US 4,734,190 AGranted

Sample dispensing system for liquid chromatography

AssigneeW. R. Grace & Co.

InventorsScott P. Fulton, Douglas B. Tiffany

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for supplying a preset amount of sample solution to a liquid chromatographic column wherein (1) a first piston, which moves along the axis of a piston container sealingly contacting the side walls of said piston container, is moved a preset distance so as to draw a fixed amount of driving solution from the driving solution chamber of a piston cylinder into the piston container, thus displacing a second piston which moves along the axis of said piston cylinder sealingly contacting the side walls of said piston cylinder and dividing said piston cylinder into a sample solution chamber and a driving solution chamber, said displacement of said second piston serving to cause sample solution to be drawn from a sample solution reservoir into the sample solution chamber of the piston cylinder in a fixed amount equal to the fixed amount of driving solution drawn into the piston container; and (2) driving solution is pumped into said driving solution chamber in order to displace said second piston so that sample solution in the sample solution chamber is forced out of the sample solution chamber and onto said chromatographic column.

A system for applying a sample solution to a liquid chromatographic column comprising:

(a) a piston container;
(b) a first piston adapted to move along the axis of said piston container sealingly contacting the side walls of said piston container;
(c) a first passageway for the introduction and removal of driving solution to and from said piston container;
(d) means for moving said first piston in said piston container;
(e) means for presetting the amount that said first piston will move in said piston container;
(f) a piston cylinder;
(g) a second piston adapted to move along the axis of said piston cylinder sealingly contacting the side walls of said piston cylinder and dividing said piston cylinder into a sample solution chamber and a driving solution chamber, said piston cylinder having two ends, a sample solution chamber end and a driving solution chamber end;
(h) a second passageway for the introduction and removal of sample solution to and from said sample solution chamber;
(i) a third passageway for the introduction and removal of driving solution to and from said driving solution chamber;
(j) a driving solution reservoir;
(k) a sample solution reservoir;
(l) a chromatographic column;
(m) pumping means for pumping driving solution from said driving solution reservoir into said driving solution chamber through said third passageway and for pumping a driving solution from said driving solution reservoir onto said chromatographic column;
(n) a first valve means (A) interconnecting said pumping means with said driving solution chamber;
(B) interconnecting said driving solution chamber with said piston container;
(C) interconnecting said piston container with said sample solution reservoir;
(D) interconnecting said sample solution reservoir with said sample solution chamber;
(E) interconnecting said sample solution chamber with said chromatographic column;
and (F) interconnecting said chromatographic column with said pumping means, wherein said pumping means is connected to said first valve means via a first conduit;
said third passageway of said driving solution chamber is connected to said first valve means via a second conduit;
said first passageway of said piston container is connected to said first valve means via a third conduit;
said second passageway of said sample solution chamber is connected to said first valve means via a fourth conduit;
said sample solution reservoir is connected to said first valve means via a fifth conduit;
and said chromatographic column is connected to said first valve means via a sixth conduit.

21 more elements

Abstract

Claims18