Waters Technologies Corporation

Waters Investments Limited

Kenneth R Plant

Robert A Jencks

Sylvain Gilles Cormier

Mark W Moeller

Joshua A Shreve

Robert J Dumas

Geoff C Gerhardt

James Usowicz

Joseph A Luongo

Paul B Keenan

Marc E Lemelin

Kurt D Joudrey

John M Auclair

Tony A Lin

Edwin H Denecke

Ryan M Hill

John C Conidi

James E Usowicz

A fluidic coupling includes a compression screw having an axial bore, a threaded portion configured to engage a threaded bore of a coupling body, and a drive surface, a tube extending through the axial bore of the compression screw, the tube including a body and a fluidic channel extending through the body to a sealing end, the body including a pocket formed at the sealing end having a depth, a collet secured to an outer surface of the tube and having a first end configured to receive the drive surface of the compression screw, and a polymer seal having a channel to pass a fluid, the polymer seal including a flange portion and an insertion portion.

Low carryover high pressure fluidic fitting

Described is a coupling seal that includes a polymeric body having a bore extending from a first end to an internal sealing surface and a fluid channel extending from the internal sealing surface to a second end. The bore is configured to receive a tube having a fluid channel so that an endface of the tube engages the internal sealing surface. The second end of the polymeric body is configured to contact a sealing surface of a coupling body that has a fluid channel extending from the sealing surface. A fluidic seal occurs when the coupling seal is compressed between the endface and the sealing surface. A void between an outer surface of the polymeric body and an inner surface of the coupling body receives the deformation of the coupling seal while under compression to thereby prevent the fluid channel of the tube from being crushed or obstructed.

Fluidic coupling seal

Described is a fitting for coupling fluidic paths which facilitates secure and low leak rate fluid flow through a fluidic path junction such as a junction in a liquid chromatography system or other chemical analysis instrument. Fluid containing various mixtures of chemical samples can pass through the junction at high pressure with little or no trapped residue remaining in a volume at the connection. According to various embodiments, a face seal is achieved between two separate fluidic path features. In some embodiments, the sealing of the fluidic paths is aided by the use of a compliant polymer seal. The seal facilitates intimate contact between adjacent surfaces and significantly limits or prevents the entry of fluid under high pressure into an unswept volume. Thus the risk of carryover and its adverse effect on measurements is reduced or eliminated.

The present disclosure relates to phase detection in multi-phase fluids where two fluid phases can be present in the fluid. Phase detection apparatus and methods are disclosed for determining the phase(s) (e.g., supercritical, liquid, and/or gas) of a fluid in a multi-phase fluid system, such as carbon dioxide based separation and chromatography system.

Phase detection in multi-phase fluids

A connector is used to connect a conduit to a threaded orifice of a fluidic component, such as a component of an apparatus for chromatography. The connector includes a flexible fitting, a deformable fitting, and a compression fitting. The flexible fitting fixes the position of the conduit with respect to the threaded orifice. The deformable fitting provides a fluid-tight seal between the fluidic conduit and the threaded orifice. The compression fitting includes an external-thread portion for attachment to the orifice, to urge the flexible fitting toward an outer surface of the fluidic conduit, and to urge the deformable fitting toward both the outer surface and the orifice, a cam portion in mechanical communication with the flexible fitting via a through-hole in the external thread portion, and a graspable portion in rotatable communication with the cam portion.

Self-unlocking fluid-tight connector

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

An apparatus for conveying fluid comprising a first tube and a second tube. The first tube has a first end and a second end, an inner wall and an outer wall. The inner wall defines a passage for fluid and an outer wall has at least one first receiving section for receiving an inner wail from the second tube. The second tube has a first end and a second end, an inner wall and an outer wall. The inner wall defines a chamber for receiving the first tube and has at least one second receiving section for receiving the outer wall of the first tube wherein at least one of the first tube and the second tube are drawn down such that the first receiving section and the second receiving section of the first tube and the second tube are in close proximity to each other and sealed.

Tubing and method for manufacture

The present invention is a capillary interconnection fitting and method of clamping a capillary in the fitting that separates a forward ferrule that holds the capillary from a secondary clamping device. The fitting comprises a sealing ferrule, a compression screw and a clamping device. The ferrule is fitted in a compression screw that mates to a fluidic component. The clamping device is decoupled from the ferrule and coupled to the compression screw.

Capillary interconnection fitting and method of holding capillary tubing

A thermal exchanger for a liquid chromatography system is provided. The tube-in-tube thermal exchanger comprises a first and a second sections of tubing, a first connector and a second connector. The first section of tubing carries sample solution from the packed chromatography column. The second tubing carries the sample solution from the detector out of the system, i.e., in an opposite direction to the direction of the first section of tubing. Both the first section of tubing and the second section of tubing connect to the first connector, which combines the two sections of tubing into a thermal exchange tubing. The thermal exchange tubing comprises the first section of tubing placed inside the second section of tubing such that waste fluid from the second tubing can optimally exchange thermal energy with fluid from the chromatography column. The thermal exchange tubing is configured into a plurality of coils. The number of coils in the thermal exchange tubing is specific to the chromatography application and is determined by various parameters including the composition of the sample solution, estimated temperature gradient, fluid flow rates and heat transfer coefficient. The thermal exchanger provides stabilized temperature fluid to a detector with minimal volume into the flow path between the chromatography column and the detector.

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Leominster, MA, United States of America

Kenneth R Plant