Gradient liquid feed device for sample analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970908-B2
Application number	US-201414905472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A gradient liquid feed device allows reduction in size of a high performance liquid chromatography type sample analyzer. The gradient liquid feed device includes a plurality of carrier liquid reservoir tanks configured to store carrier liquids of mutually different compositions, a plurality of single plunger pumps capable of drawing and discharging the carrier liquid from the plurality of carrier liquid reservoir tanks, a mixer configured to mix the carrier liquids discharged from the plurality of liquid feed pumps and feed the mixed carrier liquid, and a pulse damper in communication with the mixer and configured to absorb pulsation that may occur during liquid feeding. The single plunger pumps have a function for variably setting a length of stroke for drawing and discharging the carrier liquid and a function for variably setting a ratio between the carrier liquid drawing time and the carrier liquid discharge time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gradient liquid feed device used for high performance liquid chromatography, comprising:
a plurality of carrier liquid reservoir tanks configured to store carrier liquids of mutually different compositions;
a plurality of single plunger pumps capable of drawing and discharging a carrier liquid from respective carrier liquid reservoir tanks;
a mixer configured to mix the carrier liquids discharged from the plurality of single plunger pumps together and feed the mixed carrier liquid;
a pulse damper in communication with the mixer and configured to absorb pulsation that may occur during liquid feeding, and
a switching valve and a measuring pump, the measuring pump being connected to a center pipe connection port of the switching valve, the switching valve including the following (A) to (B):
(A) a plurality of in-valve flow paths including the following (1) and (2):
(1) at least one first in-valve flow path which is in communication with the center pipe connection port; and
(2) at least one arc-like second in-valve flow path;
(B) a plurality of pipe connection port groups including the following (3) and (4):
(3) a first pipe connection port group having at least two pipe connection ports independently in communication with the center pipe connection port via the first in-valve flow path and each being in communication with a cylinder chamber of a respective one of the plurality of single plunger pumps via a pipe, the first in-valve flow path being rotatable relative to the at least two pipe connection ports of the first pipe connection port group so as to independently communicate with the at least two pipe connection ports and respective pipes thereof upon relative rotation of the first in-valve flow path; and
(4) a second pipe connection port group having positions of connection with the arc-like second in-valve flow path, the arc-like second in-valve flow path being rotatable relative to the second pipe connection port group, the second pipe connection port group having first and second pipe connection ports that are positioned on a circumference of a circle so as to be in mutual communication with the arc-like second in-valve flow path and with each other when the arc-like second in-valve flow path is in a first position, the first pipe connection port being in communication with a pipe that communicates with a device discharge, and the second pipe connection port being in communication with a pipe that communicates with the mixer,
wherein each of the plurality of single plunger pumps includes at least one of a function for variably setting a length of stroke for drawing and discharging the carrier liquid and a function for variably setting a ratio between carrier liquid drawing time and carrier liquid discharge time.

2. The gradient liquid feed device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one pulse damper is installed in a flow path provided between one of the plurality of single plunger pumps and the mixer.

3. The gradient liquid feed device according to claim 1 , wherein for each of the single plunger pumps, a range of flow rate is 1 μL/min to 10 mL/min, a range of stroke of a plunger is 0.01 mm to 20 mm, and a range of a volume of the plunger is 0.1 μL to 100 μL.

4. A high performance liquid chromatography type sample analyzer comprising:
the gradient liquid feed device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the analyzer includes:
(1) a sample injection device configured to inject a sample into a carrier liquid flow path provided on a downstream side of the mixer;
(2) a column device which is arranged in the carrier liquid flow path provided on a downstream side of the sample injection device and configured to separate components of the sample; and
(3) a detection device which is arranged in the carrier liquid flow path provided on a downstream side of the column device and configured to detect components of the sample.

5. A hemoglobin component measurement method that uses the gradient liquid feed device according to claim 1 , wherein blood is injected into the carrier liquid flow path as the sample, hemoglobin components of the blood are separated and detected, and the amounts of the components detected are measured.

Assignees

• Sekisui Medical Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yotani Takuya
• Taira Hiroaki
• Oka Takayuki
• Muraki Hideki

Classifications

• G01N30/34 Primary

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

• G01N30/88

  Integrated analysis systems specially adapted therefor, not covered by a single one of the groups G01N30/04 - G01N30/86 · CPC title

• G01N2030/8822

  involving blood · CPC title

• G01N33/491

  by separating the blood components (G01N15/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2030/347

  mixers · CPC title