Berger Instruments, Inc.

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

Waters Technologies Corporation

Other

Mettler-toledo Autochem, Inc.

Aurora Sfc Systems, Inc.

Thar Instrument, Inc.

Thar Instruments, Inc.

Kimber D Fogelman

Terry A Berger

Mark A Nickerson

L Thompson Staats, Iii

Paul F Bente, Iii

Edwin E Wikfors

Kenneth Klein

Paul Bente

Vincent Worley

Peter Sullivan

Lalit M Chordia

Samuel O Colgate

Steven J Engel

James L Waters

Michael Casale

Kurt B Augenblick

Paul B Crilly

Rui Chen

Edwin E Wickfors

L Thomson Staats, Iii

Lalit Chordia

Michael A Casale

L Thompson Iii Staats

Peter M Sullivan

Vincent L Worley

Thompson L Staats

An apparatus, process, and system are disclosed that effectively provide separation of a combined gas/liquid flow stream into its separated gas and liquid factions. The invention is primarily directed to the fields of preparative supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), but will have other utilization and applicability where phases of dramatically different density, viscosity and volumetric flow require separation.

Self cleaning gas-liquid separator for serial or parallel collection of liquid fractions

Methods and systems for pumping compressible fluids in high pressure applications such as high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) or supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) applications are disclosed. An improved cooling device for a pump head for use in a supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) system is described. A system for chilling a pumping system, includes a Peltier cooling element in thermal contact with a pump head, wherein the cooling element chills the pump head and a mobile phase fluid flowstream prior to the mobile phase fluid entering the pump; a fluid-cooled heat exchanger, attached to the Peltier cooling element, which removes heat from the cooling element using a circulating fluid; and a second heat exchanger which cools the circulating fluid.

Efficient chiller for a supercritical fluid chromatography pump

A system for chilling a pumping system includes a Peltier cooling element, and first and second heat exchangers. The Peltier element is arranged near a pump head of a pump such that the Peltier element and the pump head are in thermal contact, where the Peltier element chills the pump head and a mobile phase flowstream prior to fluid from the mobile phase flowstream entering the pump. The first heat exchanger is attached to the Peltier element, and removes heat from the Peltier element using a circulating fluid. The second heat exchanger cools the circulating fluid, where the Peltier element and the pump head are arranged in an area that is isolated from the second heat exchanger.

An apparatus, system, and process of converting a standard, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) flow path to a flow path suitable for supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) are described. This reversible technique is applied to a variety of flow configurations including binary, high pressure solvent mixing systems and quaternary, low pressure solvent mixing systems than can be conventionally operated or automated. The technique is generally applied to the fields of supercritical fluid chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography, but users skilled in the art will find utility for any flow system where pressurization components must be periodically applied to and removed from both ends of a flow stream in an automated manner.

Automated conversion between SFC and HPLC

A device includes a gas-liquid separator that receives and separates a biphasic pressurized flow stream and delivers flow to at least one exit port enriched in vapor phase composition and at least one exit port enriched in liquid phase composition. The device further includes a low restriction inlet conduit in communication with the separator exit port enriched in liquid phase composition, and a positive displacement pump having an inlet port in communication with the inlet conduit to receive flow from the gas-liquid separator and an outlet port in communication with an outlet conduit.

System and process for an active drain for gas-liquid separators

A system and process for chromatography that uses a chromatography column to separate components from a sample received into the column in a mobile phase flowstream and places a second chromatography column between a detector and a collection system that compensates the timing of fraction collection for a delay caused by processing the collection signals generated by the detector. The device and process of the preferred and alternative embodiments add a delay into the flowstream of a chromatographic system, such as LC, HPLC, and SFC. Sample fractions are collected from sample component concentration peaks based upon the chromatographic elution of the sample components.

Time delay for sample collection in chromatography systems

A device and process for separating liquid and gas phases in a flowstream containing a liquefied gas or supercritical fluid under pressure mixed with a liquid. A splitter vessel separates the liquid from gas phases and transfers liquid to a collection container while conducting the gas phase out of the splitter. Separation of liquid phase out of the flowstream is provided without additional pressure schemes or solvent extractions imposed on the stream.

Process flowstream collection system

An invention is claimed that enables the pumping of compressible fluids at high pressures when an accurate flow is desired. Two pressure sources, for example pumps plumbed in series, separate thermodynamic work, such as pressurization, at the first pressure source from a volumetric or matter metering function in the second pressure source. One example is a flowstream delivery for a chemical instrumentation system that is manufactured from relatively unsophisticated pumps yet delivers precise flows with low pulsation (&#x3c;1%) over pressures greater than 100 bar. An advantage of one embodiment allows the economical conversion of typical HPLC systems to state of-the-art supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) systems with minimal modification to system components.

Compressible fluid pumping system for dynamically compensating compressible fluids over large pressure ranges

A splitter for a pressurized primary flowstream of a mobile phase is provided. The splitter comprises a first splitting stage that divides the primary flowstream between a major split flowstream and a minor split flowstream by means of a first and a second restrictive flow element; a first dilution stage that combines a dilution flow source with the minor split flowstream to create a diluted minor flowstream; a second splitting stage that divides the diluted minor flowstream between a secondary major diluted flowstream and a secondary minor diluted flowstream by means of a third restrictive element in the secondary minor diluted flow stream; and a second dilution stage wherein a conditioning flow source conditions the secondary minor diluted flow stream after the third restrictive element prior to outlet of the secondary minor diluted flowstream from the splitter.

Variable ratio flow splitter for a flowstream

A depressurization process for a packed separation column is provided where the column system experiences a rapid and/or severe drop in pressure that could potentially damage column components. The process provides a safe de-pressurization of the column on the outlet side by decreasing the outlet pressure in controlled steps while allowing the inlet pressure of the column time to lower after each decreased step.

De-pressurization scheme for chromatography columns

The invention is a device and method in a high-pressure chromatography system, such as a supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) system, that uses a pump as a pressure source for precision pumping of a compressible fluid. The preferred exemplary embodiment comprises a pressure regulation assembly installed downstream from a compressible fluid pump but prior to combining the compressible flow with a relatively incompressible modifier flow stream. The present invention allows the replacement of an high-grade SFC pump in the compressible fluid flow stream with an inexpensive and imprecise pump. The imprecise pump becomes capable of moving the compressible fluid flow stream in a precise flow rate and pattern. The assembly dampens the damaging effects of an imprecise pump, such as large pressure oscillations caused by flow ripples and noisy pressure signals that do not meet precise SFC pumping requirements.

Pump as a pressure source for supercritical fluid chromatography

A system for collection of liquid phase sample fractions from a supercritical fluid chromatography system is disclosed. The system has different ways of gathering the liquid phase into a collection chamber and provides for automated removal of liquid phase from a collection chamber into separate collection container. A separate pressure scheme is invoked upon the collection chambers to move liquid phase out of a chamber and into the separate collection container. In addition, the invention provides a renewal system for the collection chambers where each chamber returns to an uncontaminated stated by washing with a cleaning solution after removal of collected liquid phase. Spent cleaner from a chamber is purged using the pressure system into a waste stream for disposal.

Automated sample collection in supercritical fluid chromatography

A fractionated sample collection process and device having at least one pressurized chamber used to gather and store liquid samples generated from a flow stream containing a mixture of highly compressed gas, compressible liquid, or supercritical fluid and a relatively incompressible liquid. A bank of multiple collection chambers is secured together in a frame to form a cassette unit. Each collection chamber may house a replaceable liner such as a test tube vial, to hold a fractionated liquid phase sample. After filling with sample, a collection chamber is returned to a clean state and ready for refilling with a new sample by manually or automatically replacing the liner.

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Hockessin, DE, United States of America

Kimber D Fogelman