Hewlett-packard Company

Catherine Keely Templin

Douglass McManigill

Hongfeng Yin

An analytical system for analyzing a fluid sample is disclosed. The analytical system includes a microcolumn for conducting the fluid sample, a light source for delivering light through the microcolumnar wall into the microcolumn near the outlet end of that microcolumn, and an optical fiber aligned with the microcolumn to detect light that radiates from the fluid sample without passing through the microcolumnar wall. The microcolumn has an inlet end and an outlet end. A light-inlet end of the optical fiber is nonfixedly coupled to the outlet end of the microcolumn. As the fluid sample is driven from the inlet end to the outlet end of the microcolumn, a light of a suitable wavelength is directed at the microcolumn near its outlet end to cause light interaction with the fluid sample. As a result, light radiates from the fluid sample. This light is collected by the optical fiber to provide information on the presence or quantity of an analyte in the fluid sample.

Microcolumnar analytical system with optical fiber sensor

A microcolumnar analytical apparatus having a flow gating interface system for interfacing a first microcolumn and a second microcolumn is provided. The apparatus includes a flow gating interface, a first fluid conduit (e.g. a liquid chromatograph microcolumn) of a fluid sample, a flush liquid supplier, and a second fluid conduit (e.g. a capillary electrophoresis microcolumn) for analysis of the effluent fluid sample from the first fluid conduit. The flow gating interface includes a first microcolumnar section, a second microcolumnar section, and a channel. The channel, having an inwardly facing wall, encloses at least a portion each of the first microcolumnar section and the second microcolumnar section for conducting a flush fluid flow past the outlet end of the first microcolumnar section and the inlet end of the second microcolumnar section. The inwardly facing wall of the channel nonfixedly constrains and aligns said end portions of the first and second microcolumnar section due to the relative curvature and elasticity of the microcolumnar sections and the channel. The first fluid conduct is connected to and in fluid communication with the first microcolumnar section of the flow gating interface. The second fluid conducting means has a microcolumn. This microcolumn is connected to and in fluid communication with the second microcolumnar section of the flow gating interface. The flush liquid supplier is connected to and in fluid communication with the channel.

Microcolumnar analytical apparatus with microcolumnar flow gating

A flow gating interface system including a first microcolumnar section, a second microcolumnar section, and a channel for interfacing a first fluid conduit and a second fluid conduit is provided. The channel, having an inwardly facing wall, encloses at least a portion each of the first microcolumnar section and the second microcolumnar section for conducting a flush fluid flow past the outlet end of the first microcolumnar section and the inlet end of the second microcolumnar section. The inwardly facing wall of the channel nonfixedly constrains and aligns the end portions of the first and second microcolumnar sections. The outlet end of the first fluid conduit is connected to and in fluid communication with the first microcolumnar section of the flow gating interface. The inlet end of the second fluid conduit is connected to and in fluid communication with the second microcolumnar section of the flow gating interface.

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Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Catherine Keely Templin