Sample pre-compression valve for liquid chromatography

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10634652-B2
Application number	US-201815959848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2018
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A sample pre-compression valve for liquid chromatography applications is described. The valve enables a sample pre-compression while the solvent pump continues to conduct solvent to the chromatography column. Furthermore, the sample pre-compression valve includes an INJECT position, a LOAD position and a PUMP PURGE position, in which all connecting grooves of the valve are flushed with liquid. A use of the sample pre-compression valve is described as part of a sampler for liquid chromatography applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An injection valve for high pressure liquid chromatography, the injection valve comprising:
(a) a stator; and
(b) a rotor, in which a face surface of the rotor is configured to be rotated against a face surface of the stator, in which the stator comprises a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port, the rotor comprises a first groove and a second groove, in which the first groove comprises a hook-shape, in which the first groove is configured to connect to two of the ports of the stator, and in which the second groove is configured to connect to a different two of the ports of the stator,
(i) in a LOAD position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the second port such that the first groove does not have a dead volume, and the second groove connects to the third port and the fourth port;
(ii) in a PRESSURE COMPENSATION position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the second port such that the first groove does have the dead volume, and the second groove does not connect the third port and the fourth port; and
(iii) in an INJECT position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the fifth port such that the first groove does not have the dead volume, and the second groove connects the second port and the third port.

2. The injection valve of claim 1 , in which the hook-shape comprises a first section and a second section, the first section connects a center of the rotor with a point of a circular path of the rotor, the second section is arranged on the circular path.

3. The injection valve of claim 2 , in which the second section comprises an arched shape.

4. The injection valve of claim 2 , in which the second section comprises a line shape.

5. The injection valve of claim 2 , in which the second groove comprises an arched groove configured to connect two points on the circular path of the rotor.

6. The injection valve of claim 2 , in which the second groove comprises a line-shaped groove configured to connect two points on the circular path of the rotor.

7. The injection valve of claim 1 , in which the first and second ports are arranged on a circular path around a center of the stator.

8. The injection valve of claim 7 , wherein the third, the fourth, and the fifth ports are arranged on the circular path around the center of the stator, in which the stator further includes a sixth port that is arranged at the center of the stator.

9. The injection valve of claim 8 , wherein the rotor further includes a third groove configured to connect the sixth port with one of the first port, the second port, the third port, the fourth port, and the fifth port.

10. The injection valve of claim 9 , wherein in the LOAD position, the third groove connects the fifth port and the sixth port such that the third groove does not have a dead volume; wherein in the PRESSURE COMPENSATION position, the third groove connects the fifth port and the sixth port such that the third groove does have the dead volume; and wherein in the INJECT position, the third groove connects the fourth port and the sixth port such that the third groove does not have the dead volume.

11. The injection valve of claim 10 , wherein in a PUMP PURGE position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the fourth port and the fifth port such that the first groove does not have the dead volume, the second groove connects the first port and the second port, and the third groove connects the third port and the sixth port such that the third groove does not have the dead volume.

12. The injection valve of claim 1 , in which the first port is arranged at a center of the stator and the second port is on a circular path around the center of the stator.

13. The injection valve of claim 12 , wherein the third, the fourth, and the fifth ports are arranged on the circular path around the center of the stator.

14. The injection valve of claim 1 , wherein in the LOAD position and the PRESSURE COMPENSATION position, the fifth port is not connected to the first groove, and the fifth port is not connected to the second groove.

15. The injection valve of claim 1 , wherein in the PRESSURE COMPENSATION position and the INJECT position, the fourth port is not connected to the first groove, and the fifth port is not connected to the second groove.

16. The injection valve of claim 1 , in which the first port, the second port, the third port, the fourth port, and the fifth port each have a point-shape or a groove-shape.

17. A method of injecting a sample into a chromatography column, the method comprising: pre-compressing the sample with an injection valve, the injection valve comprising:
(a) a stator; and
(b) a rotor, in which a face surface of the rotor is configured to be rotated against a face surface of the stator, in which the stator comprises a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port, the rotor comprises a first groove and a second groove, in which the first groove comprises a hook-shape, in which the first groove is configured to connect to two of the ports of the stator, and in which the second groove is configured to connect to a different two of the ports of the stator,
(i) in a LOAD position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the second port such that the first groove does not have a dead volume, and the second groove connects to the third port and the fourth port;
(ii) in a PRESSURE COMPENSATION position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the second port such that the first groove does have the dead volume, and the second groove does not connect the third port and the fourth port; and
(iii) in an INJECT position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the fifth port such that the first groove does not have the dead volume, and the second groove connects the second port and the third port.

18. A sampler for liquid chromatography comprising:
(A) an injection valve including:
(a) a stator; and
(b) a rotor, in which a face surface of the rotor is configured to be rotated against a face surface of the stator, in which the stator comprises a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, a fifth port, and a sixth port, the rotor comprises a first groove and a second groove, in which the first groove comprises a hook-shape, in which the first groove is configured to connect to two of the ports of the stator, and in which the second groove is configured to connect to a different two of the ports of the stator,
(i) in a LOAD position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the second port such that the first groove does not have a dead volume, and the second groove connects to the third port and the fourth port;
(ii) in a PRESSURE COMPENSATION position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the second port such that the first groove does have the dead volume, and the second groove does not connect the third port and the fourth port; and
(iii) in an INJECT position of the injection valve, the first groove connects the first port and the fifth port such that the first groove does not have the dead volume, and the second groove connects the second port and the third port;
wherein the first and the second ports are arranged on one or more circular paths around a center of the stator, in which the sixth port is arranged at the center of the stator;

(B) a sample conveying system

Assignees

• Dionex Softron Gmbh

Inventors

• Wachinger Thomas

Classifications

• G01N30/32

  of pressure or speed (G01N30/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N30/20 Primary

  using a sampling valve · CPC title

• G01N2030/207

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

• G01N2030/027

  Liquid chromatography · CPC title

• G01N30/22

  in high pressure liquid systems · CPC title