# US 8,771,517 B2 · IC system including sample pretreatment and using a single pump

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,771,517 B2
- Document ID: US8771517B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/702,880
- Filed: 2010-02-09
- Published: 2010-06-10
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2005-09-16
- Assignees: Dionex Corporation
- Applicants: Kannan Srinivasan; Rong Lin
- Inventors: Kannan Srinivasan; Rong Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771517B2

## CPC

- G01N 30/96: using ion-exchange (G01N30/02, G01N30/90 take precedence)
- G01N 2030/085: {using absorbing precolumn}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

An IC system including sample preparation. The system includes a liquid sample injection loop, an ion concentrator, an ion separator, and only a single pump for pumping fluid through the system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ion chromatography method comprising:
(a) flowing an aqueous liquid stream from an aqueous liquid source through a sample loop containing a liquid sample including ions of interest,
(b) flowing the step (a) effluent through concentrator ion exchange medium in an ion concentrator to retain said sample ions,
(c) flowing an eluent through said concentrator ion exchange medium to remove said retained sample ions in a concentrator effluent,
(d) flowing the step (c) effluent through ion separation medium in an ion separator to separate said sample ions and form an ion separation effluent,
(e) flowing the step (d) effluent past a detector to detect the separated sample ions, the flow in steps (a) through (d) being performed under pressure applied by a single pump, and
(f) flowing an aqueous liquid stream from said aqueous liquid source through an eluent generator to generate the eluent of step (c) under pressure applied by said single pump.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to step (c), repeating steps (a) and (b) to concentrate said sample ions in said concentrator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(g) suppressing the eluent in the step (d) effluent prior to step (e).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(g) flowing, under pressure applied by said single pump, the effluent from step (e) through an ion removal device to form a deionized water stream which comprises said aqueous liquid source.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(g) flowing the effluent from step (a) through an ion neutralizer prior to step (b).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(g) prior to step (b), flowing the effluent from step (a) through a matrix elimination column, to retain matrix ions in said step (a) effluent.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(g) prior to step (b), flowing the effluent from step (a) through a converter column to convert counterions of the sample ions to converted forms.