Idex Health & Science LLC

Quan Liu

Carl W Sims

Yuri E Gerner

Jeremy Hayes

Eric Beemer

Craig Graham

Scott Ellis

Troy Sanders

Nathaniel Nienhuis

Chris Hankins

Jon A Nichols

Jon Nichols

Mark Tschann

David Wert

A membrane-based fluid degassing system is arranged for automated control to a degassing efficiency set point, so that fluid is degassed only as necessary. The control variable may be assigned as the degassing environment, to provide the gas transfer driving force suitable to appropriately degas the fluid. By avoiding unnecessary degassing of the fluid, mobile phase pervaporation through the membrane is minimized.

Fluid degassing control system

Valve with two-piece stator assembly for use with liquid chromatography or other analytical systems. A separate and removable stator plate is provided with a mounting device to provide a two-piece stator assembly. The mounting device is adapted on one side to engage and contact the stator plate, and on the other side includes a plurality of ports for fluidic connections which are in fluid communication with fluid passageways in the stator plate.

High pressure valve with two-piece stator assembly

A valve for use with liquid chromatography or other analytical systems may include a separate and removable stator plate. The stator plate may be a with a multi-piece stator plate with different layers. A mounting device mounting device may be adapted to engage the stator plate. The mounting plate may include a plurality of ports for fluidic connections in fluid communication with fluid passageways in the stator plate. Liquid chromatography elements, such as a packed chromatography column, a sample loop, or an electronic device may be formed on one or more layers of the stator plate. A first stator plate may be removed from a valve and replaced by a second stator having additional or different liquid chromatography elements than the first stator plate.

High pressure valve with multi-piece stator assembly

A membrane gas-liquid contactor is arranged to define a fluid flow path for contact with a membrane in a manner to improve degassing efficiency. A degassing module housing the membrane is arranged with flow fields for distributing the fluid flow throughout the membrane contact area. The distributed fluid flow may have a uniform membrane contact opportunity.

Membrane gas/liquid contactor

A manifold assembly has a manifold and can be located between a block and a plate, and serve as a stator for a valve or other component. The manifold, block or plate can have a plurality of ports either integral thereto or removably connected thereto, with the ports adapted to receive and sealingly engage with a tube having an inner tube layer, an outer tube layer, a sleeve, a tip portion, and a nut. Each of the nut, sleeve, inner and outer tubing layers, and tip portion have a passageway therethrough, with at least the passageways in the sleeve, tip portion, outer tube layer, and nut adapted to allow the inner tube layer to pass therethrough or extend over the inner layer. The ends of the tip portion and inner layer together can define a substantially flat surface which can form a seal in a flat-bottomed port of the manifold, block, or plate, which can be used in a component in an analytical instrument system, including for example a liquid chromatography system. The nut, tube, ferrule, and transfer tube or liner tube may comprise biocompatible materials. In addition, the nut may have a slot, such as a slot adapted to allow the tube and the nut to be easily and quickly separated or to allow a portion of the tube to be easily and quickly inserted in the nut.

Manifold connection assembly

Valve with multi-piece stator assembly for use with liquid chromatography or other analytical systems. A separate and removable stator plate is provided with a mounting device to provide a multi-piece stator assembly. The mounting device is adapted on one side to engage and contact the stator plate, and on the other side includes a plurality of ports for fluidic connections which are in fluid communication with fluid passageways in the stator plate. By making the stator face a separate component, the overall costs of the valve can be reduced, different materials can be used for the mounting device and the stator, and the valve can be used for ultra-high pressure applications, including in liquid chromatography and other analytical instrument systems.

Valve with two-piece stator assembly for use with liquid chromatography or other analytical systems. A separate and removable stator plate is provided with a mounting device to provide a two-piece stator assembly. The mounting device is adapted on one side to engage and contact the stator plate, and on the other side includes a plurality of ports for fluidic connections which are in fluid communication with fluid passageways in the stator plate. By making the stator face a separate component, the overall costs of the valve can be reduced, different materials can be used for the mounting device and the stator, and the valve can be used for ultra-high pressure applications, including in liquid chromatography and other analytical instrument systems.

A composite membrane for separations includes a substrate sheet with a non-woven array of nanotubes, and a dopant incorporated with the substrate sheet to form a non-porous, permeable composite. The composite membrane may be used to separate a target gas from a liquid by mounting the composite membrane in a housing chamber, and conditioning a permeate side of the chamber to establish a driving force for the target gas across the non-porous, permeable composite membrane.

Composite membrane

An elongated fluid degassing apparatus may be employed as a fluid transfer line for fluidly connecting components in a liquid system, while at the same time degassing, or preventing re-gassing of, the fluid. The fluid transfer line degassing apparatus forms a shell and tube degassing arrangement, wherein shell-side fluid flow is facilitated by one or more spacer elements that centrally position a semi-permeable separation membrane in the shell chamber. The degasser may include one or more tubular separation membranes that provide a gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable contact surface to effect the gas-liquid separation of the process fluid.

Axial transfer line shell side degassing

An elongated flow-through degassing apparatus includes an elongated gas permeable outer shell and one or more gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable elongated inner conveyance members extending within the outer shell and at least partially through a chamber defined within the outer shell. The apparatus also includes inlet and outlet junctions for securing the outer shell to the inner conveyance member. The outer shell exhibits a first permeance that is substantially greater than a second permeance of the inner conveyance member. The degassing apparatus may be sufficiently flexible so as to be readily manipulatable into desired configurations.

Fluid degassing apparatus

A composite membrane for separations includes a fabric with a non-woven array of intermingled carbon nanotubes, and a dopant incorporated with the fabric to form a non-porous, permeable composite. The composite membrane may be used to separate a target gas from a liquid by mounting the composite membrane in a housing chamber, and conditioning a permeate side of the chamber to establish a driving force for the target gas across the non-porous, permeable composite membrane.

Growing community of inventors

Petaluma, CA, United States of America

Quan Liu