Analyte pre-concentrator for gas chromatography
AssigneePerkin Elmer Instruments LLC
InventorsAndrew Tipler, Gary Campbell, Mark Collins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An analyte pre-concentrator for gas chromatography is disclosed generally comprising a tube having a restricted outlet and packed with an adsorbent, wherein the tube serves as the liner of a chromatographic injector, as an adsorbent trap coupled to a chromatographic column, and/or as an adsorbent trap coupled to a headspace sampler. Preferably, a heating device allows the tube to be heated. In a preferred embodiment, the analyte pre-concentrator further comprises a column isolating accessory so that a chromatographic column can be temporarily isolated from substances flowing through the tube.
Claims37
A method of pre-concentrating analytes in a gas chromatographic system including a chromatographic column coupled to a chromatographic injector, which injector has a main carrier gas inlet, the pressure of which can be regulated, an auxiliary carrier gas inlet, the pressure of which can be regulated, a liner, which liner has an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inner diameter of the outlet is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet, and an adsorbent disposed inside the liner, said method comprising the steps of:
- opening the vent and setting the pressures of the main carrier gas inlet and the auxiliary carrier gas inlet such that the column is isolated from substances flowing through the liner;
- introducing a sample mixture into the injector, such that the mixture flows into the liner, passes through the adsorbent, which adsorbs the analytes, and is vented from the injector;
- closing the vent and setting the pressures of the main carrier gas inlet and the auxiliary carrier gas inlet such that the column is no longer isolated from substances flowing through the injector;
- and
- desorbing the analytes adsorbed by the adsorbent into the column.
A method of pre-concentrating analytes in a gas chromatographic system including a chromatographic column coupled to a tube, which tube has an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inner diameter of the outlet is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet, and an adsorbent disposed inside the tube, comprising the steps of:
- introducing a sample mixture into the tube, such that the mixture passes through the adsorbent, which adsorbs the analytes, and is vented from the chromatographic system;
- and
- desorbing the analytes adsorbed by the adsorbent into the column.
An analyte pre-concentrator for use with a chromatographic column coupled thereto, comprising:
- a housing;
- a tube disposed inside said housing, said tube having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inner diameter of the outlet is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet;
- and
- an adsorbent disposed inside said tube;
- wherein said adsorbent adsorbs analytes when carrier gas carrying a sample mixture containing the analytes flows through said adsorbent before the carrier gas carrying the sample mixture is vented from said housing and while the chromatographic column coupled to said housing is isolated therefrom;
- and
- wherein said adsorbent desorbs the analytes into the chromatographic column when venting of the carrier gas carrying the sample mixture has ceased and the column is no longer isolated.
An analyte pre-concentrator for use with a chromatographic column coupled thereto, comprising:
- a housing having a vent;
- a tube disposed inside said housing, said tube having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inner diameter of the outlet is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet;
- an adsorbent disposed inside said tube;
- a first fluid pathway defined when the vent is open and the chromatographic column coupled to said housing is isolated therefrom, in which a sample mixture containing analytes mixes with carrier gas, flows through said adsorbent, which adsorbs the analytes, and is vented from said housing;
- and
- a second fluid pathway defined when the vent is closed and the chromatographic column coupled to said housing is unisolated therefrom, in which the analytes adsorbed by said adsorbent are desorbed into the column.
An analyte pre-concentrator for use with a chromatographic column coupled thereto, comprising:
- a housing having a sample mixture inlet, a main carrier gas inlet, and a vent;
- a tube disposed inside said housing, said tube having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inner diameter of the outlet is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet;
- an adsorbent disposed inside said tube;
- and
- a column isolating accessory coupled to said housing having an auxiliary carrier gas inlet;
- wherein the sample mixture inlet introduces a sample mixture into said housing, into said tube, through said adsorbent, and out said vent;
- wherein the main carrier gas inlet introduces carrier gas into said tube;
- wherein the auxiliary carrier gas inlet introduces carrier gas into said housing to isolate chromatographic columns coupled to said accessory;
- and
- the pressures of the main carrier gas inlet and the auxiliary carrier gas inlet are regulatable to introduce carrier gas into the inlet of said tube and isolate the column while the sample mixture is introduced into said housing, while the sample mixture flows through said adsorbent and out said vent, and while additional carrier gas dry purges said adsorbent and flows out said vent, and are further regulatable to introduce carrier gas into said tube and permit flow into the column while the adsorbed analytes are desorbed into the column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.