Desalting system for chromatography

Abstract

To provide an analytical system.SOLUTION: An analytical system comprises: a chromatography column configured to separate a sample into one or more analytes; an ion removal device configured to remove at least ions of one charge from a mobile phase, the ion removal device fluidly coupled to an output of the chromatography column; an ion selective sensor configured to measure a signal corresponding to the activity of the ions of one charge in the mobile phase, the ion selective sensor fluidly coupled to an output of the ion removal device; an optional diverter valve that can interrupt the flow of the mobile phase; and a microprocessor configured to monitor the signal of the ion selective sensor and to either switch the optional diverter valve to interrupt the flow of the mobile phase or turn off a pump when the signal is greater than a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. 1. An analytical system comprising: a) a pump configured to pump a mobile phase; b) an injection valve configured to input a sample into the mobile phase, the injection valve fluidly coupled to the output of the pump; c) a chromatography column configured to separate the sample into one or more analytes, the chromatography column fluidly coupled to the output of the injection valve; d) an ion removal device configured to remove ions of at least one charge from the mobile phase, the ion removal device being fluidly coupled to an output of the chromatography column; e) an ion selective sensor configured to measure a signal corresponding to the activity of ions of the at least one charge in the mobile phase, the ion selective sensor fluidly coupled to the output of the ion removal device; f) an optional diverter valve capable of interrupting the flow of the mobile phase; g) a microprocessor configured to monitor the signal of the ion selective sensor and to switch the optional diverter valve to interrupt the flow of the mobile phase or to turn off the pump if the signal is greater than a predetermined threshold.

2. h) further comprising a first dividing device comprising a first inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet; the first inlet is fluidly coupled to each of the first outlet and the second outlet, the first inlet is also fluidly coupled to the ion removal device such that the mobile phase flows from the ion removal device to the first inlet, and the first outlet is fluidly coupled to the input of the ion selective sensor such that the mobile phase flows from the first outlet to the input of the ion selective sensor; 2. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the first splitting device is configured to split the mobile phase input into the first inlet from the ion removal device such that a first portion of the mobile phase flows to the first outlet and a second portion of the mobile phase flows to the second outlet.

3. The analytical system comprises a diverter valve capable of interrupting the flow of the mobile phase, the diverter valve having a first valve inlet, a first valve outlet, and a second valve outlet, the diverter valve having a first state and a second state; in the first state, the first valve inlet is fluidly coupled to the first valve outlet and is not fluidly coupled to the second valve outlet; 3. The analytical system of claim 2, wherein in the second state, the first valve inlet is fluidly coupled to the second valve outlet and is not fluidly coupled to the first valve outlet.

4. The analytical system of claim 3 , wherein the second outlet of the first partitioning device is fluidly connected to the first valve inlet of the diverter valve.

5. The analytical system of claim 4 , wherein either the first or second valve outlet of the diverter valve is fluidly connected to a mass spectrometer.

6. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the ions of at least one charge are selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, and rubidium.

7. 10. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the ion-selective sensor comprises a solid electrode, and the ion-selective sensor does not leach ion-exchange reagents.

8. 10. The analytical system of claim 1, further comprising an ion-selective flow cell having a flow cell inlet and a flow cell outlet, the ion-selective flow cell including the ion-selective sensor, and the flow cell inlet fluidly coupled to an output of the ion removal device.

9. 3. The analytical system of claim 2, wherein the ion-selective sensor is a hydronium electrode, the signal corresponds to a pH value, and the predetermined threshold is selected from a pH value range of 2 to 4.

10. 3. The analytical system of claim 2, wherein the ion-selective sensor is a potassium electrode, the signal corresponds to a potassium activity value, and the predetermined threshold corresponds to a potassium activity value of 1.75 mM.

11. 2. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the ion-selective sensor comprises a cation suppressor and a conductivity sensor, the cation suppressor having an output and the conductivity sensor having an input, the output of the cation suppressor being fluidly coupled to the input of the conductivity sensor.

12. i) a second dividing device comprising a second inlet, a third outlet, and a fourth outlet; the second inlet is fluidly coupled to each of the third outlet and the fourth outlet, the second inlet is also fluidly coupled to the output of the chromatography column, the third outlet is fluidly coupled to the ion removal device, and the fourth outlet is fluidly coupled to an electrochemical detector; 2. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the second splitting device is configured to split the mobile phase input into the second inlet such that a third portion of the mobile phase flows to the third outlet and a fourth portion of the mobile phase flows to the fourth outlet.

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