Branching off fluidic sample with low influence on source flow path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10371671-B2
Application number	US-201715608888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	May 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A sample management device which comprises a source flow path in which a fluidic sample can flow, a volume flow adjustment unit configured to adjust a volume flow of the fluidic sample to be branched off from the source flow path at a fluidic coupling point, and a fluidic valve fluidically coupled with the source flow path and with the volume flow adjustment unit, wherein the fluidic valve is switchable into a branch off state in which the fluidic coupling point is established within the source flow path to branch off an adjustable volume of the fluidic sample from the source flow path via the fluidic coupling point while a flow of the fluidic sample in the source flow path continues.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sample management device, comprising:
a source flow path in which a fluidic sample can flow;
a volume flow adjustment pump configured to adjust a volume flow of the fluidic sample to be branched off from the source flow path at a fluidic coupling point; and
a fluidic valve fluidically coupled with the source flow path and with the volume flow adjustment pump;
wherein the fluidic valve is switchable into a branch off state in which the fluidic coupling point is established within the source flow path to branch off an adjustable volume of the fluidic sample from the source flow path via the fluidic coupling point while a flow of the fluidic sample in the source flow path continues,
wherein:
the fluidic valve is configured so that, in the branch off state, the volume flow adjustment pump is fluidically coupled with the source flow path via the fluidic coupling point,
the fluidic coupling point has at least three fluid connections, and
the fluidic coupling point is located in an interior of the fluidic valve.

2. The sample management device according to claim 1 , comprising at least one of the following features:
wherein, in the branch off state, two of the at least three fluid connections at the fluidic coupling point are fluidically coupled to or form part of the source flow path and another one of the at least three fluid connections is fluidically coupled to the volume flow adjustment pump;
wherein the at least three fluid connections comprise two fluidic conduits of the fluidic valve fluidically coupled with one another in the branch off state.

3. The sample management device according to claim 1 , wherein the volume flow adjustment pump is configured to adjust the volume flow of the fluidic sample to be branched off from the source flow path.

4. The sample management device according to claim 1 , comprising a destination flow path fluidically coupled with the fluidic valve, wherein the fluidic valve is switchable into a sample supply state in which the branched off fluidic sample is supplied into the destination flow path.

5. The sample management device according to claim 1 , wherein the source flow path comprises a sample separation apparatus for separating the fluidic sample in fractions.

6. The sample management device according to claim 5 , comprising a destination flow path fluidically coupled with the fluidic valve, wherein the fluidic valve is switchable into a sample supply state in which the branched off fluidic sample is supplied into the destination flow path, and the destination flow path comprises a further sample separation apparatus for further separating the fractions into sub-fractions.

7. The sample management device according to claim 1 , comprising a needle, a seat and an accommodation volume between the volume flow adjustment pump and the fluidic valve, wherein the needle is drivable selectively into the seat or out of the seat for transferring a substance between the accommodation volume and an external entity.

8. The sample management device according to claim 7 , comprising a sample separation apparatus into which the branched off fluidic sample is injectable from the external entity.

9. The sample management device according to claim 8 , wherein the sample separation apparatus comprises a further needle, a further seat and a further accommodation volume, wherein the further needle is drivable selectively into the further seat or out of the further seat for transferring the branched off fluidic sample from the external entity into the further accommodation volume.

10. The sample management device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluidic valve is switchable in a pressure adjustment state in which the source flow path is fluidically decoupled from the volume flow adjustment pump and in which the volume flow adjustment pump is operable for adjusting a pressure between the volume flow adjustment pump and the fluidic valve.

11. The sample management device according to claim 10 , wherein the volume flow adjustment pump is operable for adjusting the pressure in the pressure adjustment state to reduce a pressure difference with regard to another pressure in the source flow path prior to switching the fluidic valve in the branch off state.

12. The sample management device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluidic valve has:
a source flow-in port through which the fluidic sample can be guided to flow from the source flow path into the fluidic valve;
a source flow-out port through which branched off fluidic sample can flow away from the source flow path and not-branched off fluidic sample can remain flowing within the source flow path;
a branch off port through which the branched off fluidic sample can flow to a sample accommodation volume in fluid communication with the volume flow adjustment pump.

13. The sample management device according to claim 12 , wherein, in the branch off state, the source flow-out port is equal to the fluidic coupling point.

14. The sample management device according to claim 1 , comprising at least one of the following features:
wherein the fluidic valve is switchable into at least one other state in which the volume flow adjustment unit and the source flow path are fluidically decoupled from one another;
wherein the source flow path has a flow-in port through which the fluidic sample flows into the source flow path and has a flow-out port through which the fluidic sample flows out of the source flow path;
wherein the fluidic valve is switchable into at least one other state in which no fluidic coupling point fluidically coupling the volume flow adjustment pump and the source flow path is established within the source flow path;
wherein the fluidic coupling point is defined by a fluidic coupling position between the source flow path and a channel end point of a volume flow adjustment path including the volume flow adjustment pump;
the sample management device is configured so that a flow of the fluidic sample in the source flow path continues substantially undisturbed in the branch off state;
the sample management device is configured so that a flow of the fluidic sample in the source flow path continues uninterruptedly in the branch off state;
wherein the fluidic coupling point corresponds to a fluid port;
wherein the volume flow adjustment pump comprises a predefined fluidic restriction;
wherein the source flow path is configured for closed-loop fluid processing;
wherein the source flow path comprises a fluid reactor for subjecting the fluidic sample to a reaction;
wherein the volume flow adjustment pump is operable so that the volume of the fluidic sample to be branched off from the source flow path flows via the fluidic coupling point into a sample accommodation volume.

15. A sample separation system for separating a fluidic sample, wherein the sample separation system comprises:
a fluid drive configured to drive a mobile phase;
a separation unit configured to separate the fluidic sample in the mobile phase;
a sample management device according to claim 1 for branching off an adjusted volume of the fluidic sample for injection between the fluid drive and the separation unit.

16. The sample separation system of claim 15 , further comprising at least one of the following features:
a detector configured to detect separated fractions of the fluidic sample;
a fractioner unit configured to collect separated fractions of the fluidic sample;
a degassing apparatus for degassing the mobile phase;
the sample separation system is configured as a chromatography sample separation system.

Assignees

• Agilent Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Ortmann Thomas
• Thielsch Daniel

Classifications

• G01N30/20 Primary

  using a sampling valve · CPC title

• G01N30/36

  in high pressure liquid systems · CPC title

• G01N30/04

  Preparation or injection of sample to be analysed · CPC title

• G01N2030/207

  with metering cavity, e.g. sample loop · CPC title

• G01N2030/201

  multiport valves, i.e. having more than two ports · CPC title