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US 6,267,143 B1Granted
Selection valve with ferrule cluster
AssigneeUpchurch Scientific, Inc.
InventorHans Gunther Schick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-port injection/selection valve utilizes a ferrule cluster to connect tubes or capillaries to a common port in the valve. The use of micro ferrule clusters, as opposed to conventional connectors such as nuts and/or bolts, permits the capillary ends to be positioned in extremely close proximity to the valve rotor and to each other, thus minimizing the volume between two capillaries when they are in brought into fluid communication with each other.
Claims20
A valve, comprising:
- a) a plurality of ferrules formed into one or more ferrule clusters, each of said ferrules having a ferrule through-hole;
- b) a stator in contact with at least one of said ferrule clusters, said stator having a stator front side and a stator flat surface opposite said front side, said stator front side having a plurality of impressions into which some or all of said ferrules are received, each of said impressions opening to a tube pocket, each of said impressions also having a stator through-hole opening onto said stator flat surface;
- c) a plurality of tubes, each of said tubes extending through at least one of said ferrule through-holes and into a stator impression up to the terminus of said tube pocket;
- d) means for applying pressure to said one or more ferrule clusters;
- and
- e) a rotor comprising a stator-contact surface and a fluid communication channel, said stator-contact surface abutting said stator flat surface and being rotatable about an axis to establish fluid communication between selected pairs of tubes through said fluid communication channel.
3 more elements
A capillary chromatographic system comprising a valve, said valve comprising:
- a) a plurality of ferrules formed into one or more ferrule clusters, each of said ferrules having a ferrule through-hole;
- b) a stator in contact with at least one of said ferrule clusters, said stator having a stator front side and a stator flat surface opposite said front side, said stator front side having a plurality of impressions into which some or all of said ferrules are received, each of said impressions opening to a tube pocket, each of said impressions also having a stator through-hole opening onto said stator flat surface;
- c) a plurality of capillary tubes, each of said capillary tubes extending through at least one of said ferrule through-holes and into a stator impression up to the terminus of said tube pocket;
- d) means for applying pressure to said one or more ferrule clusters;
- and
- e) a rotor comprising a stator-contact surface and a fluid communication channel, said stator-contact surface abutting said stator flat surface and being rotatable about an axis to establish fluid communication between selected pairs of capillary tubes through said fluid communication channel.
3 more elements
A method for carrying out a chromatographic analysis, comprising:
- a) providing a plurality of ferrules formed into one or more ferrule clusters, each of said ferrules having a ferrule through-hole;
- b) placing a stator in contact with at least one of said ferrule clusters, said stator having a stator front side and a stator flat surface opposite said front side, said stator front side having a plurality of impressions into which some or all of said ferrules are received, each of said impressions opening to a tube pocket, each of said impressions also having a stator through-hole opening onto said stator flat surface;
- c) disposing a plurality of capillary tubes through said ferrule through-holes and into said tube pockets;
- d) applying pressure to said one or more ferrule clusters;
- e) placing in contact with said stator a rotor comprising a stator-contact surface and a fluid communication channel such that said stator-contact surface abuts said stator flat surface and is rotatable about an axis to establish fluid communication between selected pairs of capillaries through said fluid communication channel;
- f) placing one or more of said capillaries in fluid communication with a capillary column;
- g) rotating said rotor to establish fluid communication between said capillary column and one or more of said capillaries;
- and
- h) passing a fluid through one or more of said capillaries and into said capillary column.
6 more elements
A method for connecting capillaries to a chromatographic system, comprising:
- a) providing a plurality of ferrules formed into one or more ferrule clusters, each of said ferrules having a ferrule through-hole;
- b) disposing a plurality of capillary tubes through said ferrule through-holes;
- c) providing a plurality of impressions into which some or all of said ferrules are received, each of said impressions having a tube pocket into which one of said capillary tubes extends;
- and
- d) applying pressure to said one or more ferrule clusters.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.