Coupling of conduits with local sealing

Abstract

A method of coupling a first conduit to a device. The first conduit has a surface and is adapted for conducting a medium. A plastic material is brought at least partly on said surface and on said device. The plastic material has an electric conductor. An electric current flow through said electric conductor of the plastic material is initiated. Said plastic material is heated at least partly by said electric current flow for at least plastifying said plastic material.

1 . A method of coupling a first conduit to a device, wherein the first conduit comprises a surface and is adapted for conducting a medium, the method comprising: 
 at least partly bringing a plastic material on said surface and on said device, wherein the plastic material comprises an electric conductor,    initiating an electric current flow through said electric conductor of the plastic material,    at least partly heating said plastic material by said electric current flow for at least plastifying said plastic material.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 at least partly bringing a plastic material between said surface and said device,    at least partly bringing said plastic material between a surface of a second conduit and said device,    coupling said first and second conduits for bringing said conduits in communication with each other,    bringing said plastic material between said surface/s and a sleeve of said device,    heating said plastic material adjacent to said surface/s.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising at least one of: 
 surrounding said surface/s with a preformed part adapted to the shapes of said first and second conduits,    surrounding said surface with an additional sleeve,    placing said additional sleeve adjacent to said electric conductor,    surrounding said plastic material with said electric conductor,    surrounding said electric conductor with an additional sheathing,    screwing said sheathing with said plastic material,    surrounding said surface/s with said device, wherein said device comprises said preformed part,    surrounding said plastic material with said device, wherein said device comprises at least one of: a forming tool, a housing,    said pre-formed part comprises said plastic material and said electric conductor,    at least partly bringing said plastic material between a surface of a plurality of conduits and said device.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising at least one of: 
 heating said plastic material at least partly a bove i ts s oftening temperature for plastifying said plastic material,    heating said plastic material at least partly above its melting temperature for melting said plastic material,    heating said plastic material at a contact zone at said surface of an end of said first conduit and said plastic material,    molding said electric conductor in said plastic material,    said electric conductor comprising at least one of: an electric wire, an electrically conducting strip, a metal strip, a metal sleeve, a metal part,    conducting an electric current through said electric conductor by inducing said current,    conducting an electric current through said electric conductor by connecting it to a power supply.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising at least one of: 
 cooling said plastic material down to ambient temperature.    shrinking said plastic material onto said surface of said first conduit.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising at least one of: 
 equipping said surface with said electric conductor before equipping said surface with said plastic material,    equipping said surface with a powder or granular material of said plastic material,    equipping said surface with a powder or granular material of said plastic material after equipping said outer surface with said electric conductor,    equipping said plastic part with said electric conductor whereas the electric conductor/s are not in contact with the conduits,    equipping said plastic material with said electric conductor by using chemical, electrochemical or mechanical processes or combination of these processes for example PVD or CVD.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising at least one of the following: 
 inserting an outlet of said first conduit into an outlet of said second conduit,    said outlet of said first conduit is an optical outlet and said outlet of said second conduit is a fluid outlet.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medium is at least one of: light, a liquid, a gas, and wherein said first conduit is at least one of the following: 
 a light guide, in particular single mode or m onomode g lass or polymer fiber/s, fiber bundles, liquid light guide/s like Teflon AF coated or refraction index modified capillaries, photonic bandgap fibers.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the medium is at least one of: light, a liquid, a gas, and wherein said second conduit is at least one of the following: 
 a capillary,    a glass capillary,    a fused silica capillary,    liquid light guide/s like Teflon AF coated or refraction index modified capillaries, photonic band gap fibers,    an analytical separation column.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said plastic material is at least one of: 
 a thermoplastic material, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), one of a broad range of flouropolymeres, in particular perfluoroamines (PFA) or flourinated ethylen-propylene copolymer (FEP), duroplastic material or compound, in particular polyimide, liquid crystal polymers (LCP).    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising at least one of: 
 at least partly surrounding said surface with said plastic material comprising said electric conductor,    at least partly surrounding an surface of a second conduit with said plastic material comprising said electric conductor, wherein said second conduit is said device,    at least partly surrounding at least one of said first and second conduits with said plastic material supplementary or instead of bringing said plastic material between at least one of said surfaces and said device.    
     
     
         12 . An arrangement of a coupling for coupling a first conduit to a device, comprising: 
 a coupling element adapted for at least one of: coupling, connecting, sealing, fixing, adjusting, aligning, receiving, protecting, positioning said first conduit,    an electric conductor,    wherein the first conduit is adapted for conducting a medium and comprises a surface, wherein said coupling element comprises a plastic material comprising said electric conductor, wherein said plastic material is arranged on said surface and on said device, wherein said plastic material was at least partly heated above at least one of: its melting point, its softening point by, initiating an electric current flow through said electric conductor.    
     
     
         13 . The arrangement of  claim 12 , comprising at least one of the following: 
 said plastic material is arranged between said surface and said device,    said plastic material is arranged adjacent to said surface,    said device comprises a second conduit,    said plastic material is a pre-formed part adapted to the shapes of said first conduit and said second conduit,    said plastic material is a pre-formed part adapted to the shapes of said first conduit and a plurality of conduits,    said plastic material is surrounded with at least one of: a forming tool, a housing,    said plastic material is shrunk on said surface of said first and second conduits,    said plastic material was heated at a contact zone at said ends of said first and second conduits and said plastic material,    said plastic material is conductive and realizes said electric conductor.    
     
     
         14 . The arrangement of  claim 12 , comprising at least one of the following: 
 said electric conductor is molded in said plastic material,    said electric conductor is inserted after molding or machining said plastic material,    said electric conductor comprises an electric wire molded in said plastic material.    electric conductor comprises an chemical, electrochemical or by mechanical processes or combination of these processes for example PVD or CVD produced electric conductor,    wherein said surface is equipped with said electric conductor, in particular said electric wire,    surrounding said surface is surrounded by an additional sleeve,    said additional sleeve is placed adjacent to said electric conductor,    said plastic material is surrounded by said electric conductor,    said electric conductor is surrounded by an additional sheathing,    said sheathing is screwed with said plastic material.    
     
     
         15 . The arrangement of  claim 12 , comprising at least one of the following: 
 said outlet of said first conduit is inserted into said outlet of said second conduit,    said outlet of said first conduit is an optical outlet and said outlet of said second conduit is a fluid outlet,    said first conduit and a second conduit, wherein each conduit is adapted for conducting said medium and comprises an end with an outlet and an outer surface adjacent to said outlet,    wherein said plastic material surrounds said surfaces of said first and second conduits,    said first conduit and a second conduit, wherein each conduit is adapted for conducting said medium and comprises an end with an outlet and an outer surface adjacent to said outlet.    
     
     
         16 . The arrangement of  claim 12 , wherein the medium is at least one of: 
 light, a liquid, a gas, and wherein said first conduit is at least one of the following:    a light guide, in particular single m ode o r m onomode g lass o r polymer fiber/s, fiber bundles, liquid light guide/s like Teflon AF coated or refraction index modified capillaries, photonic bandgap fibers,    
     
     
         17 . The arrangement of  claim 12 , wherein the medium is at least one of: 
 light, a liquid, a gas, and wherein said second conduit is at least one of the following:    a capillary,    a glass capillary,    a fused silica capillary,    an analytical separation column.    
     
     
         18 . The arrangement of  claim 12 , comprising at least one of the following: 
 said plastic material comprises an aperture coupled to said second conduit,    said aperture is coupled to a supplying conduit,    said aperture is a bore leading in said second conduit.    
     
     
         19 . The arrangement of  claim 12 , wherein said plastic material is at least one of: a thermoplastic material, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), one of a broad range of flouropolymeres, in particular perfluoroamines (PFA) or flourinated ethylen-propylene copolymer (FEP), duroplastic material or compound, in particular polyimide, liquid crystal polymers (LCP).  
     
     
         20 . A fluidic system adapted for handling a fluid, comprising: 
 a coupling element adapted for at least one of: coupling, connecting, sealing, fixing, adjusting, aligning, receiving, protecting, positioning a first conduit,    an electric conductor,    wherein said first conduit is adapted for conducting a medium and comprises a surface, wherein said coupling element comprises a plastic material comprising said electric conductor, wherein said plastic material is arranged on said surface and on said device, wherein said plastic material was at least partly heated above at least one of: its melting point, its softening point, by initiating an electric current flow through said electric conductor.    
     
     
         21 . The fluidic system according to  claim 20  adapted for analyzing a fluid, wherein said fluidic system comprises a flow cell for housing a fluid sample and for exposing said fluid sample to radiation for analysis, the flow cell comprising: 
 a capillary adapted for conducting said fluid sample,    a light path comprising said capillary, a first and a second light guide each adapted for conducting said light into and out of said flow cell,    a fluid path comprising said capillary,    a coupling comprising said coupling element, wherein said coupling is adapted for coupling said light path and said fluid path.    said coupling comprises a first branch coupled to one of said light guides, a second branch coupled to one end of said analysis capillary, and a third branch coupled to a supplying conduit.    
     
     
         22 . The fluidic system according to  claim 20 , comprising at least one of the following: 
 said plastic material is arranged between said surface and said device,    two of said couplings,    two of said flow cells,    two of said flow cells coupled by one of said couplings,    said couplings comprise each a plurality of communicating branches,    a supplying conduit adapted for conducting said fluid sample into said capillary,    said flow cell comprises a housing for supporting, positioning, and surrounding said capillary and said couplings.    
     
     
         23 . The fluidic system according to  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 a fluid delivery system,    a separation device for separating components of said fluid delivered by said fluid delivery system, and    the flow cell adapted for detecting said separated components within said fluid.    
     
     
         24 . The fluidic system according to  claim 20 , wherein said fluidic system is or comprises at least one of: 
 a chromatographic system (LC),    a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system,    an HPLC arrangement comprising a chip and an mass spectrograph (MS),    a high throughput LC/MS system,    a purification system,    micro fraction collection/spotting system,    a system adapted for identifying proteins,    a system comprising a GPC/SEC column,    a nanoflow LC system,    a multidimensional LC system adapted for separation of protein digests.