Modular automated chromatography system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9304518-B2
Application number	US-201213591461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2012
Priority date	Aug 24, 2011
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Valves, pumps, detectors, sample loops, fraction collectors and the like are individually incorporated into modules that are mountable in interchangeable manner at individual mounting sites on a base unit which also supports one or more chromatography columns. Each module includes fluid connections to other modules and a microcontroller joining the module to a computed and monitor through an electronic connector at each mounting site. The fluid connections between the modules and the column(s) are removed from the electronic connections and accessible to the user. A software platform recognizes the modules and their locations, coordinates fluid connections between the modules, and provides a variety of control, monitoring, data generating and data processing functions to generate chromatographic data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for joining a plurality of fluid manipulation components into a flow scheme for directing fluids to and from a chromatographic separation device and for operating said joined fluid manipulation components according to a selected protocol, said system comprising:
a plurality of modules, each said module comprising (a) one of said fluid manipulation components and (b) a microcontroller that (i) encodes machine readable data characterizing the type of said fluid manipulation component, and (ii) transmits operational signals to said fluid manipulation component in response to commands received from outside said module;
a mounting frame comprising a plurality of mounting sites, each said mounting site constructed to receive a single module interchangeably with other said modules, and each said mounting site comprising a signal connector that couples to and communicates with the microcontroller of a module mounted at said mounting site; and
a software platform embedded in said mounting frame or in a computer external to said mounting frame or distributed between said mounting frame and a computer external to said mounting frame, the software communicating with the microcontroller of each module mounted on said mounting frame through said signal connectors, said software being programmable for (1) receiving said machine-readable data, (2) recognizing from the received machine-readable data the types of the fluid manipulation components, (3) automatically mapping the plurality of fluid manipulation components to the flow scheme based on the received data, (4) guiding a user of the system in the joining of said fluid manipulation components according to said flow scheme, and for (5) causing said fluid manipulation components, once joined, to direct fluids to and from said chromatographic separation device in accordance with said protocol.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each said microcontroller further (iii) detects malfunctions of said fluid manipulation component and emits an alarm signal in response to said malfunction.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a monitor that graphically displays fluid connections between the fluid manipulation components of the modules mounted to said mounting frame in accordance with said flow scheme.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising means for indicating where fluid connections are needed for individual segments of said flow scheme.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each said module further comprises indicator lights for tubing connections and said means for indicating where fluid connections are needed includes said indicator lights, said indicator lights being responsive to said software.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said software comprises a software suite that comprises means for monitoring a run being performed on said system by displaying on said monitor all active flow paths during said run.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said software suite further comprises means for displaying chromatographic data produced by a run performed on said system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said chromatographic data is one or more members selected from the group consisting of peak integration, peak measuring, peak identification, peak mapping, and baseline determination.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein each said module further comprises a data indicator indicating operational data pertaining to the fluid manipulation component on said module.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein each said module further comprises a visual alarm indicator and said alarm signal produces a visually observable change in said alarm indicator.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said mounting sites are bays into which said modules are inserted, and said signal connectors are affixed to interior walls of said bays.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said mounting sites are bays arranged in a two-dimensional vertical array of rows and columns, all bays opening to a common side of said mounting frame.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said bays comprise subgroups of bays, including a second subgroup whose bays have widths that are multiples of the bays of a first subgroup.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said mounting sites comprise bays separated by barriers which are removable such that adjacent bays can be combined to result in a single bay of dimensions equal to the sum of said adjacent bays.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein one or more of said rows is immobile relative to said mounting frame and one or more of said rows other than said immobile rows is rotatable about a vertical axis.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said mounting frame further comprises as column rack for holding a chromatographic column.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said software comprises a software suite that includes a library of one or more flow scheme phases selected from the group consisting of equilibration, sample application, column activation, column washing, elution, column preparation, and tests of column performance, and said software is further programmable for user creation of a flow scheme by selecting and assembling phases from said library.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said fluid manipulation components include at least one each of valves, pumps, mixers, sample loops, detectors, and fraction collectors.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said machine-readable data characterizing said fluid manipulation component is data identifying said fluid manipulation component as a member selected from the group consisting of a valve, a pump, a mixer, a sample loop, a detector, and a fraction collector.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said machine-readable data characterizing said fluid manipulation component includes data representative of operational status of said fluid manipulation component.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said microcontrollers contain radio-frequency identification tags encoding said data characterizing said fluid manipulation component.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said radio-frequency identification tags allow updating of said data.

23. The system of claim 1 further comprising a touch screen for user manipulation of said software.

24. The system of claim 1 further comprising a tablet personal computer for user manipulation of said software.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein said software is comprised in a personal computer external to said mounting frame.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein said software is comprised in a personal computer incorporated into said mounting frame.

27. A system for operating a plurality of workstations, each said workstation comprising a plurality of fluid manipulation components joined in a flow scheme for directing fluids to and from a chromatographic separation device and for operating said flow scheme according to a selected protocol, each workstation operating independently of all other said workstations, and each workstation comprising a plurality of modules, a mounting frame, and software in accordance with claim 1 , and wherein said software for all said workstations are consolidated in a single computer.

Assignees

• Iovanni Robert
• Gordon Alec
• Avarbock Bob
• Bland Wayne
• Price Glenn
• Baker Ken
• Mavandadi Farah
• Schultz Christof
• Bio Rad Laboratories

Inventors

• Iovanni Robert
• Gordon Alec
• Avarbock Bob
• Bland Wayne
• Price Glenn
• Baker Ken
• Mavandadi Farah
• Schultz Christof

Classifications

• G01N2030/8804

  automated systems · CPC title

• B01D15/10

  characterised by constructional or operational features · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G01N2035/00326

  Analysers with modular structure · CPC title

• G01N30/465

  with specially adapted interfaces between the columns · CPC title