Filtration device for chromatographic instruments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11161065-B2
Application number	US-201916375908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2019
Priority date	Apr 19, 2018
Publication date	Nov 2, 2021
Grant date	Nov 2, 2021

Abstract

A liquid chromatography system, includes a fluidic flow path, a chromatography column located in the fluidic flow path, a filtration device located in the fluidic flow path before the chromatography column, the filtration device including a housing having a fluidic inlet, a fluidic outlet, wherein at least a portion of the fluidic flow path is located between the fluidic inlet and the fluidic outlet and at least one filter disposed in the portion of the fluidic flow path, wherein the at least one filter is made of a micromachined material. Liquid chromatography filtration methods are further disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid chromatography filtration device, comprising:
a housing having a fluidic inlet, a fluidic outlet, wherein the housing is configured to be connected in line with a fluidic flow path of a liquid chromatography system such that at least a portion of the fluidic flow path is located between the fluidic inlet and the fluidic outlet;
at least one filter disposed in the portion of the fluidic flow path;
a filter element mountable in line with the fluidic flow path, wherein a plurality of filters, including a first filter of the at least one filter, is disposed on the filter element; and
a dynamic sealing mechanism configured such that:
when the filter element is in a first slidably engageable position there is a fluidic seal between the at least one filter and the portion of the fluidic flow path; and
when the filter element is in a second position the portion of the fluidic flow path is isolated from the at least one filter on both sides of the at least one filter.

2. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , further comprising a detection system configured to automatically determine when the at least one filter is clogged.

3. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 2 , wherein the detection system includes a first pressure gauge located before the at least one filter in the portion of the fluidic flow path and a second pressure gauge located after the at least one filter in the fluidic flow path.

4. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 2 , wherein the filter element is mounted on a filter movement stage, wherein the filter movement stage is in communication with the detection system, and wherein the filter movement stage is configured to move the filter element.

5. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is made of a micromachined material.

6. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 4 , wherein the filter movement stage is configured to move the filter element when the filtration device is in the second position to automatically change the at least one filter disposed in the portion of the fluidic flow path with a second filter of the plurality of filters when the detection system determines that the at least one filter is clogged.

7. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 4 , wherein the filter element is a ribbon.

8. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 4 , wherein the filter element is a disc.

9. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 2 , further comprising a filter element cleaner configured to flush the at least one filter, wherein the filter element cleaner is in fluidic communication with the at least one filter and in electrical communication with the detection system, wherein the detection system is configured to activate the filter element cleaner when the detection system determines that the at least one filter is clogged.

10. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one filter is a plurality of filters, and wherein the filter element cleaner is configured to provide flushing liquid to be selectively directed to a filter of the plurality of filters.

11. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 4 , further comprising a second filter element having a second plurality of filters disposed thereon, the second filter element being mounted on the filter movement stage and having a first filter of the second plurality of filters disposed in the fluidic flow path when the filtration device is in the first position, wherein the filter movement stage is configured to move the second filter element when the filtration device is in the second position to remove the first filter of the second plurality of filters out of the fluidic flow path and bring a second filter of the second plurality of filters into the fluidic flow path.

12. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 6 , wherein the filter movement stage is configured to move the first filter and the second filter substantially simultaneously.

13. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 6 , wherein the filter movement stage is configured to move the first filter and the second filter substantially independently.

14. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is capable of chemical interactions with a chemical species in the fluid.

15. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter bears a non-zero electrical charge and wherein the housing further comprises one or more electrical leads electrically connected to the at least one filter.

16. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter includes a pore size between about 0.2 μm and 50 μm and wherein the at least one filter includes a pore size standard deviation less than about 20% of the mean pore size.

17. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is functionalized with an acidic functional group and bears a negative electrical charge.

18. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is functionalized with an amine functional group and bears a positive electrical charge.

19. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is a plurality of filters disposed in the portion of the fluidic flow path in series, wherein a first filter of the plurality of filters includes a first pore size, wherein a second filter of the plurality of filters includes a second pore size smaller than the first pore size, and where a third filter of the plurality of filters includes a third pore size smaller than the second pore size.

20. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is a plurality of filters and wherein the portion of the fluidic flow path is comprised of multiple path segments, each path segment having an inflow region and an outflow region, and at least one filter of the plurality of filters disposed between the inflow region and outflow region of each path segment, and wherein:
the portion of the fluidic flow path comprises a first path segment having an inflow region in fluidic communication with the fluidic inlet;
a last path segment having an outflow region in fluidic communication with the fluidic outlet; and
the outflow region of an upstream path segment is in fluidic communication with the inflow region of a downstream path segment.

21. The liquid chromatography filtration device of claim 20 , wherein the housing further comprises:
a flushing liquid manifold in fluidic communication with the portion of the fluidic flow path, the flushing liquid manifold connected to a flushing liquid inlet through a flushing valve; and
a flushing liquid drain in fluidic communication with the portion of the fluidic flow path, wherein the flushing valve is configured to allow a flushing liquid to be selectively directed to a filter of the plurality of filters,
wherein the flushing valve is configured to allow a flushing liquid to be selectively directed to a path segment of the multiple path segments.

22. A liquid chromatography system, comprising:
a fluidic flow path;
a chromatography column located in the fluidic flow path;
a filtration device located in the fluidic flow path before the chromatography column, the filtration device includin

Assignees

• Waters Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Wyndham Kevin D
• Jung Moon Chul
• Tarafder Abhijit
• Leveille Sr Wade P

Classifications

• B01D29/50

  with multiple filtering elements, characterised by their mutual disposition (B01D29/39 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D29/66

  by flushing, e.g. counter-current air-bumps · CPC title

• B01D35/143

  Filter condition indicators · CPC title

• B01D29/96 Primary

  in which the filtering elements are moved between filtering operations; Particular measures for removing or replacing the filtering elements; Transport systems for filters (B01D29/09, B01D29/70 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N30/603 Primary

  retaining the stationary phase, e.g. Frits · CPC title