Suppressor Diagnostic Tool

Abstract

Disclosed herein are scientific instrument support systems, as well as related methods, computing devices, and computer-readable media. For example, in some embodiments, a scientific instrument support system includes chromatogram logic for calculating the square of retention time and the variance of peak width for each of a plurality of peaks in a chromatogram, plate calculation logic for calculating the expected plate number and the observed plate number, and suppressor status logic for determining and displaying a suppressor status based on the ratio of the observed plate number to the expected plate number (O / E ratio).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 18 / 060,542, filed November 30, 2022. [Background technology]

[0002] Ion chromatography (IC) is a well-established analytical technique that has been the preferred method for the quantification of inorganic and small organic anions over the past 40 years or so. IC is also widely used for the quantification of inorganic cations, as well as carbohydrates and amino acids.

[0003] Suppressors can be used as one of the components of IC systems. The function of a suppressor is to reduce the background conductivity of the eluent and to increase the conductivity of the analyte through an ion exchange process, resulting in increased response in subsequent conductivity detection. The most common commercial suppressor is a three-channel sandwich design in which the eluent channel carrying the sample is separated from the lateral regenerant channel carrying the water stream by two ion exchange membranes. A flat plate electrode is placed in each of the regenerant channels. A constant current is passed between the two electrodes. Electrolysis of water in the regenerant channel produces hydrogen and hydroxide ions, which are used to suppress the eluent. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0004]

[0013] The embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] To facilitate this description, like reference numerals refer to like structural elements;

[0015] The embodiments are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, by way of example, and not by way of limitation. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary scientific instrument support module for performing support operations, according to various embodiments. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for performing an assistive operation, according to various embodiments. [Figure 3] 1 is an example of a graphical user interface that may be used in implementing some or all of the assistance methods disclosed herein, according to various embodiments. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device that may implement some or all of the scientific instrumentation methods disclosed herein, according to various embodiments. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary scientific instrument support system in which some or all of the scientific instrument support methods disclosed herein may be implemented, according to various embodiments. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for determining a suppressor state, according to various embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a chromatography system including an electrolytic suppressor, according to various embodiments. [Figure 8A] 10A-10C are chromatograms illustrating various examples of suppressor states, according to various embodiments. [Figure 8B] 10A-10C are chromatograms illustrating various examples of suppressor states, according to various embodiments. [Figure 8C] 10A-10C are chromatograms illustrating various examples of suppressor states, according to various embodiments. [Figure 8D] 10A-10C are chromatograms illustrating various examples of suppressor states, according to various embodiments. [Figure 8E] 10A-10C are chromatograms illustrating various examples of suppressor states, according to various embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Disclosed herein are scientific instrument support systems, as well as related methods, computing devices, and computer-readable media. For example, in some embodiments, a scientific instrument support system includes chromatogram logic for calculating the squared retention time and peak width variance for each of a plurality of peaks in a chromatogram, plate calculation logic for calculating the expected plate number and the observed plate number, and suppressor status logic for determining and displaying a suppressor status based on the ratio of the observed plate number to the expected plate number (O / E ratio).

[0006] Embodiments of scientific instrument support disclosed herein may achieve improved performance compared to conventional approaches. For example, a typical operator uses a single suppressor for a given period of time. The suppressor slowly degrades over time until it reaches the end of its life. However, the end of life is often perceived by the operator as being so sudden that the operator is unable to assess the gradual degradation over the suppressor's life. Embodiments disclosed herein provide a method for the operator to monitor the performance of the suppressor over time and even plan for replacement within a given period of time. Thus, embodiments disclosed herein provide improvements to scientific instrument technology (e.g., improvements to the computer technology supporting such scientific instrumentation, among other improvements).

[0007] Various embodiments disclosed herein improve upon conventional approaches to achieve the technical advantage of reducing equipment downtime by assessing suppressor degradation over time, allowing replacement to be planned rather than sudden. Such technical advantages cannot be achieved through routine conventional approaches, and all users of systems incorporating such embodiments benefit from these advantages (e.g., by assisting users in performing technical tasks such as suppressor replacement through a guided human-machine interaction process). Thus, the technical features of the embodiments disclosed herein, as well as combinations of features of the embodiments disclosed herein, are clearly unconventional in the field of ion chromatography. The computational and user interface features disclosed herein not only involve the collection and comparison of information, but also apply novel analytical and technical techniques to guide users to replace suppressors. Thus, the present disclosure introduces functionality that neither conventional computing devices nor humans could perform.

[0008] Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may serve any of a number of technical purposes, such as controlling a particular technical system or process or determining how to control machinery from measurements. In particular, the present disclosure provides technical solutions to technical problems, including, but not limited to, monitoring suppressor degradation and predicting suppressor failure. This allows users to plan suppressor replacement before failure, thereby reducing downtime. Furthermore, because suppressor degradation monitoring provides data-driven information regarding the condition of the suppressor, premature suppressor replacement can be reduced based on the time or number of analyses performed. That is, suppressor degradation monitoring as described herein may reduce both unplanned downtime and waste.

[0009] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, where like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0010] Various operations may be described as multiple separate actions or operations, in the order most helpful in understanding the subject matter disclosed herein. However, the order of description should not be construed as implying that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations may not be performed in the order presented. The operations described may be performed in a different order than in the described embodiment. Various additional operations may be performed and / or described operations may be omitted in additional embodiments.

[0011] For purposes of this disclosure, the phrases “A and / or B” and “A or B” mean (A), (B), or (A and B). For purposes of this disclosure, the phrases “A, B, and / or C” and “A, B, or C” mean (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C). Although some elements may be referred to in the singular (e.g., “a processing device”), any suitable element may be represented by multiple instances of that element, and vice versa. For example, a set of operations described as being performed by one processing device may be implemented using different ones of operations performed by multiple different processing devices. As used herein, the phrase “based on” should be understood to mean “based at least in part on,” unless otherwise specified.

[0012] The description uses the phrases "one embodiment," "various embodiments," and "some embodiments," each of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, terms such as "comprising," "including," and "having" when used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure are synonymous. When used to describe a range of dimensions, the phrase "X to Y" represents a range that includes X and Y. As used herein, "apparatus" may refer to any individual device, a collection of devices, a portion of a device, or a collection of portions of devices. The drawings are not necessarily to scale.

[0013] 1 is a block diagram of a scientific instrument support module 1000 for performing support operations, according to various embodiments. The scientific instrument support module 1000 may be implemented by a circuit (e.g., including electrical and / or optical components) such as a programmed computing device. The logic of the scientific instrument support module 1000 may be contained in a single computing device or may be distributed across multiple computing devices that communicate with each other as needed. An example of a computing device that may implement the scientific instrument support module 1000, alone or in combination, is discussed herein with reference to the computing device 4000 of FIG. 4, and an example of a system of interconnected computing devices in which the scientific instrument support module 1000 may be implemented across one or more of the computing devices is discussed herein with reference to the scientific instrument support system 5000 of FIG. 5.

[0014] The scientific instrument support module 1000 may include first logic 1002, second logic 1004, and third logic 1006. As used herein, the term “logic” may include an apparatus that performs a set of operations associated with the logic. For example, any of the logic elements included in the support module 1000 may be implemented by one or more computing devices programmed with instructions that cause one or more processing devices of the computing devices to perform the associated set of operations. In particular embodiments, a logic element may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices of the one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform the associated set of operations. As used herein, the term “module” may refer to a collection of one or more logic elements that together perform the function associated with the module. Different logic elements within a module may take the same form or different forms. For example, some logic within a module may be implemented by a programmed general-purpose processing device, while other logic within the module may be implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In another example, different ones of the logic elements in a module may be associated with different sets of instructions executed by one or more processing devices. A module may not include all of the logic elements depicted in an associated figure; for example, a module may include a subset of the logic elements depicted in an associated figure when the module performs a subset of the operations discussed herein with reference to that module.

[0015] The first logic 1002 may determine the retention time and peak width variance of the chromatogram. In various embodiments, the first logic 1002 may obtain a chromatogram, obtain retention times and peak widths for multiple peaks in the chromatogram, and determine the square of the retention times (t r2 ) and peak width dispersion (σ 2 ) may be calculated. In various embodiments, the peak width may be the width measured at half the maximum peak intensity.

[0016] The second logic 1004 can determine a ratio of the observed plate number to the expected plate number. In various embodiments, the second logic 1004 can select a peak of interest. The peak of interest can be a homologous peak that interacts similarly with the column. For example, the peak of interest can be determined by determining the coefficient of determination (R) of the selected peak. 2 ) can be selected by selecting a set of three or more peaks for which the predicted plate number (N) is at least about 0.9, for example at least about 0.99, or even at least about 0.995 to about 1.0. exp ) and the number of observation plates (N obs ) can be calculated. The predicted plate number is calculated by the t of the peak of interest while forcing a 0,0 intercept. r 2 vs. σ 2 The number of observed plates can be determined from the slope by fitting t for the first eluting peak from the selected peak. r 2 / σ 2 Once the observed and expected plate numbers are calculated, the O / E ratio can be calculated using N obs / N exp It can be calculated as:

[0017] The third logic 1006 may determine the status of the suppressor and provide a notification to the user. In various embodiments, the third logic 1006 may determine the status based on the O / E ratio. If the O / E ratio is low, the third logic 1006 may determine that the suppressor is in a faulty state and notify the user that the suppressor should be replaced. If the O / E ratio is high, the third logic 1006 may determine that the suppressor is in a normal operating state. The third logic 1006 may determine an intermediate state and, when the O / E ratio has an intermediate value between a low value and a high value, indicate that the user should consider replacing the suppressor or prepare for replacement, such as by ordering a replacement suppressor. For example, if the O / E ratio is greater than 0.7, the suppressor may be in a normal operating state, and if the O / E ratio is less than 0.5, the suppressor may be in a faulty state and may need to be replaced. If the O / E ratio is between 0.5 and 0.7, the suppressor may be in an intermediate state and the user should consider replacement. In various embodiments, the third logic 1006 may estimate the remaining life (e.g., in hours or number of samples) of the suppressor and provide a countdown to the operator. In some embodiments, the remaining life may be estimated using the suppressor's O / E ratio history to determine how quickly the O / E ratio is approaching the failure condition threshold.

[0018] 2 is a flow diagram of a method 2000 for performing support operations, according to various embodiments. The operations of method 2000 may be illustrated with reference to particular embodiments disclosed herein (e.g., scientific instrument support module 1000 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 1 , GUI 3000 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 3 , computing device 4000 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4 , and / or scientific instrument support system 5000 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 5 ), but method 2000 may be used in any suitable setting to perform any suitable support operations. Although the operations are illustrated in FIG. 2 once each in a particular order, the operations may be appropriately reordered and / or repeated as desired (e.g., different operations performed may be performed in parallel, as appropriate).

[0019] In 2002, a first operation may be performed. For example, first logic 1002 of support module 1000 may perform the operation of 2002. The first operation may include obtaining a chromatogram, obtaining retention times and peak widths for multiple peaks in the chromatogram, and calculating the square of the retention times (t r 2 ) and peak width dispersion (σ 2 )

[0020] At 2004, a second operation may be performed. For example, the second logic 1004 of the assistance module 1000 may perform the operation of 2004. The second operation may include selecting a peak of interest and calculating the expected number of plates (N exp ) and the number of observation plates (N obs ) and the O / E ratio (N obs / N exp )

[0021] In 2006, a third operation may be performed. For example, third logic 1006 of assistance module 1000 may perform the operation of 2006. The third operation may include determining the status of the suppressor based on the O / E ratio and providing a notification to a user. The third operation may also provide an estimate of the remaining life of the suppressor to the user.

[0022] The scientific instrument assistance methods disclosed herein may involve interactions with a human user (e.g., via a user local computing device 5020 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 5). These interactions may include providing the user with information (e.g., information about the operation of a scientific instrument such as the scientific instrument 5010 of FIG. 5, information about a sample being analyzed or other tests or measurements performed by the scientific instrument, information retrieved from a local or remote database, or other information) or providing the user with options for entering commands (e.g., to control the operation of a scientific instrument such as the scientific instrument 5010 of FIG. 5 or to control the analysis of data generated by the scientific instrument), queries (e.g., to a local or remote database), or other information. In some embodiments, these interactions may be implemented through a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a visual display on a display device (e.g., display device 4010 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4) that provides output to the user and / or prompts the user to provide input (e.g., via one or more input devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, trackpad, or touchscreen included in other I / O devices 4012 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4). The scientific instrument support systems disclosed herein may include any suitable GUI for interaction with a user.

[0023] 3 depicts an exemplary GUI 3000 that may be used in implementing some or all of the assistance methods disclosed herein, according to various embodiments. As noted above, the GUI 3000 may be provided on a display device (e.g., the display device 4010 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4) of a computing device (e.g., the computing device 4000 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4) of a scientific instrument assistance system (e.g., the scientific instrument assistance system 5000 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 5), and a user may interact with the GUI 3000 using any suitable input device (e.g., any of the input devices included in the other I / O devices 4012 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4) and input technique (e.g., cursor movement, motion capture, face recognition, gesture detection, voice recognition, button activation, etc.).

[0024] GUI 3000 may include a data display region 3002, a data analysis region 3004, a scientific instrument control region 3006, and a settings region 3008. The particular number and arrangement of regions depicted in Figure 3 are merely illustrative, and GUI 3000 may include any number and arrangement of regions, including any desired features.

[0025] The data display area 3002 may display data generated by a scientific instrument (e.g., the scientific instrument 5010 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 5). For example, the data display area 3002 may display a chromatogram.

[0026] The data analysis area 3004 may display the results of the data analysis (e.g., the results of analyzing the data shown in the data display area 3002 and / or other data). For example, the data analysis area 3004 may display the retention time, peak height, and peak width of peaks identified from the chromatogram. In various embodiments, the data analysis area 3004 may also include an indicator of the suppressor status. The indicator of the suppressor status may be a simple green / yellow / red indicator. In various embodiments, the status indicator may also include an indicator of the estimated time to failure condition, particularly if the status is in the yellow / intermediate state. In some embodiments, the data display area 3002 and the data analysis area 3004 may be combined in the GUI 3000 (e.g., to include data output from the scientific instrument and some analysis of the data in a common graph or area).

[0027] The scientific instrument control area 3006 may include options that allow a user to control a scientific instrument (e.g., the scientific instrument 5010 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 5). For example, the scientific instrument control area 3006 may include settings for flow rates, gradients, and other operating parameters of the scientific instrument.

[0028] Settings area 3008 may include options that enable a user to control features and functionality of GUI 3000 (and / or other GUIs) and / or perform common computing operations with respect to data display area 3002 and data analysis area 3004 (e.g., saving data on a storage device such as storage device 4004 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4 , sending data to another user, labeling data, etc.).

[0029] As noted above, the scientific instrument support module 1000 may be implemented by one or more computing devices. Figure 4 is a block diagram of a computing device 4000 that may implement some or all of the scientific instrument support methods disclosed herein, according to various embodiments. In some embodiments, the scientific instrument support module 1000 may be implemented by a single computing device 4000 or by multiple computing devices 4000. Furthermore, as discussed below, the computing device 4000 (or multiple computing devices 4000) that implements the scientific instrument support module 1000 may be part of one or more of the scientific instrument 5010, user local computing device 5020, service local computing device 5030, or remote computing device 5040 of Figure 5.

[0030] 4 is illustrated as having several components, any one or more of which may be omitted or duplicated as appropriate for the application and configuration. In some embodiments, some or all of the components included in computing device 4000 may be mounted on one or more motherboards and housed in a housing (e.g., comprising plastic, metal, and / or other materials). In some embodiments, several of these components may be assembled on a single system-on-a-chip (SoC) (e.g., an SoC may include one or more processing devices 4002 and one or more storage devices 4004). 4, but may include interface circuitry (not shown) for coupling to one or more components using any suitable interface (e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) interface, a Controller Area Network (CAN) interface, a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) interface, an Ethernet interface, a wireless interface, or any other suitable interface). For example, computing device 4000 may not include display device 4010, but may include display device interface circuitry (e.g., connectors and driver circuits) to which display device 4010 may be coupled.

[0031] The computing device 4000 may include a processing device 4002 (e.g., one or more processing devices). As used herein, the term "processing device" may refer to any device or portion of a device that processes electronic data from registers and / or memory and converts the electronic data into other electronic data that may be stored in registers and / or memory. The processing device 4002 may include one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), cryptographic processors (dedicated processors that execute cryptographic algorithms in hardware), server processors, or any other suitable processing devices.

[0032] The computing device 4000 may include a storage device 4004 (e.g., one or more storage devices). The storage device 4004 may include one or more memory devices, such as random access memory (RAM) (e.g., static RAM (SRAM) devices, magnetic RAM (MRAM) devices, dynamic RAM (DRAM) devices, resistive RAM (RRAM) devices, or conductive-bridging RAM (CBRAM) devices), hard drive-type memory devices, solid-state memory devices, networked drives, cloud drives, or any combination of memory devices. In some embodiments, the storage device 4004 may include memory that shares a die with the processing device 4002. In such embodiments, the memory may be used as cache memory and may include, for example, embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) or spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM). In some embodiments, storage device 4004 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices (e.g., processing device 4002), cause computing device 4000 to perform any suitable method or portion thereof of the methods disclosed herein.

[0033] The computing device 4000 may include an interface device 4006 (e.g., one or more interface devices 4006). The interface device 4006 may include one or more communication chips, connectors, and / or other hardware and software for managing communications between the computing device 4000 and other computing devices. For example, the interface device 4006 may include circuitry for managing wireless communications for data transfer to and from the computing device 4000. The term "wireless" and its derivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods, techniques, communication channels, etc. that may communicate data through the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation over a non-solid medium. This term does not imply that the associated devices do not include any wiring, although in some embodiments they may not. The circuitry included in interface device 4006 for managing wireless communications may implement any of several wireless standards or protocols, including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family), the IEEE 802.16 standard (e.g., the IEEE 802.16-2005 amendment), Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standards including the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) project with any amendments, updates, and / or revisions (e.g., the Advanced LTE project, the Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) project (also referred to as "3GPP2"), etc.).In some embodiments, the circuitry included in the interface device 4006 for managing wireless communications may operate in accordance with a Global System for Mobile (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Evolved HSPA (E-HSPA), or LTE network. In some embodiments, the circuitry included in the interface device 4006 for managing wireless communications may operate in accordance with an Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), or Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). In some embodiments, the circuitry included in interface device 4006 for managing wireless communications may operate according to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), and derivatives thereof, as well as any other wireless protocols designated as 3G, 4G, 5G, and beyond. In some embodiments, interface device 4006 may include one or more antennas (e.g., one or more antenna arrays) for receiving and / or transmitting wireless communications.

[0034] In some embodiments, the interface device 4006 may include circuitry for managing wired communications, such as electrical, optical, or any other suitable communications protocol. For example, the interface device 4006 may include circuitry to support communications according to Ethernet technology. In some embodiments, the interface device 4006 may support both wireless and wired communications and / or multiple wired and / or wireless communications protocols. For example, a first set of circuits in the interface device 4006 may be dedicated to short-range wireless communications, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and a second set of circuits in the interface device 4006 may be dedicated to long-range wireless communications, such as global positioning system (GPS), EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, EV-DO, etc. In some embodiments, the first set of circuits in the interface device 4006 may be dedicated to wireless communications and the second set of circuits in the interface device 4006 may be dedicated to wired communications.

[0035] Computing device 4000 may include battery / power circuitry 4008. Battery / power circuitry 4008 may include one or more energy storage devices (e.g., batteries or capacitors) and / or circuitry for coupling components of computing device 4000 to an energy source (e.g., AC line power) separate from computing device 4000.

[0036] The computing device 4000 may include a display device 4010 (e.g., multiple display devices). The display device 4010 may include any visual indicator, such as a heads-up display, a computer monitor, a projector, a touchscreen display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode display, or a flat panel display.

[0037] The computing device 4000 may include other input / output (I / O) devices 4012. The other I / O devices 4012 may include, for example, one or more audio output devices (e.g., speakers, headsets, earphones, alarms, etc.), one or more audio input devices (e.g., microphones or microphone arrays), a location device (e.g., a GPS device that communicates with a satellite-based system to receive the location of the computing device 4000, as is known in the art), an audio codec, a video codec, a printer, sensors (e.g., thermocouples or other temperature sensors, humidity sensors, pressure sensors, vibration sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.), an image capture device such as a camera, a keyboard, a cursor control device (e.g., a mouse, stylus, trackball, or touchpad, etc.), a barcode reader, a Quick Response (QR) code reader, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader.

[0038] The computing device 4000 may have any form factor suitable for its application and configuration, such as a handheld or mobile computing device (e.g., a mobile phone, smartphone, mobile internet device, tablet computer, laptop computer, netbook computer, ultrabook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), ultra-mobile personal computer, etc.), a desktop computing device, or a server computing device or other networked computing component.

[0039] One or more computing devices implementing any of the scientific instrument support modules or methods disclosed herein may be part of a scientific instrument support system. Figure 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary scientific instrument support system 5000 in which some or all of the scientific instrument support methods disclosed herein may be implemented, according to various embodiments. The scientific instrument support modules and methods disclosed herein (e.g., scientific instrument support module 1000 of Figure 1 and method 2000 of Figure 2) may be implemented by one or more of the scientific instrument 5010, user local computing device 5020, service local computing device 5030, or remote computing device 5040 of the scientific instrument support system 5000.

[0040] Any of the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, the service local computing device 5030, or the remote computing device 5040 may include any of the embodiments of the computing device 4000 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4, and any of the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, the service local computing device 5030, or the remote computing device 5040 may take the form of any suitable embodiment of the embodiments of the computing device 4000 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4.

[0041] The scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, the service local computing device 5030, or the remote computing device 5040 may each include a processing device 5002, a storage device 5004, and an interface device 5006. The processing device 5002 may take any suitable form, including any of the forms of the processing devices 4002 discussed herein with reference to Figure 4, and the processing devices 5002 included in different ones of the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, the service local computing device 5030, or the remote computing device 5040 may take the same form or different forms. The storage device 5004 may take any suitable form, including any of the forms of the storage devices 4004 discussed herein with reference to Figure 4, and the storage devices 5004 included in different ones of the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, the service local computing device 5030, or the remote computing device 5040 may take the same form or different forms. The interface device 5006 may take any suitable form, including any of the forms of the interface devices 4006 discussed herein with reference to FIG. 4, and the interface devices 5006 included in different ones of the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, the service local computing device 5030, or the remote computing device 5040 may take the same or different forms.

[0042] The scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, the service local computing device 5030, and the remote computing device 5040 may communicate with other elements of the scientific instrument support system 5000 via communication paths 5008. The communication paths 5008 may communicatively couple the interface devices 5006 of different elements of the scientific instrument support system 5000, as shown, and may be wired or wireless communication paths (e.g., according to any of the communication techniques discussed herein with reference to the interface device 4006 of the computing device 4000 of FIG. 4 ). While the particular scientific instrument support system 5000 depicted in FIG. 5 includes communication paths between each pair of the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, the service local computing device 5030, and the remote computing device 5040, this “fully connected” implementation is merely illustrative, and in various embodiments, various ones of the communication paths 5008 may not be present. For example, in some embodiments, the service local computing device 5030 may not have a direct communication path 5008 between its interface device 5006 and the interface device 5006 of the scientific instrument 5010, but instead may communicate with the scientific instrument 5010 via a communication path 5008 between the service local computing device 5030 and the user local computing device 5020, and a communication path 5008 between the user local computing device 5020 and the scientific instrument 5010.

[0043] The scientific instrument 5010 may include any suitable scientific instrument, such as an ion chromatography system as described in FIG.

[0044] The user-local computing device 5020 may be a computing device that is local to a user of the scientific instrument 5010 (e.g., according to any of the embodiments of the computing device 4000 discussed herein). In some embodiments, the user-local computing device 5020 may also be local to the scientific instrument 5010, but need not be; for example, a user-local computing device 5020 in a user's home or office may be remote from the scientific instrument 5010 but may communicate with it, and the user may use the user-local computing device 5020 to control and / or access data from the scientific instrument 5010. In some embodiments, the user-local computing device 5020 may be a laptop, smartphone, or tablet device. In some embodiments, the user-local computing device 5020 may be a portable computing device. In some embodiments, the user-local computing device 5020 may determine the status of the suppressor and provide an indication of the status to the user.

[0045] The servicing local computing device 5030 may be a computing device (e.g., according to any of the embodiments of computing device 4000 discussed herein) that is local to an entity that provides services to the scientific instrument 5010. For example, the servicing local computing device 5030 may be local to the manufacturer of the scientific instrument 5010 or a third-party service company. In some embodiments, the servicing local computing device 5030 may communicate with the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, and / or the remote computing device 5040 (e.g., via a direct communication path 5008 or via multiple "indirect" communication paths 5008, as discussed above) to receive data regarding the operation of the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, and / or the remote computing device 5040 (e.g., results of self-tests of the scientific instrument 5010, calibration coefficients used by the scientific instrument 5010, measurements of sensors associated with the scientific instrument 5010, etc.). In some embodiments, the service local computing device 5030 may communicate with the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, and / or the remote computing device 5040 (e.g., via a direct communication path 5008 or via multiple "indirect" communication paths 5008, as discussed above) and transmit data to the scientific instrument 5010, the user local computing device 5020, and / or the remote computing device 5040 (e.g., to update programmed instructions such as firmware in the scientific instrument 5010, to initiate the performance of a test or calibration sequence in the scientific instrument 5010, to update programmed instructions such as software in the user local computing device 5020 or the remote computing device 5040, etc.).A user of the scientific instrument 5010 may utilize the scientific instrument 5010 or the user local computing device 5020 to communicate with the service local computing device 5030 to report problems with the scientific instrument 5010 or the user local computing device 5020, to request a technician visit to improve the operation of the scientific instrument 5010, to order consumables or replacement parts associated with the scientific instrument 5010, or for other purposes. The service local computing device 5030 may determine the status of the suppressor and provide an indication of the status to the user.

[0046] The remote computing device 5040 may be a computing device (e.g., according to any of the embodiments of computing device 4000 discussed herein) that is remote from the scientific instrument 5010 and / or the user local computing device 5020. In some embodiments, the remote computing device 5040 may be included in a data center or other large-scale server environment. In some embodiments, the remote computing device 5040 may include network-attached storage (e.g., as part of the storage device 5004). The remote computing device 5040 may store data generated by the scientific instrument 5010, perform analysis of the data generated by the scientific instrument 5010 (e.g., according to programmed instructions), facilitate communications between the user local computing device 5020 and the scientific instrument 5010, and / or facilitate communications between the service local computing device 5030 and the scientific instrument 5010. The remote computing device may determine the status of the suppressor and provide an indication of the status to the user.

[0047] In some embodiments, one or more of the elements of the scientific instrument support system 5000 illustrated in Figure 5 may not be present. Furthermore, in some embodiments, more than one of various of the elements of the scientific instrument support system 5000 of Figure 5 may be present. For example, the scientific instrument support system 5000 may include multiple user local computing devices 5020 (e.g., different user local computing devices 5020 associated with different users or at different locations). In another example, the scientific instrument support system 5000 may include multiple scientific instruments 5010 that all communicate with a servicing local computing device 5030 and / or a remote computing device 5040; in such an embodiment, the servicing local computing device 5030 may monitor these multiple scientific instruments 5010, or the servicing local computing device 5030 may trigger updates or other information to the multiple scientific instruments 5010 simultaneously. Different scientific instruments 5010 in the scientific instrument support system 5000 may be located near each other (e.g., in the same room) or far from each other (e.g., on different floors of a building, in different buildings, in different cities, etc.). In some embodiments, the scientific instruments 5010 may be connected to an Internet-of-Things (IoT) stack that enables command and control of the scientific instruments 5010 through web-based applications, virtual or augmented reality applications, mobile applications, and / or desktop applications. Any of these applications may be accessed by a user operating a user local computing device 5020 that communicates with the scientific instruments 5010 by way of an intervening remote computing device 5040. In some embodiments, the scientific instruments 5010 may be sold by a manufacturer as part of a local scientific instrument computing unit 5012, along with one or more associated user local computing devices 5020.

[0048] In some embodiments, different ones of the scientific instruments 5010 included in the scientific instrument support system 5000 may be different types of scientific instruments 5010. For example, one scientific instrument 5010 may be an ion chromatography system, while another scientific instrument 5010 may be an ion chromatography mass spectrometry system. In some such embodiments, the remote computing device 5040 and / or the user local computing device 5020 may combine data from different types of scientific instruments 5010 included in the scientific instrument support system 5000.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method 6000 for determining the state of a suppressor, according to various embodiments. At 6002, a chromatogram can be obtained. In various embodiments, the chromatogram can be obtained by instructing a scientific instrument to perform an analysis of a sample or standard. In other embodiments, the chromatogram can be from a previously performed analysis, and the chromatogram can be retrieved from data storage. At 6004, retention times and peak widths of multiple peaks in the chromatogram can be obtained. In various embodiments, a peak detection algorithm can identify the peaks and determine retention times and intensities. Further analysis of the peaks can determine peak widths, such as by determining the width measured at half the maximum peak intensity. In other embodiments, the chromatogram can be pre-analyzed for retention times and peak widths, and the data can be retrieved from storage. At 6006, the square of the retention time (t r 2 ) and calculate the peak width variance (σ 2 ) can be calculated.

[0050] In 6008, a peak of interest can be selected. The peak of interest can be a homologous peak that interacts similarly with the column. For example, the peak of interest can be selected by determining the coefficient of determination (R 2) can be selected by selecting a set of three or more peaks for which the predicted plate number (N) is at least about 0.9, for example, at least about 0.99, or even at least about 0.995 to about 1.0. exp ) and the number of observation plates (N obs ) can be calculated. The predicted plate number is calculated by the t of the peak of interest while forcing a 0,0 intercept. r 2 vs. σ 2 The observed plate number can be determined from the slope by fitting t for the first eluting peak from the selected peak. r 2 / σ 2 Once the observed and expected plate numbers are calculated, the O / E ratio can be calculated by N obs / N exp It can be calculated as:

[0051] In 6012, the status of the suppressor may be determined based on the O / E ratio. A low O / E ratio, such as less than 0.5, may indicate a fault condition, while a high O / E ratio, such as greater than 0.7, may indicate a normal operating condition. An intermediate value, such as 0.5-0.7, may indicate a suppressor approaching a fault condition but still operating within acceptable parameters. In 6014, a user may be notified of the suppressor's status. For example, an indicator may show green when the suppressor is in a normal operating condition, red when the suppressor is in a fault condition, and yellow when the suppressor is in an intermediate condition. In other embodiments, when the suppressor is in a fault condition, a message, such as an email, SMS message, or push notification, may be sent to the user. Furthermore, when the suppressor is determined to be in a fault condition, further operation may be paused to prevent wasting sample and reagents.

[0052] 7 illustrates one embodiment of a chromatography system 100. The chromatography system 100 may include a pump 102, an electrolytic eluent generator 104, a continuously regenerated trap column 106, a degasser 108, a sample injector 110, a chromatographic separation column 112, an electrolytic suppressor 114, a detector 116, and a microprocessor 118. The chromatographic separation column 112 may be in the form of a capillary column or an analytical column. A recycle line 120 may be used to transfer liquid from the output of the detector 116 to the inlet of the electrolytic suppressor 114, a recycle line 122 may be used to transfer liquid from the outlet of the electrolytic suppressor 114 to the inlet of the degasser 108, and a recycle line 124 may be used to transfer liquid from the outlet of the degasser 108 to the inlet of the continuously regenerated trap column 106.

[0053] The pump 102 can be configured to pump liquid from a liquid source 124 and be fluidly connected to the electrolytic eluent generator 104. In one embodiment, the liquid can be deionized water, an aqueous solution containing an electrolyte, or a mixture of an organic solvent with deionized water or an aqueous electrolyte solution. Some examples of electrolytes are sodium acetate and acetic acid. The organic solvent-containing eluent mixture can include, for example, a water-miscible organic solvent such as methanol. The pump 102 can be configured to deliver liquid at pressures ranging from about 20 PSI to about 15,000 PSI. Under certain circumstances, pressures exceeding 15,000 PSI can be implemented. Note that the pressures listed herein are listed relative to ambient pressure (13.7 PSI to 15.2 PSI). The pump 102 can be in the form of a high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) pump. Additionally, the pump 102 can be configured so that the liquid only contacts inert portions of the pump 102, thereby preventing significant leaching of impurities. In this context, significant means an amount of impurities that interferes with the intended measurement. For example, the inert portion can be made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or at least coated with a PEEK lining, which does not leach a significant number of ions when exposed to liquids.

[0054] An eluent is a liquid containing an acid, a base, a salt, or a mixture thereof that can be used to elute analytes through a chromatography column. Additionally, the eluent can include a mixture of a liquid and a water-miscible organic solvent, where the liquid can include an acid, a base, a salt, or a combination thereof. The electrolytic eluent generator 104 is configured to generate a generant. A generant refers to a specific type of acid, base, or salt that can be added to the eluent. In one embodiment, the generant can be a base, such as a cationic hydroxide, or the generant can be an acid, such as carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, methanesulfonic acid, or a combination thereof.

[0055] 7, the eluent generator 104 can be configured to receive liquid from the pump 102 and then add a generant to the liquid. The liquid containing the generant can be delivered from the eluent generator 104 to the inlet of a continuously regenerated trap column 106.

[0056] The continuously regenerative trap column 106 is configured to remove cationic or anionic contaminants from the eluent. The continuously regenerative trap column 106 can include an ion exchange bed with an electrode at the eluent outlet. An ion exchange membrane interface can separate the eluent from a second electrode, and contaminant ions can be swept toward the second electrode by the ion exchange membrane. In various embodiments, anion removal can utilize an anion exchange bed with a cathode at the eluent outlet separated from the anode by an anion exchange membrane. Alternatively, cation removal can utilize a cation exchange bed with an anode at the eluent outlet separated from the cathode by a cation exchange membrane. Contaminant ions can be swept from the regenerative trap column 106 using recycled liquid via a recycle line 124 downstream of the degassing assembly 108.

[0057] The degasser 108 can be used to remove residual gases in the eluent. In one embodiment, the residual gases can be hydrogen and oxygen. The degasser 108 can include a gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable tubing section, such as an amorphous fluoropolymer or, more specifically, Teflon AF. The flowing liquid can be delivered from the degasser 108 to the sample injector 110 with a substantial portion of the gas removed. The gas can be purged from the degasser 108 using recycled liquid via a recycle line 122 downstream of the electrolytic suppressor 114. The recycled liquid containing the residual gases can also be delivered from the degasser 108 and directed to the continuously regenerated trap column 106.

[0058] The sample injector 110 can be used to inject a bolus of liquid sample into the eluent stream. The liquid sample can include multiple chemical components (i.e., matrix components) and one or more analytes of interest.

[0059] The chromatographic separation column 112 can be used to separate various matrix components present in a liquid sample from the analytes of interest. Typically, the chromatographic separation column 112 can be in the form of a hollow cylinder containing a packed stationary phase. As the liquid sample flows through the chromatographic separation column 112, the matrix components and target analytes can have a range of retention times for elution from the chromatographic separation column 112. Depending on the properties of the target analytes and matrix components, they can have different affinities for the stationary phase of the chromatographic separation column 112. The outlet of the chromatographic separation column 112 can be fluidly connected to an electrolytic suppressor 114.

[0060] The electrolytic suppressor 114 can be used to reduce eluent conductivity background and improve analyte response by efficiently exchanging eluent counterions for regenerant ions. The electrolytic suppressor 114 can include an anode chamber, a cathode chamber, and an eluent suppression bed chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane. The anode chamber and / or cathode chamber can generate regenerant ions. The eluent suppression bed chamber can include an eluent flow path separated from the regenerant by an ion exchange barrier, and the eluent counterions can be exchanged for regenerant ions across the ion exchange barrier. The cathode chamber or the anode chamber can be supplied with recycled liquid via a recycle line 120 downstream of the conductivity detector 116. The output of the electrolytic suppressor 114 can be fluidly connected to the detector 116 to measure the presence of separated chemical components in the liquid sample.

[0061] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the eluent output fluid from detector 116 is recycled to electrolytic suppressor 114 via recycle line 120, the output fluid of electrolytic suppressor 114 is recycled to degasser 108 via recycle line 122, the output fluid from degasser 108 is recycled to continuously regenerating trap column 106 via recycle line 124, and the output fluid of continuously regenerating trap column 106 flows to waste.

[0062] The detector 116 can be in the form of a UV-visible spectrometer, a fluorescence spectrometer, an electrochemical detector, a conductivity detector, a charge detector, or a combination thereof. Details regarding charge detectors based on a charged barrier and two electrodes can be found in U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 20090218238, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In situations where a recycle line 120 is not required, the detector 116 can also be in the form of a mass spectrometer or a charged particle detector. Charged particle detectors atomize the effluent stream, creating charged particles that can be measured as a current proportional to the analyte concentration. Details regarding charged particle detectors can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,544,484 and 6,568,245, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0063] The electronic circuitry may include a microprocessor 118, a timer, and a memory portion. Additionally, the electronic circuitry may include a power supply configured to apply the respective control signals. The microprocessor 118 may be used to control the operation of the chromatography system 100. The microprocessor 118 may be integrated into the chromatography system 100 or may be part of a personal computer that communicates with the chromatography system 100. The microprocessor 118 may be configured to communicate with and control one or more components of the chromatography system, such as the pump 102, the eluent generator 104, the sample injector 110, and the detector 116. The memory portion may be used to store instructions for setting the magnitude and timing of the current waveform with respect to switching of the sample injector 110 to inject a sample.

[0064] Figures 8A-8E show chromatograms illustrating various states of an ion chromatography system. Each chromatogram was obtained using an Ion Pac AS19 column with a 20 mM KOH eluent at a flow rate of 1 mL / min. The injection volume was 10 μL, and the oven temperature was 30°C. The peaks are (1) fluoride, (2) chloride, (3) nitrite, (4) bromide, (5) nitrate, (6) carbonate, and (7) sulfate. Figure 8A shows a good suppressor. The suppressor in Figure 8A has "aged" by exposure to high pressure. After exposure to 500 psi, Figure 8B shows the suppressor in an intermediate state where the user should consider replacement. After exposure to 1000 psi, Figure 8C shows the suppressor in a failed state and should be replaced. Notably, the peaks become broader and tailing increases after exposure to increased pressure.

[0065] Figures 8D and 8E show that the effect of a bad suppressor can be separated from the effect of a bad column by calculation. Figure 8D shows a chromatogram generated by using a good column and a good suppressor, and Figure 8E shows a chromatogram generated using a bad column and a good suppressor. Note that Figure 8E, like Figure 8C, shows broader peaks and increased tailing compared to Figure 8D. However, the O / E ratio indicates that the suppressor is good, as expected.

[0066] The following paragraphs provide various examples of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0067] Example 1 is a computing device including a scientific instrument support device, A computing device comprising: chromatogram logic for calculating retention time squares and peak width variances for each of a plurality of peaks in a chromatogram; plate calculation logic for calculating expected plate numbers and observed plate numbers; and suppressor status logic for determining a suppressor status based on a ratio of observed plate numbers to expected plate numbers (O / E ratio) and displaying the status.

[0068] Example 2 may include the subject matter described in Example 1 and may further specify that the chromatogram logic, plate calculation logic, and suppressor status logic are implemented by a common computing device.

[0069] Example 3 may include the subject matter described in Example 1 or Example 2, and may further specify that at least one of the chromatogram logic, the plate calculation logic, and the suppressor state logic is implemented by a computing device remote from the scientific instrument.

[0070] Example 4 may include the subject matter described in Example 1, Example 2, or Example 3, and may further specify that at least one of the chromatogram logic, the plate calculation logic, and the suppressor state logic is implemented by a user computing device.

[0071] Example 5 may include the subject matter of any of Examples 1-4, and may further specify that at least one of the chromatogram logic, the plate calculation logic, and the suppressor state logic is implemented in a scientific instrument.

[0072] Example 6 may include the subject matter of any of Examples 1-5, and may further specify that the chromatogram logic further includes logic for obtaining a chromatogram.

[0073] Example 7 may include the subject matter of any of Examples 1-6, and may further specify that the chromatogram logic further includes logic for identifying multiple peaks in the chromatogram.

[0074] Example 8 may include the subject matter described in any of Examples 1-7, and may further specify that the chromatogram logic further includes logic for determining a retention time and a peak width for each of a plurality of peaks in the chromatogram.

[0075] Example 9 may include the subject matter described in any of Examples 1-8, and may further specify that the plate calculation logic further includes logic for selecting a peak of interest from the plurality of peaks, and that the peak of interest has a coefficient of determination (R2) of at least 0.9, such as at least about 0.99, or even at least about 0.995.

[0076] Example 10 may include the subject matter described in any of Examples 1-9, and may further include logic for fitting a line to the square of the retention time (tr2) of each of the peaks of interest versus the peak width variance (σ2) while forcing a 0,0 intercept to determine the slope of the line, and may further specify that the number of predicted plates is the slope of the line.

[0077] Example 11 may include the subject matter of any of Examples 1-10, wherein the plate calculation logic calculates the t for the first eluted peak from the selected peaks. r 2 / σ 2 The method may further specify that the method further includes logic for determining the number of observation plates using the method.

[0078] Example 12 may include the subject matter described in any of Examples 1 to 11, and may further specify that the suppressor status logic further includes logic to assign a normal status when the O / E ratio is above a first threshold and to assign a replaced status when the O / E ratio is below a second threshold.

[0079] Example 13 may include the subject matter described in any of Examples 1 to 12, and may further specify that the suppressor state logic further includes logic to assign a replacement consideration state if the O / E ratio is between the first threshold and the second threshold.

[0080] Example 14 can include the subject matter of any of Examples 1-13, and can further specify that the first threshold is about 0.7.

[0081] Example 15 can include the subject matter of any of Examples 1-14, and can further specify that the second threshold is about 0.5.

[0082] Example 16 may include the subject matter of any of Examples 1 to 15, and may further include logic for displaying the status with a color indicator, and may further specify that the normal status is green, the replacement consideration status is yellow, and the replacement status is red.

[0083] Example 17 may include the subject matter of any of Examples 1-16, wherein the suppressor status logic further includes logic for displaying a countdown value to replacement along with the replacement consideration status indicator, and may further specify that the countdown value to replacement is an estimated time to replacement, an estimated number of samples to replacement, an O / E ratio, a difference between the O / E ratio and a second threshold, or any combination thereof.

[0084] Example 18 is a scientific instrument support device that includes: chromatogram logic, which is first logic for receiving a chromatogram from an ion chromatography system that includes a suppressor; and suppressor status logic, which is second logic for generating a status indicator for the suppressor based at least in part on the chromatogram.

[0085] Example 19 may include the subject matter of Example 18, and may further specify that the scientific instrument support apparatus further includes third logic that causes the output to be displayed graphically on a display device.

[0086] Example 20 may include the subject matter of Example 18 or Example 19, and the output may further specify that the output is displayed graphically on a display device using color indicators, with a normal status being green, a replacement consideration status being yellow, and a replacement status being red.

[0087] Example A includes any of the scientific instrument support modules disclosed herein.

[0088] Example B includes any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0089] Example C includes any of the GUIs disclosed herein.

[0090] Example D includes any of the scientific instrument-assisted computing devices and systems disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A scientific instrument support device, comprising: chromatogram logic for calculating the square of the retention time and the variance of the peak width for each of a plurality of peaks in the chromatogram; plate calculation logic for calculating the expected number of plates and the observed number of plates; and suppressor status logic for determining a suppressor status based on a ratio of the observed plate number to the expected plate number (O / E ratio) and displaying the status.

2. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , wherein the chromatogram logic, the plate calculation logic, and the suppressor status logic are implemented by a common computing device.

3. 10. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the chromatogram logic, the plate calculation logic, and the suppressor status logic is implemented by a computing device remote from the scientific instrument.

4. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the chromatogram logic, the plate calculation logic, and the suppressor status logic is implemented by a user computing device.

5. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the chromatogram logic, the plate calculation logic, and the suppressor status logic is implemented in a scientific instrument.

6. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , wherein the chromatogram logic further comprises logic for obtaining the chromatogram.

7. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , wherein the chromatogram logic further comprises logic for identifying the plurality of peaks in the chromatogram.

8. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , wherein the chromatogram logic further comprises logic for determining the retention time and the peak width for each of the plurality of peaks in the chromatogram.

9. The plate calculation logic further comprises logic for selecting a peak of interest from the plurality of peaks, wherein the peak of interest has a coefficient of determination (R 2 10. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1, further comprising:

10. The plate calculation logic calculates the square of the retention time (t) for each of the peaks of interest while forcing a 0,0 intercept. r 2 ) versus the variance of the peak width (σ 2 2. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1, further comprising logic for fitting a line to the radii of the radii of the plates to determine a slope of the line, and wherein the predicted number of plates is the slope of the line.

11. The plate calculation logic calculates the t for the first eluted peak from the selected peak. r 2 / σ 2 The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , further comprising logic for determining the number of observation plates using:

12. 2. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1, wherein the suppressor status logic further comprises logic for assigning a normal status when the O / E ratio is above a first threshold and a replacement status when the O / E ratio is below a second threshold.

13. 2. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1, wherein said suppressor state logic further comprises logic for assigning a replacement consideration state when said O / E ratio is between said first threshold and said second threshold.

14. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is approximately 0.

7.

15. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1 , wherein the second threshold is approximately 0.

5.

16. 2. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1, wherein the suppressor status logic further comprises logic for displaying the status with a color indicator, wherein the normal status is green, the replacement consideration status is yellow, and the replacement status is red.

17. 2. The scientific instrument support system of claim 1, wherein the suppressor status logic further comprises logic for displaying a countdown value to replacement along with a replacement consideration status indicator, the countdown value to replacement being an estimated time to replacement, an estimated number of samples until replacement, the O / E ratio, a difference between the O / E ratio and the second threshold, or any combination thereof.

18. A scientific instrument support device, comprising: a chromatogram logic for receiving a chromatogram from an ion chromatography system, the ion chromatography system including a suppressor; and suppressor status logic for generating a status indicator for the suppressor based at least in part on said chromatogram.

19. 20. The scientific instrument support apparatus of claim 18, further comprising third logic for causing the output to be displayed graphically on a display device.

20. 20. The scientific instrument support apparatus of claim 18, wherein the output is displayed graphically on the display device using color indicators, with a normal status being green, a replacement consideration status being yellow, and a replacement status being red.

Images