Capillary Electrophoresis Pressure Control for Repeatable Sample Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capillary electrophoresis measuring systems require thick-walled vessels to withstand high pressures for filling, leading to high costs and inconsistent liquid filling, which is not repeatable.
Innovation Solution
A capillary electrophoresis measuring system with a feeding line, pump, expansion vessel, and valves that build and release pressure to automate sample loading, allowing for a repeatable and controlled filling process without needing high-pressure-resistant vessels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pressure is applied to vessels to fill the capillary with processing liquid, then the capillary can be filled with sample liquid, but the vessel walls need to be thick to withstand pressure, increasing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The high-pressure generation function is extracted from the sample vessel and relocated to a dedicated pressure generation system consisting of a pump, expansion vessel, and valve assembly. This allows the sample vessel to operate at atmospheric pressure while still achieving the required filling pressure through the separate pressure generation system.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion vessel acts as an intermediary between the pump and the capillary filling process. It stores pressurized processing liquid and releases it in a controlled manner to fill the capillary, mediating between the pressure generation and the actual filling operation.
2Quantity of substance
If pressure is applied to fill the capillary, then the capillary can be filled with processing liquid, but the pressure varies, making the filling process not repeatable
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback control through the valve mechanism that responds to pressure conditions in the expansion vessel. The valve opens when pressure reaches a threshold and closes when pressure drops, creating a self-regulating system that ensures repeatable filling conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump operates in periodic cycles, building pressure in the expansion vessel and then pausing. This periodic operation allows pressure to stabilize at consistent levels, ensuring repeatable filling conditions with each cycle.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables automated, repeatable, and cost-effective filling of capillaries with processing liquids, reducing the need for expensive vessels and ensuring reliable measurements by controlling pressure and volume accurately.
Implementation Method 1
The pump is configured to pump processing liquid into the expansion vessel when the first valve is open, thereby increasing the pressure of the processing liquid in the expansion vessel
Implementation Method 2
Capillary electrophoresis, also referred to as CE, is an analytical separation technique. Use is made in capillary electrophoresis of an electric field that is applied over a capillary such that a sample that is loaded onto the capillary flows through the capillary and will be separated. This separation is caused by the differences in the electrophoretic mobility of particles from the sample
Data Source
AI summary
A measuring system for measuring an ion concentration in a process liquid using capillary electrophoresis. The system includes a feeding line extending between a first and a second end, wherein the feeding line has a flow direction from the first to the second end, an inlet connected to the feeding line at the first end, a pump in the feeding line, an expansion vessel connected to the feeding line with an expansion line, where the expansion line is provided with a first valve, and a capillary electrophoresis measuring device that is connected to the feeding line at the second end. The pump, the first valve and the expansion vessel cooperate to build up and release pressure for loading samples in the capillary electrophoresis measuring device.