US-12618811-B2 - Preparative liquid chromatograph

US12618811B2US 12618811 B2US12618811 B2US 12618811B2US-12618811-B2

Abstract

A separation channel on which a liquid delivery pump, a separation column, and a detector are provided, the liquid delivering pump being for feeding a mobile phase, the separation column being for separating a component in a sample, and the detector being for detecting peaks of components separated from each other by the separation column, a plurality of liquid handlers each including an injecting part and a collecting part, wherein when one of the plurality of liquid handlers is introduced into the separation channel, the injecting part of the one of the plurality of liquid handlers functions as an injector that executes injection operation of a sample into a mobile phase flowing through the analysis channel upstream of the separation column in the analysis channel and the collecting part of the one the plurality of liquid handlers functions as a fraction collector that executes collection operation of peaks of components separated from each other in the separation column, a selector for selectively switching a liquid handler to be introduced into the separation channel among a plurality of the liquid handlers, and a controller for controlling operation of a plurality of the liquid handlers and the selector.

Inventors

Soichiro TAMAOKI
Tomoyuki Yamazaki
Shohei Sato

Assignees

SHIMADZU CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20211108
Priority Date: 20210309

Claims (2)

1 . A preparative liquid chromatograph comprising: a liquid delivery pump for feeding a mobile phase; a separation column fluidly connected downstream of the liquid delivery pump and for separating components in a sample from each other; a detector fluidly connected downstream of the separation column to detect peaks of the components separated from each other by the separation column; a plurality of liquid handlers each including an injecting part configured to function as an injector, which is for executing injection operation of a sample into the mobile phase, when fluidly connected between the liquid delivery pump and the separation column, and a collecting part configured to function as a fraction collector, which is for executing collection operation of peaks of the components separated from each other in the separation column, when fluidly connected downstream of the detector, wherein the injecting part includes a needle for performing suction and dispensation of a sample, the collecting part includes a probe for dropping eluate from the separation column to a collection container, each of the plurality of liquid handlers have single moving mechanism and are configured so that the needle and the probe are three-dimensionally moved together by the moving mechanism, a separation channel is fluidly connected using one of the plurality of liquid handlers when the injecting part of the one of the plurality of liquid handlers is inserted between the liquid delivery pump and the separation column and the collecting part of the one of the plurality of liquid handlers is fluidly connected downstream of the detector; a plurality of switching valves for selectively switching a liquid handler used for fluidly connecting the separation channel among the plurality of liquid handlers; and a controller for controlling operation of the plurality of liquid handlers and the plurality of switching valves, the controller being configured to use the plurality of liquid handlers for fluidly connecting the separation channel in predetermined order, to cause each of the liquid handlers to execute the injection operation and the collection operation, and to sequentially execute separation and collection of a plurality of samples allocated to each of the plurality of liquid handlers, wherein the controller is configured to cause each of the plurality of liquid handlers to execute preparation operation for the injection operation while another one of the liquid handlers is used for fluidly connecting the separation channel, and to execute the injection operation immediately after being used for fluidly connecting the separation channel.
2 . The preparative liquid chromatograph according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the liquid handler to be used next for fluidly connecting the separation channel to start the preparation operation when the liquid handler used for fluidly connecting the separation channel executes the injection operation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a preparative liquid chromatograph. BACKGROUND ART A preparative liquid chromatograph is a device that separates components in a sample injected into a mobile phase by an injector, detects peaks of the components, and fractionates and collects an eluate portion corresponding to each peak in an individual container. As elements constituting the preparative liquid chromatograph, there are a liquid delivery pump for feeding a mobile phase, an injector for injecting a sample into a mobile phase, a separation column for separating a component in a sample, a detector for detecting a peak of a component separated by the separation column, and a fraction collector for collecting a peak detected by the detector into an individual collection container. Further, in the preparative liquid chromatograph, a liquid handler having both functions of the injector and the fraction collector may be used (see Patent Document 1). When the liquid handler having both functions of the injector and the fraction collector is used, a component fractionated and collected in the fraction collector can be automatically reinjected to perform separation analysis. PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-162217 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention A liquid handler includes a needle for sucking and injecting operation of a sample and a probe for collecting operation of a peak of a separated component, but the needle and the probe often cannot operate completely independently, and operation of the needle during peak collecting operation using the probe is often limited. For this reason, in a case where separation and collection of a plurality of samples are performed, preparation operation such as suction of a next sample needs to be performed after collecting operation by the probe is completed, and separation and collection of a plurality of samples have not been able to be continuously performed. The present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and an object of the present invention is to enable separation and collection of a plurality of samples to be continuously executed in a preparative liquid chromatograph using a liquid handler. Solutions to the Problems A preparative liquid chromatograph according to the present invention includes a separation channel on which a liquid delivery pump, a separation column, and a detector are provided, the liquid delivering pump being for feeding a mobile phase, the separation column being for separating a component in a sample, and the detector being for detecting peaks of components separated from each other by the separation column, a plurality of liquid handlers each including an injecting part and a collecting part, wherein when one of the plurality of liquid handlers is introduced into the separation channel, the injecting part of the one of the plurality of liquid handlers functions as an injector that executes injection operation of a sample into a mobile phase flowing through the analysis channel upstream of the separation column in the analysis channel and the collecting part of the one the plurality of liquid handlers functions as a fraction collector that executes collection operation of peaks of components separated from each other in the separation column, a selector for selectively switching a liquid handler to be introduced into the separation channel among a plurality of the liquid handlers, and a controller for controlling operation of a plurality of the liquid handlers and the selector, the controller being configured to introduce a plurality of the liquid handlers into the separation channel in predetermined order, to cause each of the liquid handlers to execute the injection operation and the collection operation, and to sequentially execute separation and collection of a plurality of samples allocated to each of a plurality of the liquid handlers. The controller is configured to cause each of a plurality of the liquid handlers to execute preparatory operation for the injection operation while another one of the liquid handlers is being introduced into the separation channel, and to execute the injection operation immediately after being introduced into the separation channel. Effects of the Invention In a preparative liquid chromatograph according to the present invention, a plurality of liquid handlers are introduced into a separation channel in predetermined order to cause each liquid handler to execute injection operation and collection operation, separation and collection of a plurality of samples allocated to each of a plurality of the liquid handlers are sequentially executed, and each of a plurality of the liquid handlers is configured to execute preparation operation for the injection operation while another one of the liquid handlers is being introduced into the separation channel and to execute the injection operation im