High performance liquid chromatography injection system for the simultaneous concentration and analysis of trace components

A high pressure liquid chromatography apparatus comprising an injection system for simultaneously concentrating and analyzing trace components which includes

• a first multi-port valve that includes a sample loop and an injection port and provides an equilibration flow path means and an injection flow path means for equilibrating a concentration column and injecting sample into the apparatus,
• a second multi-port valve for providing an equilibration flow path means for equilibrating an analysis column and providing an analysis flow path means for transferring sample on a concentration column to an analysis column and a detector means,
• an first pumping means for pumping a first solvent for equilibrating said concentration column, and
• a concentration column, wherein said analysis flow path means for analyzing trace components includes
• a second pumping means in fluid communication with a second solvent container and at least two ports of said second multi-port such that a solvent from said second solvent container flows through said at least two ports of the second multi-port valve out to at least two ports of the first multi-port valve,
• a second multi-port valve in fluid communication with said second pumping means and said first multi-port valve and is in fluid communication with said concentration column and said analysis column through at least two ports different from said ports in fluid communication with said second pumping means and the first multi-port valve,
• a first multi-port valve in fluid communication with said second multi-port valve and said concentration column such that solvent flows from said second multi-port valve through at least two ports of said first multi-port valve to said concentration column,
• a concentration column in fluid communication with said first multi-port valve and said second multi-port valve such that solvent flows through said concentration column from first multi-port valve to at least two ports in said second multi-port valve and into an analysis column, and
• an analysis column in fluid communication with at least two ports in the second multi-port valve and a detector such that solvent flows from said second multi-port valve through the analysis column and into said detector.