Sample injector with conduit tip penetrating into needle opening

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11519885-B2
Application number	US-202117239238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2021
Priority date	Apr 27, 2020
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A sample injector for a chromatography system is configured for injecting a sample fluid into a mobile phase, and includes a needle and a conduit. The needle is configured for aspirating the sample fluid and includes a needle tip, a needle channel through the needle for guiding the aspirated sample fluid, and a needle opening at the needle tip into which the needle channel opens. The conduit is configured for fluidically coupling with the needle and includes a conduit tip, and a conduit channel through the conduit for guiding fluid and having a conduit opening at the conduit tip. The conduit tip and the needle tip are configured to be pressed against each other for fluidically coupling the conduit channel with the needle channel, with at least a portion of the conduit tip penetrating into the needle opening for providing the fluidic coupling between the conduit and needle channels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sample injector for a chromatography system, the chromatography system comprising a mobile phase drive and a separation unit, wherein the mobile phase drive is configured for driving a mobile phase through the separation unit, and the separation unit is configured for chromatographically separating compounds of a sample fluid in the mobile phase, the sample injector being configured for injecting the sample fluid into the mobile phase and comprising:
a needle configured for aspirating the sample fluid, wherein the needle comprises a needle tip on one end, a needle channel through the needle for guiding the aspirated sample fluid, and a needle opening at the needle tip with the needle channel opening into the needle opening; and
a conduit configured for fluidically coupling with the needle, wherein the conduit comprises a conduit tip on one end, and a conduit channel through the conduit for guiding fluid, and the conduit channel has a conduit opening at the conduit tip,
wherein the conduit tip and the needle tip are configured to be pressed against each other for fluidically coupling the conduit channel with the needle channel, and at least a portion of the conduit tip is penetrating into the needle opening for providing the fluidic coupling between the conduit channel and the needle channel.

2. The sample injector of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:
a surface of the conduit tip is abutting to a surface of the needle opening for providing the fluidic coupling between the conduit channel and the needle channel;
a surface of the conduit tip is sealingly abutting to a surface of the needle opening for providing a fluid tight fluidic coupling between the conduit channel and the needle channel.

3. The sample injector of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the needle tip or the conduit tip has a tapered shape.

4. The sample injector of claim 3 , comprising at least one of:
the tapered shape comprises an external cone extending on a lateral side of the needle tip or the conduit tip and decreasing in diameter towards the end of the needle tip or the conduit tip;
the needle comprises the tapered shape comprising an external cone extending on a lateral side of the needle tip and decreasing in diameter towards the end of the needle tip;
the needle comprises the tapered shape comprising an internal cone extending in the needle opening and increasing in diameter towards the end of the needle tip;
the conduit comprises the tapered shape comprising an internal cone extending in the conduit opening and increasing in diameter towards the end of the conduit tip.

5. The sample injector of claim 1 , wherein:
the conduit comprises a tapered shape comprising an external cone extending on a lateral side of the conduit tip and decreasing in diameter towards the end of the conduit tip.

6. The sample injector of claim 5 , wherein:
the tapered shape of the conduit is configured to match with a shape of the needle opening so that the conduit tip sealingly abuts into the needle opening when the conduit tip and the needle tip are pressed against each other.

7. The sample injector of claim 1 , wherein:
the needle opening comprises a first tapered shape extending from the needle channel and increasing in diameter towards the end of the needle tip, and the conduit tip comprises a second tapered shape extending on a lateral side of the conduit tip and decreasing in diameter towards the end of the conduit tip, wherein the first tapered shape is configured to match with the second tapered shape so that the conduit tip sealingly abuts into the needle opening of the needle tip when the conduit tip and the needle tip are pressed against each other.

8. The sample injector of claim 7 , wherein:
the first tapered shape comprises an internal cone and the second tapered shape comprises an external cone.

9. The sample injector of claim 1 , wherein:
the needle tip has a non-symmetrical shape comprising a tapered inner portion, wherein the needle opening is increasing in diameter towards the end of the needle tip, and a cut-off portion being cut off in an angle with respect to the elongated shape of the needle.

10. The sample injector of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:
the needle comprises an elongated shape;
the needle comprises a cylindrical shape;
the needle channel is configured for at least partly buffering the aspirated sample fluid;
the conduit comprises an elongated shape;
the conduit comprises a cylindrical shape;
the conduit comprises a capillary;
the conduit comprises a fluidic coupling piece.

11. The sample injector of claim 1 , comprising:
a needle seat configured for receiving from one side the needle and from another side the conduit.

12. The sample injector of claim 11 , comprising at least one of:
the needle seat is configured for pressing the conduit tip and the needle tip against each other;
the needle seat is configured for elastically pressing the conduit tip and the needle tip against each other;
the conduit is fixedly coupled to the needle seat;
the needle seat is configured to provide an elastic bias in an axial direction of the conduit when the conduit tip and the needle tip are pressed against each other.

13. The sample injector of claim 11 , wherein:
the needle seat comprises a gripping element configured to grip and fasten the conduit to the needle seat in order to axially fix a spatial position of the conduit tip with respect to a spatial position of the needle tip when being received in the needle seat.

14. The sample injector of claim 13 , wherein:
the gripping element comprises a spring element configured to elastically bias the conduit tip against the needle tip when being received in the needle seat.

15. A separation system for separating compounds of a sample fluid in a mobile phase, the fluid separation system comprising:
a mobile phase drive configured to drive the mobile phase through the fluid separation system;
a separation unit configured to separate compounds of the sample fluid in the mobile phase; and
the sample injector of claim 1 configured to introduce the sample fluid into the mobile phase.

16. The separation system of claim 15 , further comprising at least one of:
a detector configured to detect separated compounds of the sample fluid;
a collection unit configured to collect separated compounds of the sample fluid;
a data processing unit configured to process data received from the fluid separation system;
a degassing apparatus configured to degas the mobile phase.

17. A method of operating a sample injector for a chromatography system, the chromatography system comprising a mobile phase drive and a separation unit, wherein the mobile phase drive is configured for driving a mobile phase through the separation unit, and the separation unit is configured for chromatographically separating compounds of a sample fluid in the mobile phase, the method comprising:
providing the sample injector, wherein the sample injector is configured to inject the sample fluid into the mobile phase and comprises:
a needle configured for aspirating the sample fluid, wherein the needle comprises a needle tip on one end, a needle channel through the needle for guiding the aspirated sample fluid, and a needle opening at the needle tip with the needle channel opening into the needle opening; and
a conduit configured for fluidically coupling with the needle, wherein the conduit comprises a conduit tip on one end, a conduit channel through the conduit for guiding fluid, and the conduit channel has a co

Assignees

• Agilent Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Ortmann Thomas
• Lang Michael
• Nocon Blasius

Classifications

• B01D15/14 Primary

  relating to the introduction of the feed to the apparatus · CPC title

• G01N30/22 Primary

  in high pressure liquid systems · CPC title

• G01N2030/027

  Liquid chromatography · CPC title

• G01N30/18 Primary

  using a septum or microsyringe · CPC title