Connection assembly for liquid chromatography columns
AssigneeUpchurch Scientific, Inc.
InventorHans G. Schick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly allowing the quick and easy connection or replacement of a column in a LC system. The assembly includes a cooperating male twist lock member and a female twist lock member. When rotated relative to one another, the male member and female member are removably attached. When attached, the assembly provides a leak-free seal at one end of a guard column, with the other end of the guard column attached to a LC system through tubing which is secured to a holder in which the guard column is positioned. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the assembly is biocompatible and presents only chemically inert surfaces to the flow of the mobile phase and sample.
Claims16
An assembly for connecting a liquid chromatography column comprising:
- a female member having a plurality of shoulders extending radially inward into its hollow body;
- a hollow holder attached to said female member;
- a guard column having first and second ends and positioned within said holder;
- a male member having a plurality of shoulders extending radially outward from its body, wherein the shoulders of the female member and the shoulders of said male member cooperate to removably engage one another when said male member is inserted into said female member and said male member and said female member are rotated relative to each other thereby forming a twist lock, quick release mechanism;
- and
- means for connecting the first end of said guard column to a liquid chromatography system;
- and
- means for connecting the second end of said guard column to a primary column.
A biocompatible assembly for connecting a liquid chromatography column comprising:
- a biocompatible female member having a plurality of shoulders extending radially inward into its hollow body;
- a hollow holder having first and second ends, wherein the first end is attached to said female member;
- a biocompatible guard column positioned within said holder;
- a biocompatible male member having a plurality of shoulders extending radially outward from its body, wherein the shoulders of the female member and the shoulders of the male member are adapted to cooperate to removably engage one another and, when engaged, hold the male member and the female member together;
- a biocompatible ferrule having a passage therethrough;
- a biocompatible male nut having a passage therethrough;
- biocompatible tubing positioned through the passage in said ferrule and the passage in said nut, wherein said nut is screwed into a threaded counterbore in the second end of said holder to press said ferrule and said tubing against the second end of said guard column;
- and
- means for removably connecting biocompatible tubing from a port of said primary column to the first end of said guard column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.