Pressurizable injection seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9513265-B2
Application number	US-201313869905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2012
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

An injection device comprising: a housing defining a space; a seat located in said space, the seat being configured for receiving a flow path element capable of injecting a pressurized fluid into the injection device through the seat; a pressure source for pressurizing a medium in said space, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the pressurized fluid in said flow path element and said medium.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An injection device, comprising:
a housing defining a space;
a seat located in said space, the seat being configured for receiving a flow path element at a flow path connection site in the space, wherein the flow path element is configured for injecting a pressurized fluid through the seat; and
a pressure source for pressurizing a medium surrounding the flow path connection site in said space, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the pressurized fluid in said flow path element and said medium.

2. The injection device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the following features:
the pressure source comprises a pump device and a supply path, the pump device being configured for providing said medium under pressure through said supply path;
the pressure source comprises a supply path for flow of said medium into the space and a return path for flow of said medium out of the space, wherein the supply path and the return path are provided by the same flow path;
the pressure source comprises a supply path for flow of said medium into the space and a return path for flow of said medium out of the space, wherein the supply path is different from the return path.

3. The injection device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the housing comprises a base and a cover, and the seat is located in the base; and
the cover is mounted or mountable on the base, the cover and the base thereby defining the space.

4. The injection device according to claim 3 , further comprising at least one of the following features:
the cover is configured for being penetratable by said flow path element;
the cover comprises a housing body, the housing body comprising a through-hole facing said seat;
the cover comprises a housing body, the housing body comprising a through-hole facing said seat, the through hole being covered by a pressure seal which is penetratable by said flow path element.

5. The injection device according to claim 1 , wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of:
the medium is a fluid;
the medium is a gel;
the medium comprises a fluid;
the medium comprises a gel;
the medium has a viscosity in a range between 0.0001 Pas and 300 Pas;
the medium has a viscosity in a range between 0.0001 Pas and 0.01 Pas;
the medium has a viscosity in a range between 0.01 Pas and 1.0 Pas; and
the medium has a viscosity in a range between 1.0 Pas and 200 Pas.

6. The injection device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow path element is an injection needle.

7. The injection device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressurized fluid is selected from the group consisting of:
the pressurized fluid is a liquid;
the pressurized fluid is a gas;
the pressure of the pressurized fluid is above 100 bar;
the pressure of the pressurized fluid is above 300 bar;
the pressure of the pressurized fluid is above 500 bar; and
the pressure of the pressurized fluid is above 1000 bar.

8. The injection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller for controlling the pressure source.

9. The injection device according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured for reducing the pressure of the medium in the space before said flow path element is removed from said seat.

10. A measuring device for performing a measurement on a fluidic sample, the measuring device comprising:
an injection device according to claim 1 .

11. A measuring device according to claim 10 , wherein the fluidic sample is a mobile phase and the measuring device is a fluid separation system for separating compounds of a sample fluid in the mobile phase, and the fluid separation system comprises a feature selected from the group consisting of:
the injection device is provided for injection of the sample fluid into the mobile phase;
the fluid separation system comprises a mobile phase drive configured to drive the mobile phase through the fluid separation system;
the fluid separation system comprises a separation unit configured for separating compounds of the sample fluid in the mobile phase; and
a combination of two or more of the foregoing.

12. A method of sealing a flow path connection site in an injection device wherein a flow path element carries a pressurized fluid, the method comprising:
receiving the flow path element in a seat of the flow path connection site such that the flow path element is configured for injecting the pressurized fluid through the seat; and
pressurizing a medium which surrounds the flow path connection site to thereby reduce the pressure difference between the pressurized fluid in said flow path element and said medium.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising a feature selected from the group consisting of:
pressurizing the medium comprises supplying said medium under pressure into a space, which surrounds the flow path connection site;
receiving a control signal indicating that said flow path element is received in said seat and, in response hereto, providing a control signal in order to pressurize said medium;
maintaining the pressure of the medium in a predetermined range;
receiving a sensor signal, which is indicative of the pressure in said medium and controlling a pressure source in response to said sensor signal to thereby pressurize said medium;
receiving a control signal from a control element that is activatable by an operator, the control signal indicating said flow path element is received in said seat and, in response hereto, pressurizing said medium;
receiving a sensor signal indicating that said flow path element is received in said seat and, in response hereto, pressurizing said medium;
determining from the operation of an actuator that said flow path element is received in said seat, and, in response hereto, pressurizing said medium; and
a combination of two or more of the foregoing.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising determining whether said flow path element is to be removed from said seat and, in response hereto, reducing the pressure in said medium.

15. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium executable by a computer processor or other processing device software program or product, for controlling or executing a method of claim 12 , when run on a data processing system.

16. The injection device according to claim 8 , comprising a feature selected from the group consisting of:
the controller is configured so as to pressurize the medium if said flow path element is received in said seat;
the controller is configured for receiving a control signal indicating that said flow path element is received in said seat, wherein the controller, in response hereto, provides a control signal to said pressure source in order to pressurize said medium;
the controller is configured for maintaining the pressure of the medium in the space in a predetermined range;
the injection device comprises a sensor providing a sensor signal which is indicative of the pressure in said medium, the controller controlling the pressure source in response to said sensor signal;
the injection device comprises a control element activatable by an operator in order to signal to the controller that said flow path element is received in said seat;
the injection device comprises a sensor for determining that said flow path element is received in said seat;
the injection device comprises an actuator for coupling said flow path element and said seat, the controller determining from the operation of the actuator whether said flow path element is received in said seat;
the

Assignees

• Agilent Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Kheim Tobias

Classifications

• G01N2030/185

  specially adapted to seal the inlet · CPC title

• Y10T137/0379

  By fluid pressure · CPC title

• G01N30/22 Primary

  in high pressure liquid systems · CPC title

• G01N30/16 Primary

  Injection (G01N30/24 takes precedence) · CPC title