with the sample syringe, the diluent syringe and the injection valve, the control module controlling a first flow rate of the sample syringe and a second flow rate of the diluent syringe to thereby control a dilution ratio of the diluted sample, the control module controlling a state of the injection valve in one of a first state in which the diluted sample is loaded into the holding loop and a second state in which the diluted sample is injected from the holding loop into the chromatographic system flow path.

A computer program product for injecting a diluted sample into a chromatographic system flow, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to merge a first flow of a first volume of a sample at a first flow rate and a second flow of a second volume of a diluent at a second flow rate to form a third flow of a diluted sample, the sample comprising at least one analyte dissolved in a solvent, wherein a dilution ratio of the diluted sample equals a sum of the first and second flow rates divided by the first flow rate;
• computer readable program code configured to store the diluted sample in a holding element;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to inject the diluted sample stored in the holding element into a chromatographic system flow.