Waters Technologies Corporation

Waters Investments Limited

John M Auclair

Joshua A Burnett

Joseph D Antocci

David A Simpson

Rose Solow

Peter Osswald

James Usowicz

Marc E Lemelin

Robert A Jencks

Kenneth R Plant

Tony A Lin

Scott Kelley

Michael LeBeau

James E Usowicz

Described is a metering pump that may be used to meter volumes of sample in a chromatography system. The metering pump has a modular configuration that allows for separation of a head pod from a drive assembly for easy serviceability. The head pod includes a pump head, cartridge housing, seal wash housing and plunger. The drive assembly can be implemented in an inline drive configuration. Alternatively, the drive assembly can be implemented in an offset drive configuration in which a stepper motor is displaced laterally from other drive assembly components but is coupled through a belt and pulley system.

Metering pump for liquid chromatography

A twist-lock compliant needle including a housing component surrounding a needle holder holding a rigidly mounted needle, the housing component including a biasing element disposed therein, wherein the biasing element compresses as a needle tip of the needle contacts a surface is provided. An associated method is also provided.

Twist lock compliant needle for detection of contact

A needle for aspirating a sample from a sample source and injecting the sample into a liquid chromatography system, the needle including a needle body having a rough textured surface finish for at least a portion of the needle body, wherein the rough textured surface finish reduces a coefficient of friction of the needle body, is provided. Furthermore, an associated method is also provided.

Textured needle for improved piercing performance in liquid chromatography applications

An apparatus for diluting a sample in a liquid chromatography system includes a metering pump, a sample needle and a sample valve. One of the sample valve ports is in fluid communication with the first pump port, a second one of the sample valve ports is in fluid communication with the second pump port, and a third one of the sample valve ports is in fluid communication with the sample needle. The sample valve can be configured in a first to conduct a solvent to the first pump port and to fluidically terminate the second pump port, and in a second state in which the sample needle is in fluid communication with the second pump port. A merge valve configurable in different states is in fluid communication with the sample valve. The states of the sample valve and merge valve can be controlled to perform online dilution.

Online dilution for a liquid chromatography system using a sample metering pump

Described is a compound sample needle for a liquid chromatography system. In one embodiment, the compound sample needle includes a rigid needle having a coupling end with a face and a counterbore. The compound sample needle also includes a flexible tubing having an outer surface and a coupling end disposed in the counterbore of the rigid needle. The coupling end of the flexible tubing has a face adjacent to a base of the counterbore. The coupling ends of the rigid needle and flexible tubing are secured to each other by a weld formed along a circumference of the outer surface and the face of the rigid needle. A rigid sleeve protects the welded joint. The compound sample needle is suitable for injection into the high pressure mobile phase of ultra performance liquid chromatography systems.

Compound sample needle for liquid chromatograph

A sample handling mechanism including a direct drive carrier for positioning multiple trays or carousels of sample vials and a direct drive carousel handling mechanism that eliminates pulleys and belts and the problems associated therewith. The carousels handled by the sample handling mechanism are individually identifiable, stackable and include a viewing area for identifying and viewing the individual sample vials grouped in a respective carousel. The sample handling mechanism consists of two logical drive modules. A single center line or axis of rotation is effected in each of the drive modules. The two logical drive modules include a carrier mechanism that transports a plurality of sample carousels to a sampling station, and a carousel drive mechanism which engages a single carousel and presents the appropriate vial to be sampled. The carrier mechanism includes a multi-position spoke-like carrier portion that is driven by a single drive shaft coupled to a gear reduction stepper motor by a coupling. The carousel drive mechanism includes a linear actuator portion and a rotary actuator portion on a common center line or axis. The linear actuator portion effects engagement and disengagement of the rotary actuator portion with a properly positioned carousel, and includes a linear actuator stepper motor with a motor shaft attached to a lift housing. The lift housing holds the rotary actuator portion.

Growing community of inventors

Seekonk, MA, United States of America

John M Auclair