System and method for solvent mixing in a chromatography system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021339211-A1
Application number	US-202117241255-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2021
Priority date	Apr 29, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A solvent mixing system includes a mixing tee, a centrifugal mixing path, and a low frequency blending mixer. The mixing tee has at least two solvent input ports and a solvent output port in fluid communication with one another. The centrifugal mixing path has a mixing path inlet in fluid communication with the solvent output port of the mixing tee. The centrifugal mixing path includes at least one coiled segment between the mixing path inlet and a mixing path outlet. The low frequency blending mixer is in fluid communication with the outlet of the centrifugal mixing path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A solvent mixing system comprising:
a mixing tee having at least two solvent input ports and a solvent output port in fluid communication with one another; a centrifugal mixing path having a mixing path inlet in fluid communication with the solvent output port of the mixing tee, the centrifugal mixing path including at least one coiled segment between the mixing path inlet and a mixing path outlet; and a low frequency blending mixer in fluid communication with the outlet of the centrifugal mixing path.

2 . The solvent mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the mixing tee has an internal mixing volume of about 0.045 uL.

3 . The solvent mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the mixing tee is a low volume first in first out (FIFO) mixing point.

4 . The solvent mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the mixing tee eliminates stratification of at least two solvent flow streams.

5 . The solvent mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the centrifugal mixing path is contoured and shaped to impart a centrifugal force to a high velocity solvent mixture passing between the mixing path inlet and the mixing path outlet at a velocity between about 150 to 17,000 inch/min.

6 . The solvent mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the centrifugal mixing path has an inner diameter between about 0.0005 to 0.090 inches.

7 . The solvent mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the low frequency blending mixer is a single inlet mixer.

8 . The solvent mixing system of claim 7 , wherein the low frequency blending mixer comprises:
a mixer input port in fluid communication with the outlet of the centrifugal mixing path; a first filter/retainer located downstream of the mixer input port; a mixing chamber; and a second filter/retainer located downstream of the mixing chamber.

9 . The solvent mixing system of claim 8 , wherein the mixing chamber is a bead packed mixing chamber.

10 . The solvent mixing system of claim 8 , wherein the mixing chamber is a diffusion bonded mixing chamber.

11 . A method for mixing solvent streams comprising:
directing at least two solvent flow streams to a low volume mixing tee; mixing the at least two solvent flow streams within the low volume mixing tee to create a combined solvent stream; guiding the combined solvent stream through a coiled centrifugal mixing path to impart a centrifugal force to the combined solvent stream; and further mixing the combined solvent stream using a low frequency blending mixer located downstream of the coiled centrifugal mixing path.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein mixing the at least two solvent flow streams within the low volume mixing tee eliminates stratification of the at least two solvent flow streams.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein guiding the combined solvent stream through the coiled centrifugal mixing path includes imparting a centrifugal force to the combined solvent stream at a velocity between about 150 to 17,000 inch/min.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the centrifugal mixing path has an inner diameter between about 0.0005 to 0.090 inches.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the low frequency blending mixer is a single inlet mixer.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein further mixing the combined solvent stream using the low frequency blending mixer comprises:
filtering the combined solvent stream using a first filter/retainer located downstream of a mixer input port; mixing the combined solvent stream within a mixing chamber; and filtering the combined solvent stream using a second filter/retainer located downstream of the mixing chamber.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the mixing chamber is a bead packed mixing chamber.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the mixing chamber is a diffusion bonded mixing chamber.

19 . A solvent mixing system comprising:
a low volume first in first out (FIFO) mixing tee with an internal mixing volume of about 0.045 uL, the mixing tee having at least two solvent input ports and a solvent output port in fluid communication with one another and configured to eliminate stratification of at least two solvent flow streams; a coiled centrifugal mixing path in fluid communication with the output port of the mixing tee and configured to impart a centrifugal force to a combined solvent flow stream received from the mixing tee; and a low frequency single inlet blending mixer in fluid communication with the outlet of the centrifugal mixing path and configured to further mix the combined solvent flow stream downstream of the coiled centrifugal mixing path.

Assignees

• Waters Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Almeida Neal

Classifications

• B01F2215/0431

  Numerical size values, e.g. diameter of a hole or conduit, area, volume, length, width, or ratios thereof · CPC title

• B01F23/43

  using driven stirrers · CPC title

• B01F23/808

  Filtering the mixture · CPC title

• B01F25/4331

  Mixers with bended, curved, coiled, wounded mixing tubes or comprising elements for bending the flow · CPC title

• B01F29/15 Primary

  Use of centrifuges for mixing · CPC title