Tube-in-tube thermal exchanger for liquid chromatography systems

In a liquid chromatography system consisting of a chromatography column packed with packing material and a detector, a heat exchanger for providing sample solution to the detector at a specified temperature comprising:

• a first section of tubing for carrying sample solution from the chromatography column;
• a second section of tubing for carrying sample solution from the detector;
• a first T connector that receives said first section of tubing and said second section of tubing and combines them into one section of tubing;
• a third section of tubing which emerges from said first T connector comprising said first section of tubing placed inside of said second section of tubing, said third section of tubing is wrapped into a plurality of coils;
• and
• a second T connector which receives said third section of tubing and splits it back into said first section of tubing and said second section of tubing.

A method for producing a tube-in-tube thermal exchanger for a liquid chromatography system including a packed chromatography column and a detector, the method comprising the following steps:

• placing a first section of tubing inside of a second section of tubing to produce a third section of tubing, the first section of tubing for carrying sample solution in a first direction from the packed chromatography column and the second section of tubing for carrying sample solution in a second and opposite direction from the detector;
• wrapping the third section of tubing into a plurality of coils;
• and
• splitting the third section of tubing back into the first section of tubing and the second section of tubing.

In a liquid chromatography system comprising a chromatography column and a detector, a tube-in-tube thermal exchanger for providing a sample solution to said detector at or near specified stable temperature within specified limits, the thermal exchanger comprising:

• a first section of tubing configured to carry sample solution in a first direction from said chromatography column;
• a second section of tubing configured to carry sample solution in a second and opposite direction from said detector;
• a first connector that receives said first section of tubing and said second section of tubing and combines them into one section of tubing;
• a third section of tubing which emerges from said first connector comprising said first section of tubing placed inside said second section of tubing, said first section of tubing having an inside diameter of approximately 0.01 inches and an outside diameter of approximately 0.02 inches and said second section of tubing having an inside diameter of approximately 0.04 inches and an outside diameter of approximately 0.06 inches;
• and
• a second connector which receives said third section of tubing and splits it back into said first section of tubing and said second section of tubing.