460 results about "Dead volume" patented technology

A pneumatic valve for use in laminated plastic microfluidic structures. This zero or low dead volume valve allows flow through microfluidic channels for use in mixing, dilution, particulate suspension and other techniques necessary for flow control in analytical devices.

The static mixer comprising mixing elements for separating the material to be mixed into a plurality of streams and a mechanism for the layered junction of the same, a transversal edge and guide walls that extend at an angle to said transversal edge, as well as deflecting elements arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis and provided with openings, includes mixing elements comprising a transversal edge and a following transversal guide wall and at least two guide walls with lateral end sections and at least one bottom section disposed between said guide walls, thereby defining at least one opening on one side of said transversal edge and at least two openings on the other side of said transversal edge. In addition to a high mixing efficiency and a low pressure drop, a mixer of this kind provides reduced dead volumes and is thus more effective than mixers of the prior art.

This invention describes a multi-stage pre-concentrator device for use with a detector system. One pre-concentrator stage is detachable and may be used to collect sample remotely from the detection system. The detachable pre-concentrator stage mates with the detector system and can transfer its desorbed sample to another pre-concentrator stage which also incorporates the functions of a sample loop serving as an injection volume to the separation column of an analytical instrument. In one embodiment the fixed pre-concentrator stage serves as a sample loop that preferably integrates suitable valves with sorbent materials onto the same structure to minimise dead volume, maximise sensitivity, improving column loading efficiency, reducing duty cycles and minimising detection system response time.

The invention discloses a hydrothermal synthesis method of lithium-ion battery anode material of lithium iron phosphate, relating two kinds of metal phosphate. The steps are as follows: lithium source and phosphorus source are dissolved in water or mixed with water, and added into the reaction autoclave, the quaternary cationic surfactants and the alkylphenols polyoxyethylene ethers nonionic surfactant is also added into the reaction autoclave, the air in the dead volume of the autoclave inside is purged by the inert gas, the autoclave is sealed and heated to 40-50 DEG C with stirring, a feed valve and an exhaust valve are opened, pure ferrous salting liquid is added into the autoclave, and then the autoclave is sealed for the reaction of the material at 140 to 180 DEG C for 30 to 480 minutes; the mixture ratio of the invention is set as follows: the molar ratio of Li, Fe and P is 3.0-3.15:1:1.0-1.15, and then the resultant is filtered, washed, dried and carbon-coated, thus the lithium iron phosphate is obtained. The lithium iron phosphate which is produced by the invention has the advantages that: the electrochemical performance is excellent, the particle size distribution of which the D50 is between 1.5 um to 2 um is even, the phase purity is above 99 percent and the electronic conductivity of the material is improved.

The invention discloses a cell sorter micro-fluidic chip based on the immunomagnetic separation technology and application thereof in the aspect of enrichment of rare cells, belonging to the technicalfield of micro-fluidic chips. The micro-fluidic chip, improved on the basis of the existing Y-type micro-fluidic chip, comprises a substrate and a cover-slip, wherein a Y-shaped micro-channel, a sample cell (1) and a buffer cell (2) respectively located at two end points of the upper part of the Y-shaped micro-channel, and an effluent cell (3) located at the end point of the lower part of the Y-shaped micro-channel are arranged on the substrate; and an antigen / antibody immunological reaction chamber (4) located on the micro-channel between the cross point (5) of the Y-shaped micro-channel andthe effluent cell (3) is further arranged on the substrate, wherein the width of the antigen / antibody immunological reaction chamber (4) is 2 to 5 times that of the micro-channel. The chip of the invention can effectively and rapidly fix the magnetic beads, increase the sample size of cells, improve the analysis flux, reduce the dead volume of sample introduction and reduce the retention and cross infection.

The invention relates to a device for automated bioreactor sampling connected to a reactor comprising a sampler, at least one tube fluidly connecting said reactor with said sampler and a pump for pumping fluids from said reactor to said sampler and vice versa. Particularly simple and essentially dead volume-free sampling can be achieved by providing means for flushing at least parts of the tube with gas / sterile air between individual sampling steps. The invention furthermore relates to a method of operation of such a device.

Microfluidic systems including a principal microfluidic conduit (24), an adjacent dead volume (1) and a drain conduit (70) which mitigates the adverse effects of the dead volume on the operation of the system.

Provided is a lithium secondary battery having improved discharge characteristics in a range of high-rate discharge while minimizing a dead volume and at the same time, having increased cell capacity via increased electrode density and electrode loading amounts, by inclusion of two or more active materials having different redox levels so as to exert superior discharge characteristics in the range of high-rate discharge via sequential action of cathode active materials in a discharge process, and preferably having different particle diameters.

An integrated cantilever sensor array system that accurately detects and measures the presence of target substances in various environmental conditions. The integrated cantilever sensor array system comprises a cantilever sensor measurement head, a cantilever sensor system for measuring the oscillatory properties of the cantilevers and a measurement chamber. The measurement head includes a cantilever array having at least one cantilever, a light source and a detector positioned to detect incoming light reflected by the cantilevers within the cantilever array. The cantilever sensor system measures the oscillatory properties generated by the cantilevers within the cantilever array. The system includes the cantilever array and a detection system that measures a signal related to the bending of the cantilever. In addition, optional components such as a high frequency clock, Q-Control, may be added to more accurately measure the oscillation of the cantilevers within the cantilever array. The measurement chamber includes a flow cell, a cantilever sensor array mounted within the flow cell. The flow cell is designed to minimize dead volume and unwanted air bubbles within the cell, which may reduce accuracy of measurement.

Described is an affinity microcolumn comprising a high surface area material, which has high flow properties and a low dead volume, contained within a housing and having affinity reagents bound to the surface of the high surface area material that are either activated or activatable. The affinity reagents bound to the surface of the affinity microcolumn further comprise affinity receptors for the integration into high throughput analysis of biomolecules.

The present invention relates to a fluid sample transport device (1) with reduced dead volume for processing, controlling and / or detecting a fluid sample (3), comprising: a substrate (2), wherein the upper surface of said substrate (2) comprises at least one processing, controlling and / or detecting element (19); at least one flexible membrane (4), wherein the flexible membrane (5) is arranged on the upper surface of said substrate (2); at least one plunger (5) and / or actuating element (9) for actuating an up and / or down movement of the flexible membrane (4) to cause a fluid flow and / or to stop a fluid flow; at least one cover plate (6) arranged on the upper outer surface or lower outer surface of the flexible membrane (4), wherein the cover plate (6) comprises at least one through going hole (10) and / or cut-out (10) for receiving a plunger (5) and / or actuating element (9), so that movement of said plunger (5) and / or actuating element (9) causes a pump and / or valve action of the adjacent arranged flexible membrane area to cause a fluid flow between the upper surface of said substrate (2) and the lower surface of said flexible membrane (4); and wherein at least one channel (7) to direct the fluid sample (3) flow on the substrate (2) is temporally formed by the flexible membrane.

The disclosure relates to an electrode active material including: (a) first particulate of a metal (or metalloid) oxide alloyable with lithium; and (b) second particulate of an oxide containing lithium and the same metal (or metalloid) as that of the metal (or metalloid) oxide, and to a secondary battery including the electrode active material. When the electrode active material is used as an anode active material, reduced amounts of an irreversible phase such as a lithium oxide or a lithium metal oxide are produced during initial charge-discharge of a battery since lithium is already contained in the second particulate before the initial charge-discharge, and thus a dead volume on the side of the cathode can be minimized and a high-capacity battery can be fabricated.

The invention provides extraction columns for the purification of an analyte (e.g., a biological macromolecule, such as a peptide, protein or nucleic acid) from a sample solution, as well as methods for making and using such columns. The invention is characterized by the use of low dead volume columns, which is achieved in part by the use of low pore volume frits (e.g., membrane screens) to contain a bed of extraction media in the column. Low dead volume facilitates the elution of the captured analyte into a very small volume of desorption solution, allowing for the preparation of low volume samples containing relatively high concentrations of analyte.

In a volumetric gas adsorption measuring method, an initial dead volume of the sample cell and an initial dead volume of a reference cell at the same time point are preliminarily determined. When the gas adsorption on the solid sample is to be measured, a change in the dead volume of the sample cell is calculated on the basis of an internal gas with the sample cell and reference cell immersed in a pressure of the reference cell measured at this time point cryogenic fluid temperature bath, the initial dead volume of the reference cell, and an initial gas pressure of the reference cell measured at a time point of the measurement of the initial dead volume of the reference cell. Then, the initial dead volume of the sample cell preliminarily measured is corrected on the basis of the change in the dead volume of the sample cell for the calculation of the amount of the gas adsorbed on the solid sample.

Low profile inlet valve embodiments for a piston pump therapeutic substance infusion device are disclosed that reduce dead volume, occupies little residential space, operates rapidly, and have many other improvements. The therapeutic substance infusion device has a housing, a therapeutic substance reservoir, a power source carried in the housing, electronics, a piston pump, and an inlet valve. The piston pump is configured for pumping therapeutic substance from the therapeutic substance reservoir through an infusion port at a programmed rate. The inlet valve is in fluid communication with a reservoir outlet to control the flow of therapeutic substance into the piston pump. The inlet valve has a substantially coplanar valve surface and valve spring. Many embodiments of the low profile inlet valve and its methods of operation are possible.

Improved fluid reservoir designs providing for little or no dead volume or un-swept volume while providing efficient heat exchange are disclosed. Representative fluid reservoirs can have a serpentine flow passage with a cross-section selected such that fluid flow sweeps the entire cross-sectional volume while reducing or eliminating dead volume. The cross-sectional shape of the flow passage can be selected to have a larger surface contact with the cooling environment relative to circular cross-sections. The fluid reservoirs can be molded from two sheets of polymer material that are joined to form the fluid reservoir. Alternatively, the fluid reservoir can be formed from flexible polymer materials that are bonded along seams to demarcate a flow channel. Fluid reservoirs can be located either upstream or downstream of a filtering system to provide chilled filtered liquid. Fluid reservoirs can be associated with an appliance, such as a refrigerator. Methods of fabricating the fluid reservoirs are also disclosed.

A self-contained micro-scale gas chromatography system that includes a plurality of gas chromatography components arranged on a micro-fluidic platform with nearly zero dead volume “tubeless” fluidic connections for the gas chromatography components. The micro-fluidic platform includes a plurality of flow channels that provide fluid flow paths for a sample, carrier gas and waste gas through and among the micro-fluidic platform and the plurality of gas chromatography components. The system may also include an on-board supply of carrier gas and on-board waste management, as well as a thermal management scheme making the system suitable for use in oil and gas wells and also other remote environments.

A convenient and efficient method for heating or cooling the mobile phase fluid of a chromatographic system prior to its entry into the chromatographic column is described. The “preheating” or “precooling” process is carried out using an apparatus containing a short length of tubing where the mobile phase is heated or cooled. The heating or cooling is performed using a heating or cooling element that is in intimate thermal contact with the exterior of the tubing. The temperature change of the mobile phase is measured downstream by a non-invasive, low-mass sensing element on the exterior of the tubing. With a low mass heating or cooling element, the device can be very responsive and allows for rapid equilibration and convenient temperature programming of the mobile phase. This configuration also requires only a short mobile phase contact time, is non-invasive, adds no dead volume, and allows for use of columns over a wide range of internal diameter, flow rates and temperatures.

A solenoid-actuated diaphragm valve achieves minimal dead volume, tolerance of high pressures, prolonged diaphragm life, and energy conservation using a three-sector multi-seal diaphragm combined with a three-component plunger, which automatically switches from bilateral to unilateral circumferential diaphragm restraint between the closed and open positions.

This disclosure relates to mass flow verification systems for and methods of measuring and verifying the mass flow through a mass flow measurement device such as a mass flow controller. A mass flow verification system comprises a preset volume, a temperature sensor, and a pressure sensor. The measured verified flow determined by the mass flow verification system can be adjusted to compensate for errors resulting from a dead volume within the mass flow measurement device.

A liquid chromatograph provided here is adapted to enable the lengths of tubing for connecting the respective constituent elements thereof to be minimized by making the positions of the respective constituent elements including a detector and a column movable and adjustable in order to reduce the dead volume in a liquid chromatograph system in plumbing and increase the analytical precision through prevention of diffusion of samples and rapid sending of a mixed liquid solvent. Furthermore, in order to prevent cross-contamination due to residues of samples and cleaning liquid in a flow channel of the liquid chromatograph system, an injection port in which a needle can be inserted is so provided as to communicate directly with a flow channel of an injection valve.

The invention provides a method for measuring the capillary pressure and wettability of a rock core, which comprises the following steps of: cleaning a rock specimen, drying, evacuating and saturating a first fluid; putting the saturated rock core into a rock core clamp holder of rock core displacement equipment, setting the experience temperature, saturating the dead volume of pipe lines at upstream and downstream ends of the rock core completely, and simultaneously, setting the pressure to maintain that the first fluid is injected under constant pressure; when the differential pressure of the upstream and downstream and the flow of the outlet end of the rock core are stabilized, injecting a second fluid under the condition of the same injection pressure; after the second fluid flows into the end face of the inlet end of the rock core, shutting a valve at the downstream end of the rock core, and recording the variation of the pressure and differential pressure of the upstream and the downstream ends of the rock core; and judging the capillary pressure and wettability of the rock core according to the pressure or differential pressure of the upstream and the downstream ends of the rock core. In the method, the capillary pressure and wettability of the rock core can be measured simultaneously under the condition of formation temperature and pressure, so the method has a simple process and is easy, quick and accurate to operate.

Low profile inlet valve embodiments for a piston pump therapeutic substance infusion device are disclosed that reduce dead volume, occupies little residential space, operates rapidly, and have many other improvements. The therapeutic substance infusion device has a housing, a therapeutic substance reservoir, a power source carried in the housing, electronics, a piston pump, and an inlet valve. The piston pump is configured for pumping therapeutic substance from the therapeutic substance reservoir through an infusion port at a programmed rate. The inlet valve is in fluid communication with a reservoir outlet to control the flow of therapeutic substance into the piston pump. The inlet valve has a substantially coplanar valve surface and valve spring. Many embodiments of the low profile inlet valve and its methods of operation are possible.