Column heater with active pre-heating

摘要

To heat a flowing liquid, an apparatus includes a heater block assembly having a heater block made of thermally conductive material. The heater block assembly has a tube inlet, a tube outlet, and a tube path between the tube inlet and tube outlet. Tubing extends through the tube path from the tube inlet to the tube outlet. The tubing is in thermal communication with the heater block. A heater cartridge, in thermal communication with the heater block, is configured to provide heat to the heater block for transfer to liquid flowing through the tubing between the tube inlet and the tube outlet of the heater block assembly. Circuitry is in electrical communication with the heater cartridge to control a temperature of the heater block by controlling operation of the heater cartridge.

主权项

1. A thermal module for pre-heating liquid flowing into a liquid chromatography column, comprising:
a column compartment configured to hold a liquid chromatography column, the column compartment having a trough compartment with two ends, each of the ends having an electrical socket, the trough compartment having an elongated shape and a trough slidable within the trough compartment and configured to hold a liquid chromatography column and to cover an unused one of the electrical sockets; and a pre-heater assembly plugged into an uncovered one of the electrical sockets, the pre-heater assembly including:
a heater block assembly including a heater block made of thermally conductive material, the heater block having a tube inlet, a tube outlet, and a tube path between the tube inlet and tube outlet;tubing extending through the tube path from the tube inlet to the tube outlet, the tubing being in thermal communication with the heater block;a heater cartridge in thermal communication with the heater block, the heater cartridge configured to provide heat to the heater block for transfer to liquid flowing through the tubing between the tube inlet and the tube outlet of the heater block assembly; andcircuitry in electrical communication with the heater cartridge to control a temperature of the heater block by controlling operation of the heater cartridge.