Bracketing fluidic sample using strong solvent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023112993-A1
Application number	US-202117913313-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 15, 2021
Priority date	Mar 24, 2020
Publication date	Apr 13, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sample separation device for separating a fluidic sample includes a fluid drive for driving a mobile phase and the fluidic sample when injected in the mobile phase, a sample separation unit for separating the fluidic sample in the mobile phase, and a control unit configured for bracketing the fluidic sample between two mobile phase portions of the mobile phase. At least one of the mobile phase portions is arranged directly next to the fluidic sample and has a higher solvent strength compared to a solvent of the fluidic sample.

First claim

1 . A sample separation device for separating a fluidic sample, the sample separation device comprising:
a fluid drive for driving a mobile phase and the fluidic sample when injected in the mobile phase; a sample separation unit for separating the fluidic sample in the mobile phase; and a control unit configured for bracketing the fluidic sample between two mobile phase portions of the mobile phase, wherein at least one of the mobile phase portions is arranged directly next to the fluidic sample and has a higher solvent strength compared to a solvent of the fluidic sample.

2 . The sample separation device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured for bracketing the fluidic sample directly between two mobile phase portions of higher solvent strength compared to the solvent of the fluidic sample.

3 . The sample separation device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured for supplying a further mobile phase portion of lower solvent strength following, in particular directly following, the mobile phase portion of the higher solvent strength following the fluidic sample.

4 . The sample separation device according to claim 3 , comprising at least one of the following features:
wherein the further mobile phase portion has a lower solvent strength than the mobile phase portions; wherein the further mobile phase portion has a lower solvent strength than the mobile phase portions and also than the solvent of the fluidic sample.

5 . The sample separation device according to claim 1 , comprising at least one of the following features:
wherein the control unit is configured for reducing a solvent strength profile between the solvent of the fluidic sample and the at least one of the mobile phase portions with the higher solvent strength before the fluidic sample reaches the sample separation unit, by dilution with a further mobile phase having a lower solvent strength than the at least one of the mobile phase portions with the higher solvent strength; wherein the control unit is configured for arranging at least one further mobile phase portion with a lower solvent strength compared to the solvent of the fluidic sample directly next to the fluidic sample before the fluidic sample reaches the sample separation unit, so that the fluidic sample is no longer directly next to the at least one of the mobile phase portions with the higher solvent strength when the fluidic sample reaches the sample separation unit.

6 . The sample separation device claim 1 , comprising at least one of the following features:
wherein the control unit is configured for selectively modifying a dilution factor of the fluidic sample over time; wherein the control unit is configured for releasing fluidic sample adsorbed on the sample separation unit by driving an eluent through only part of conduits flown through by the fluidic sample; comprising an injector for injecting the fluidic sample into a flow path towards the sample separation unit by combining the fluidic sample with only one or both of the mobile phase portions at a fluidic coupling point.

7 . The sample separation device claim 1 , comprising an injector for injecting the fluidic sample into a flow path towards the sample separation unit, wherein the injector comprises:
a sample accommodation volume for accommodating the fluidic sample prior to injecting; a sample drive configured for intaking the fluidic sample into the sample accommodation volume; a fluidic valve switchable between multiple switching states to thereby selectively couple the sample accommodation volume with the flow path or decouple the sample accommodation volume from the flow path, wherein in an injection switching state of the fluidic valve, the fluid drive, the separation unit and the sample drive are fluidically coupled by the fluidic valve so that fluid driven by the sample drive and flowing from the sample accommodation volume to the separation unit and further fluid driven by the fluid drive and flowing from the fluid drive to the separation unit are combined at a fluidic connection upstream of the separation unit.

8 . The sample separation device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a further fluid drive for driving further mobile phase and the fluidic sample separated by the sample separation unit; and a further sample separation unit for further separating the fluidic sample after separation by the sample separation unit.

9 . The sample separation device according to claim 8 , comprising a fluidic valve coupled to an outlet of the sample separation unit and to the further fluid drive and configured for being switchable for transferring the fluidic sample separated by the sample separation unit to the further sample separation unit.

10 . The sample separation device according to claim 8 , comprising buffer volumes for temporarily buffering portions of the fluidic sample separated by the sample separation unit and for subsequently forwarding the temporarily buffered portions of the fluidic sample for further separation by the further sample separation unit.

11 . The sample separation device according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured for forwarding the temporarily buffered portions of the fluidic sample for further separation in a freely selectively selective order.

12 . The sample separation device according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured for forwarding the temporarily buffered portions of the fluidic sample for further separation in an order which differs from an order according to which the portions have been inserted in the buffer volumes.

13 . The sample separation device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the following features:
the sample separation device is configured as a chromatography sample separation device, in particular a liquid chromatography sample separation device or a supercritical fluid chromatography sample separation device; the sample separation device comprises a detector configured to detect separated fractions of the fluidic sample; the sample separation device comprises a fractioner unit configured to collect separated fractions of the fluidic sample; the sample separation device comprises an injector configured to inject the fluidic sample in the mobile phase.

14 . A method of separating a fluidic sample, wherein the method comprises comprising:
driving a mobile phase and the fluidic sample; injecting the fluidic sample in the mobile phase; separating the fluidic sample in the mobile phase by a sample separation unit; and bracketing the fluidic sample between two mobile phase portions of the mobile phase, wherein at least one of the mobile phase portions is arranged directly next to the fluidic sample and has a higher solvent strength compared to a solvent of the fluidic sample.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one mobile phase portion with the higher solvent strength comprises a mobile phase portion arranged in a flowing direction directly behind the fluidic sample, wherein in particular the mobile phase portion arranged in the flowing direction directly behind the fluidic sample is driven through the sample separation unit.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one mobile phase portion with the higher solvent strength comprises a mobile phase portion arranged in a flowing direction directly before the fluidic sample, wherein in particular the mobile phase portion arranged in the flowing direction directly before the fluidic sample is prevented from flowing through the sample separati

Assignees

• Agilent Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Stoll Dwight Robert
• Buckenmaier Stephan
• Lege Sascha
• Ortmann Thomas
• Shoykhet Konstantin

Classifications

• G01N30/34 Primary

  of fluid composition, e.g. gradient (G01N30/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D15/166 Primary

  Fluid composition conditioning, e.g. gradient · CPC title

• B01D15/14

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

• G01N30/20 Primary

  using a sampling valve · CPC title

• G01N30/463

  for multidimensional chromatography · CPC title