Lc system and method with column backflushing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022349863-A1
Application number	US-202217659772-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 19, 2022
Priority date	Apr 30, 2021
Publication date	Nov 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A liquid chromatographic (LC) system is herein disclosed, the LC system comprising at least one fluidic stream comprising at least one HPLC column, a downstream valve connected to the at least one fluidic stream and connectable to a detector via a valve-to-detector conduit, wherein the at least one fluidic stream is connectable to the valve-to-detector conduit via the downstream valve, and where the LC system further comprises a downstream pump fluidically connected to the downstream valve and connectable to the at least one fluidic stream via the downstream valve in order to backflush and thereby clean the at least one HPLC column. A respective automated LC method is herein also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A liquid chromatographic (LC) system comprising
at least one fluidic stream comprising at least one HPLC column, distinguished from rapid trap and elute LC columns, a downstream valve connected to the at least one fluidic stream and connectable to a detector via a valve-to-detector conduit, wherein the at least one fluidic stream is connectable to the valve-to-detector conduit via the downstream valve, characterized in that the LC system further comprises a downstream pump fluidically connected to the downstream valve and connectable to the at least one fluidic stream via the downstream valve in order to backflush and thereby clean the at least one HPLC column.

2 . The LC system according to claim 1 wherein the LC system comprises a plurality of fluidic streams alternately connectable to the valve-to-detector conduit via the downstream valve.

3 . The LC system according to claim 1 wherein the downstream pump is also connectable to the valve-to-detector conduit via the downstream valve in order to wash the valve-to-detector conduit.

4 . The LC system according to claim 3 wherein the downstream pump is configured to connect to the valve-to-detector conduit between two consecutive fluidic streams in order to wash liquid from a previous fluidic stream out of the valve-to-detector conduit before liquid from a subsequent fluidic stream enters the valve-to-detector conduit.

5 . The LC system according to claim 1 wherein the downstream pump is connected to the downstream valve via a wash selection valve, and wherein the wash selection valve is configured to alternately connect to any one of the at least one fluidic stream and to the valve-to-detector conduit via the downstream valve.

6 . The LC system according to claim 5 wherein the wash selection valve is connectable to the at least one fluidic stream via a respective three-way valve fluidically connected to the downstream valve, the three-way valve comprising a wash-selection-valve inlet port, a downstream-valve outlet port and a waste outlet port.

7 . The LC system according to claim 1 comprising a controller configured to automatically backflush the at least one HPLC column at regular intervals and/or upon detection of a pressure rise above a predetermined threshold in the at least one fluidic stream and/or upon detection of performance reduction of the at least one HPLC column below a predetermined threshold.

8 . The LC system according to claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to manage a fluidic-stream-to-detector connection time, that is the connection time between the at least one fluidic stream and the valve-to-detector conduit, a downstream-pump-to-detector connection time, that is the connection time between the downstream pump and the valve-to-detector conduit, and a downstream-pump-to-fluidic-stream connection time, that is the connection time between the at least one fluidic stream and the downstream pump, by controlling switching of any one or more of the downstream valve, the wash selection valve, the three-way valve(s).

9 . An automated LC method comprising fluidically connecting at least one fluidic stream comprising at least one HPLC column, distinguished from rapid trap and elute LC columns, to a downstream valve in order to connect the at least one fluidic stream to a detector via a valve-to-detector conduit, the method further comprising fluidically connecting a downstream pump to the at least one fluidic stream via the downstream valve in order to backflush and thereby clean the at least one HPLC column.

10 . The LC method of claim 9 comprising alternately connecting a plurality of fluidic streams to the valve-to-detector conduit via the downstream valve.

11 . The LC method of claim 9 comprising connecting the downstream pump to the valve-to-detector conduit via the downstream valve in order to wash the valve-to-detector conduit.

12 . The LC method according to claim 11 comprising connecting the downstream pump to the valve-to-detector conduit between two consecutive fluidic streams in order to wash liquid from a previous fluidic stream out of the valve-to-detector conduit before liquid from a subsequent fluidic stream enters the valve-to-detector conduit.

13 . The LC method according to claim 9 comprising connecting the downstream pump to the downstream valve via a wash selection valve, and alternately connecting the wash selection valve to any one of the at least one fluidic stream and to the valve-to-detector conduit via the downstream valve.

14 . The LC method according to claim 13 comprising connecting the wash selection valve to the at least one fluidic stream via a respective three-way valve fluidically connected to the downstream valve, the three-way valve comprising a wash-selection-valve inlet port, a downstream-valve outlet port and a waste outlet port.

15 . The LC method according to claim 9 comprising automatically backflushing the at least one HPLC column at regular intervals and/or upon detection of a pressure rise above a predetermined threshold in the at least one fluidic stream and/or upon detection of performance reduction of the at least one HPLC column below a predetermined threshold.

16 . The LC method according claim 9 comprising automatically managing by a controller a fluidic-stream-to-detector connection time, that is the connection time between the at least one fluidic stream and the valve-to-detector conduit, a downstream-pump-to-detector connection time, that is the connection time between the downstream pump and the valve-to-detector conduit, and a downstream-pump-to-fluidic-stream connection time, that is the connection time between the at least one fluidic stream and the downstream pump, by controlling switching of any one or more of the downstream valve, the wash selection valve, the three-way valve(s).

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Leinenbach Andreas
• Van Doom Aart Pieter

Classifications

• G01N2030/402

  purging a device · CPC title

• G01N2030/628

  Multiplexing, i.e. several columns sharing a single detector · CPC title

• G01N30/40 Primary

  using back flushing · CPC title

• G01N2030/027

  Liquid chromatography · CPC title

• G01N30/36 Primary

  in high pressure liquid systems · CPC title