초록 ▼

A fluid delivery method and apparatus implementing active phasing to actively restore the substantially exact mechanical positions of driven components in a delivery system in order to precisely reproduce the mechanical signature and hydraulic characteristics of the system from run to run without pe

A fluid delivery method and apparatus implementing active phasing to actively restore the substantially exact mechanical positions of driven components in a delivery system in order to precisely reproduce the mechanical signature and hydraulic characteristics of the system from run to run without perturbing output flow. The delivery system is configured to intelligently drive pump pistons to a known position and to deliver fluid(s) at a known pressure, and includes a plurality of pump modules each including motor driven syringes having respective pistons configured to reciprocate under control of a control mechanism. Pump phasing is accomplished through a mechanism of compensation delivery of the syringes. An independent, motor-driven syringe of any given pump in a plurality of pumps in a system has the ability to act as a delivering syringe to maintain a prescribed output flow while one other syringe of each of the plurality of pumps is repositioned under load. With the delivering syringe maintaining output flow, the syringe which is repositioning, i.e. being phased, can substantially simultaneously arrive at a destination position and at a destination pressure.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [7.] A method of undertaking at least one chromatography run in a chromatography apparatus including a delivery system configured for continuously delivering a commanded volume and flow of a fluid to the chromatography apparatus, said delivery system including a pumping system

[ What is claimed is:] [7.] A method of undertaking at least one chromatography run in a chromatography apparatus including a delivery system configured for continuously delivering a commanded volume and flow of a fluid to the chromatography apparatus, said delivery system including a pumping system including a first pump module and a second pump module wherein said first pump module includes a first syringe having a first pump chamber and a first piston and said second pump module includes a second syringe having a second pump chamber and a second piston, said method comprising the steps of:positioning said first piston and said second piston to a known home position;priming each of said first pump module and said second pump module by filling each of said first pump chamber and said second pump chamber with a selected volume of said fluid, and compressing said selected volume of fluid to a selected delivery pressure pending delivery;entering an idling state with said apparatus pending commencement of said at least one chromatography run, said apparatus being configured to effect said at least one chromatography run at user specified operating parameters;commanding said apparatus to operate in a synch state, said synch state being a state wherein said at least one chromatography run is not initiated until one of said first piston and said second piston is actuated to a known synch position from which said at least one chromatography run is commenced in order to substantially ensure consistent mechanical and hydraulic performance of said apparatus and delivery system from run to run; andentering a run active state from said synch state, said at least one chromatography run being effected during said run active state in accordance with said user specified operating parameters.