Method and System for Liquid Chromatograph with Compressibility and Viscosity Monitoring to Identify Fluids

Abstract

A system for providing a solvent or reagent to a liquid chromatography system comprises: a valve comprising a common port and a plurality of other ports, configurable such that the common port may be fluidically coupled to any one of the other ports; a pump fluidically coupled to the common port of the valve; a plug configured to block flow through a first one of said other ports of the valve; a container containing the solvent or reagent, said container fluidically coupled to a second one of said other ports of the valve; a fluid tubing line having a known resistance to fluid flow fluidically coupled to a third one of said other ports of the valve; and a pressure gauge configured to measure fluid pressure within the pump, wherein the solvent or reagent is provided to the liquid chromatography system by a fourth one of the other ports.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing a solvent or reagent to a liquid chromatography system comprising:
 a valve comprising a common port and a plurality of other ports, configurable such that the common port may be fluidically coupled to any one of the other ports;   a pump fluidically coupled to the common port of the valve;   a plug configured to block flow through a first one of said other ports of the valve;   a container containing the solvent or reagent, said container fluidically coupled to a second one of said other ports of the valve;   a fluid tubing line having a known resistance to fluid flow fluidically coupled to a third one of said other ports of the valve; and   a pressure gauge configured to measure fluid pressure within the pump,   wherein the solvent or reagent is provided to the liquid chromatography system by a fourth one of the other ports.   
     
     
         2 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a second container containing a second solvent or reagent fluidically coupled to a fifth one of said other ports of the valve, said system configurable so as to also provide the second solvent or reagent to the liquid chromatography system. 
     
     
         3 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a syringe pump. 
     
     
         4 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a computer or electronic controller electrically or electronically coupled to at least one of the pump, the pressure gauge and the valve. 
     
     
         5 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a computer or electronic controller electrically or electronically coupled to the pump, the pressure gauge and the valve. 
     
     
         6 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an electronically-readable medium having thereon program instructions readable by the computer or electronic controller, said instructions operable to cause the computer or electronic controller to measure readings of the pressure gauge while causing the pump to apply a force to a fluid therein so as to urge said fluid to either the first or third port of the valve. 
     
     
         7 . A system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are further operable to cause the computer or electronic controller to compare increases or decreases of the measured readings of the pressure gauge to expected values. 
     
     
         8 . A method for monitoring fluids within a liquid chromatography system comprising:
 (a) configuring a valve so as to draw a fluid from a container into a pump;   (b) configuring the valve so as to fluidically couple the pump to a port of the valve that is coupled to a plug that prevents fluid flow through said port;   (c) causing the pump to progressively compress the fluid therein, while measuring a pressure of the fluid in the pump; and   (d) determining if a rate of increase of the measured pressure substantially matches an expected value.   
     
     
         9 . A method for monitoring fluids within a liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising:
 (e) raising an alarm that the fluid in the container may not match expectations if the rate of increase of the measured pressure does not substantially match the expected value.   
     
     
         10 . A method for monitoring fluids within a liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising:
 (e) upon measuring a maximum pressure, maintaining a piston of the pump in a constant position for a time of pre-determined length while continuing to measure the pressure of the fluid in the pump; and   (f) determining if a decrease of the measured pressure by more than an acceptable value occurred during the time period.   
     
     
         11 . A method for monitoring fluids within a liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 (g) raising an alarm that the pump may not be leak-free according to expectations if the decrease of the measured pressure during the time period is greater than the acceptable value.   
     
     
         12 . A method for monitoring fluids within a liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 (g) causing the pump to relieve the pressure of the fluid in the pump;   (h) configuring the valve so as to fluidically couple the pump to a fluid pathway having a pre-determined resistance to fluid flow therethrough;   (i) causing the pump to displace fluid into fluid pathway at a set flow rate while measuring the pressure of the fluid in the pump; and   (j) determining if an increase of the measured pressure during the fluid displacement substantially matches a second expected value.   
     
     
         13 . A method for monitoring fluids within a liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 (k) either raising an alarm that the fluid in the container may not match expectations if the rate of increase of the measured pressure does not substantially match the second expected value or reporting that the pump performance and fluid properties substantially match expectations.   
     
     
         14 . A liquid chromatography system comprising:
 (a) a mixing valve system or apparatus having an output port and a plurality of input ports thereof, each of the plurality of input ports fluidically coupled to a respective fluid-providing sub-system, each fluid-providing sub-system comprising:
 (i) a valve comprising a common port and a plurality of other ports, configurable such that the common port may be fluidically coupled to any one of the other ports; 
 (ii) a pump fluidically coupled to the common port of the valve; 
 (iii) a plug configured to block flow through a first one of said other ports of the valve; 
 (iv) a container containing a fluid, said container fluidically coupled to a second one of said other ports of the valve; 
 (v) a fluid tubing line having a known resistance to fluid flow fluidically coupled to a third one of said other ports of the valve; 
 (vi) a pressure gauge configured to measure fluid pressure within the pump; and 
 (vii) a fourth one of the other ports fluidically coupled to the mixing valve system or apparatus; 
   (b) a chromatograph column having a first end fluidically coupled to the output of the mixing valve system or apparatus and a second end; and   (c) a detector fluidically coupled to the second end of the chromatograph column.   
     
     
         15 . A liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 14 , wherein each of the pumps comprises a syringe pump. 
     
     
         16 . A liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 (d) a computer or electronic controller electrically or electronically coupled to the pump, the pressure gauge and the valve of at least one fluid-providing sub-system.   
     
     
         17 . A liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 (e) an electronically-readable medium having thereon program instructions readable by the computer or electronic controller, said instructions operable to cause the computer or electronic controller to measure readings of the pressure gauge of a one of the fluid-providing sub-systems while causing the pump of the one of the fluid-providing sub-systems to apply a force to a fluid therein so as to urge said fluid to either the first or third port of the valve of the one of the fluid-providing sub-systems.