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 plugged first one of the other ports; a container containing the solvent or reagent, said container fluidically coupled to a second one of the other ports; a fluid tubing line having a known resistance to fluid flow fluidically coupled to a third one of the other ports; 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 plugged first one of said other ports of the valve;   a solvent or reagent container containing the solvent or reagent, said solvent or reagent 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 and having a first end that is fluidically coupled to a third one of said other ports of the valve and a second end that is fluidically coupled to a waste container; 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 solvent or reagent 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 3 , further comprising a computer or electronic controller electrically or electronically coupled to the pressure gauge so as to receive a reading of the measured fluid pressure. 
     
     
         5 . A system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the computer or electronic controller is further electrically or electronically coupled to the syringe pump and the valve so as to control the operation thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A system as recited in  claim 5 , 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 take readings of pressure measured by the pressure gauge while causing the syringe pump to apply force to a solvent or reagent therein so as to urge said solvent or reagent towards the plugged first one of said other ports 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 raise an alarm, based on the pressure readings, that the solvent or reagent in the container is an incorrect solvent or reagent. 
     
     
         8 . A system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are further operable to cause the computer or electronic controller to take continued readings of pressure measured by the pressure gauge while causing a piston of the syringe pump to maintain a fixed position. 
     
     
         9 . A system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the program instructions are further operable to cause the computer or electronic controller to raise an alarm, based on the continued pressure readings, that the syringe pump is not leak free. 
     
     
         10 . A system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the program instructions are further operable to cause the computer or electronic controller to take further continued readings of pressure measured by the pressure gauge while causing the syringe pump and the valve to apply force to the solvent or reagent therein so as to urge said solvent or reagent through the fluid tubing line having the known resistance to fluid flow at a predetermined flow rate. 
     
     
         11 . A system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are further operable to cause the computer or electronic controller to raise an alarm, based on the further continued pressure readings, that the solvent or reagent in the container is an incorrect solvent or reagent. 
     
     
         12 . 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 plugged first one of said other ports of the valve; 
 (iv) a solvent or reagent container containing a solvent or reagent, said solvent or reagent 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 and having a first end that is fluidically coupled to a third one of said other ports of the valve and a second end that is fluidically coupled to a waste container; 
 (vi) a pressure gauge configured to measure fluid pressure within the pump; and 
 (vii) a fourth one of said 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.   
     
     
         13 . A liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein each of the pumps comprises a syringe pump. 
     
     
         14 . A liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 13 , 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; and   (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 take readings of pressure measured by the pressure gauge of a one of the fluid-providing sub-systems while causing the syringe pump of said one of the fluid-providing sub-systems to apply a force to a solvent or reagent therein so as to urge said solvent or reagent towards the plugged first one of the other ports of the valve of said one of the fluid-providing sub-systems.   
     
     
         15 . A liquid chromatography system as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the program instructions are further operable to cause the computer or electronic controller to raise an alarm, based on the pressure readings, that said solvent or reagent is an incorrect solvent or reagent.