Liquid Chromatograph Weight-Based Mobile Phase Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid chromatographs face issues with accurate detection of mobile phase and waste liquid amounts due to flow sensor interference, pump problems, and container shape complexities, leading to potential analysis inaccuracies and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a weight measuring device and liquid amount detection processor to measure the weight of mobile phase and waste liquid containers, allowing for accurate detection without flow sensors, and enabling automated container replacement and channel cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a flow sensor is provided in the mobile phase channel to calculate the integrated amount of delivered mobile phase, then the remaining amount of mobile phase can be detected, but the flow sensor affects the mobile phase flow and deteriorates delivery performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the flow sensor from the mobile phase channel and extracts the measurement function to a weight measuring device that measures the weight of the mobile phase container. This eliminates the harmful interaction between the flow sensor and mobile phase flow while preserving the detection capability through weight-based measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical flow sensor measurement system with a weight-based measurement system. Instead of measuring flow directly in the channel, the system measures the weight change of the mobile phase container, which indirectly provides the integrated amount of delivered mobile phase without affecting flow dynamics.
2Measurement precision
If the integrated amount of delivered mobile phase is calculated based on flow sensor detection results, then the remaining amount can be monitored, but the calculation becomes inaccurate when problems occur in the mobile phase channel or liquid feed pump
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from the flow path components (channel and pump) to an independent weight measuring device. This separation ensures that faults in the mobile phase delivery system do not affect the accuracy of the amount measurement, as the weight measurement is performed independently of the flow path integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The weight measuring device acts as an intermediary measurement method that does not depend on the proper functioning of the mobile phase delivery components. By measuring weight rather than flow, the system obtains an accurate measurement of the mobile phase amount even when the delivery system experiences problems.
3Measurement precision
If a liquid level detection sensor is used to calculate the integrated amount of delivered mobile phase, then the amount can be monitored, but the calculation becomes inaccurate when the container has a large horizontal cross-sectional area or broadens toward the end
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from liquid level height to container weight. This parameter change makes the measurement independent of container geometry, as weight measurement is unaffected by the horizontal cross-sectional area or shape variations of the container. The system gains versatility to work with any container shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the geometric-based liquid level detection system with a mass-based weight measurement system. This substitution eliminates the dependency on container shape assumptions and provides accurate measurements regardless of whether the container has a large horizontal cross-section or irregular geometry.
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
Ensures smooth mobile phase delivery and accurate detection of both mobile phase and waste liquid amounts, unaffected by container shapes or pump issues, with automated operations for maintaining system efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a weight measuring device...measures the weight of the mobile phase container or the waste liquid container
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid chromatograph 1 includes a weight measuring device 21 and a control device 30. The control device 30 includes a liquid amount detection processor 301. The weight measuring device 21 measures the weight of the first mobile phase container 6, the second mobile phase container 8, or the waste liquid container 13. The liquid amount detection processor 301 detects the amount of the mobile phase or the amount of the waste liquid based on the weight measured by the weight measuring device 21. For this reason, the amount of the mobile phase or the amount of the waste liquid can be detected without providing a flow sensor or the like in a channel. As a result, the delivery of the mobile phase can be kept in a smooth state. Further, even in a case where a problem occurs in the channel of the mobile phase, the first pump 7, and the second pump 9, the amount of the mobile phase or the amount of the waste liquid can be detected. Furthermore, the amount of the mobile phase or the amount of the waste liquid can be detected without being affected by the shape of each container. For this reason, the amount of the mobile phase or the amount of the waste liquid can be accurately detected.