Integrated Barrel-Stator Pump-Injector for Nanoliter HPLC
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems require large sample volumes and flow rates, making them unsuitable for field portable applications and inefficient in terms of mobile phase usage.
Innovation Solution
A combined nano-scale pump and injection valve system with an integrated barrel-stator design, allowing for the injection of nanoliter samples into a chromatographic column using a single piece for both pump and valve, eliminating the need for connections and enabling operation at high pressures without degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional HPLC systems use separate pump and valve components, then the system is easier to manufacture and maintain, but the sample volume and mobile phase consumption are large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pump barrel and valve stator into a single integrated component called an integrated barrel-stator. This merging eliminates the need for separate pump and valve assemblies, reducing the overall system volume and enabling nanoliter-scale sample injection while maintaining manufacturability through precision machining of the integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The design nests the pump chamber and valve ports within the integrated barrel-stator structure. The rotor with its channels is positioned within the stator, creating a compact nested arrangement that achieves high integration without compromising ease of manufacture or maintenance.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional HPLC systems use multiple separate components, then the system is more adaptable to different configurations, but the mobile phase consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of pump and valve functions into a single barrel-stator component eliminates dead volumes and leakage paths between components, reducing mobile phase consumption to microliter levels while maintaining the ability to configure different rotor designs for various chromatographic applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated barrel-stator is designed with multiple stator ports that can be configured for different flow paths and chromatographic modes. The rotor can be designed with various channel arrangements to accommodate different separation requirements, providing versatility without requiring separate components.
3Reliability
If separate pump and valve components are used, then the system is easier to repair and replace, but the connection interfaces cause leakage and pressure degradation
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the pump barrel and valve stator into a single monolithic component, the design eliminates all external connection interfaces that could cause leakage or pressure degradation. The direct internal flow paths from pump chamber through stator ports ensure pressure stability and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
While the barrel-stator is integrated, the rotor is designed as a separate replaceable component with standardized mounting. This segmentation allows the rotor to be replaced for different applications while maintaining the pressure integrity of the integrated barrel-stator, balancing reliability with ease of repair.
4Weight of moving object
If conventional systems use large-scale components, then the system is more robust for laboratory use, but it is not suitable for field portable applications
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of pump and valve into a single compact barrel-stator component dramatically reduces the overall system weight and volume, making the system suitable for portable field applications while maintaining robustness through the monolithic structure that resists degradation under operating pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrel-stator can be manufactured from composite materials or specialized alloys that provide high strength-to-weight ratio, ensuring robustness for portable applications while minimizing weight. The integrated structure allows optimization of material properties for both strength and weight reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
A combined pump-injector valve system utilizing a monolithic body to provide the barrel of the pump and as the stator of the valve, thus eliminating any need for connections between a pump and a valve, and therefore the potential for high-pressure leaks or pressure reductions. The combined pump-injector valve permits injection of nanoliter-sized samples into a chromatographic column, which is sealed during loading of the sample and filling of the pump, such that complete analyses can be completed with microliters of mobile phase with nanoliters of a sample. The pump-injector valve system further includes a pressure sensor external the barrel of the pump and may include an interim position intermediate loading and injection where the contents of the barrel may be pressurized to a desired pressure.