Liquid chromatograph analyzer and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298283-B2
Application number	US-202017433884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2020
Priority date	Feb 26, 2019
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Tests of channels of a system as a whole can be easily performed without adding a complicated mechanism. A liquid feeding part includes a liquid feeding channel to feed a mobile phase, a drainage channel to release pressure in the liquid feeding channel, an analysis channel that discharges the mobile phase into the sample introduction part, and a channel switching valve that selectively connects the liquid feeding channel to one of the drainage channel and the analysis channel. The channel switching valve is configured to be able to provide a tight stopper state in which the liquid feeding channel is connected to neither the analysis channel nor the drainage channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid chromatograph analyzer, comprising:
a liquid feeding part that feeds a mobile phase;
a sample introduction part that introduces a sample into the mobile phase;
a separation column connected to a downstream side of the sample introduction part and separating the sample into a plurality of components;
a detector connected to a downstream side of the separation column and detecting the separated components; and
a control part controlling the liquid feeding part, the sample introduction part, and the detector,
the liquid feeding part including:
a liquid feeding channel to feed the mobile phase;
a drainage channel to release pressure in the liquid feeding channel;
an analysis channel discharging the mobile phase into the sample introduction part; and
a channel switching valve, including a first movable channel and first pipe joints, selectively connecting the liquid feeding channel to one of the drainage channel and the analysis channel via the first pipe joints,
wherein the channel switching valve is configured to be able to provide a tight stopper state in which the liquid feeding channel is connected to neither the analysis channel nor the drainage channel at a position between the analysis channel and the drainage channel that does not have any pipe joints or ports,
wherein the sample introduction part further includes a sample introduction valve to introduce the sample into the mobile phase introduced from the analysis channel, a sample metering pump, a needle and a sample inlet, wherein the mobile phase is once introduced into sample introduction valve directly via the analysis channel and the mobile phase is again introduced into the sample introduction valve through the sample metering pump, the needle, and the sample inlet, the sample introduction valve including second movable channels and second pipe joints, each of the second movable channels having a curvature equal to a curvature of a circumference along which the second pipe joints are arranged, and the second movable channels are movable along the circumference, and
wherein the sample introduction valve is configured to be able to provide a tight stopper state in which the analysis channel is not connected to any other channel.

2. The liquid chromatograph analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising a column switching valve selectively connectable to a plurality of separation columns,
wherein the column switching valve is configured to be able to provide a tight stopper state in which any channel is not connected to any of the separation columns.

3. The liquid chromatograph analyzer according to claim 2 , further comprising a bypass channel to introduce the mobile phase into the detector without passing through any of the separation columns,
wherein the column switching valve is configured to be selectively connectable to the bypass channel in addition to the separation columns.

4. The liquid chromatograph analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid feeding part reduces flow rate in the liquid feeding channel when pressure in the liquid feeding channel approaches a set value during execution of a test.

5. The liquid chromatograph analyzer according to claim 4 , wherein the liquid feeding part stops liquid feeding when the pressure in the liquid feeding channel becomes equal to or more than the set value, and the control part is configured to subsequently measure a variation in the pressure.

6. The liquid chromatograph analyzer according to claim 5 , wherein the control part is configured to allow a bubble removal step to be repeated in the liquid feeding part by a predetermined number of times if the variation in the pressure is equal to or more than a threshold.

7. The liquid chromatograph analyzer according to claim 6 , wherein if the number of times of repeating exceeds a specified value, the control part determines that a channel as an object of the test fails to meet a predetermined performance without allowing the bubble removal step to be further performed.

8. A method of controlling a liquid chromatograph analyzer, the method comprising:
setting a switching valve, the switching valve selectively connecting a channel, to a tight stopper state in which the channel is not connected to any other channel;
increasing pressure of feeding of a mobile phase;
stopping the feeding after pressure in the channel increases to a set value; and
determining pressure resistance of a portion upstream of the switching valve based on a variation in the pressure,
wherein when pressure in the channel approaches the set value during execution of a test, pressure in the channel is reduced,
wherein when the pressure in the channel becomes equal to or more than the set value, feeding of the mobile phase is stopped, and then a variation in the pressure is measured, and
wherein if the variation in the pressure is equal to or more than a threshold, a bubble removal step is repeated by a predetermined number of times.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein if the number of times of repeating exceeds a specified value, the bubble removal step is not further performed, and a channel as an object of the test is determined to fail to meet a predetermined performance.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Akieda Daisuke
• Nogami Makoto
• Ito Shinya

Classifications

• G01N2030/385

  by switching valves · CPC title

• G01N2030/328

  valves, e.g. check valves of pumps · CPC title

• G01N2030/027

  Liquid chromatography · CPC title

• B01D15/14

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

• G01N2030/324

  speed, flow rate · CPC title