HIGH-THROUGHPUT PARALLEL LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEM

摘要

A high-throughput liquid chromatography system (10) capable of parallel separations for increased sample throughput is described. The system (10) comprises valves (24, 48) allowing for the use of multiple liquid chromatography columns (62, 64, 66, 68) and a single injector (58) and pumping system (12) while also minimizing extraneous plumbing and hardware. The system (10) is capable of injecting individual samples and directing them to one of a multiplicity of columns (62, 64, 66, 68) followed by selective output to a detector (73). The system (10) described allows for up to 16 columns, but the number may vary according to the application. The system (10) may be run in an isocratic or gradient mode. Whereas currently available multi-probe systems incorporate a separate injector for each column, the invention described here uses only one injector (58) and is independent of column number. This removes injector (58) variability along with reducing the amount of pluming and mechanical parts in the system (10) allowing for better separations while proving a more robust system (10).