Hplc column

Abstract

A slurry chamber is fastened to and held in coaxial alignment with a chromatography column by a V-band. One end of the column has an end cap and frit. A slurry of fluid and chromatographic media is placed in the column and chamber. A piston is forced through the chamber and into the column by a hydraulic ram to expel the fluid and form a media bed in the column. The slurry chamber is removed, and a split end cap is fastened to the column. A threaded recess in the split end cap receives a split, threaded collet. The collet is tightened until it pushes against the piston with the same force as the ram, at which point the ram is released and the column removed for use.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A portable tubular chromatography column having a tubular body with an inner diameter with first and second ends and an end cap on the second end, packed by an axial compression, ram driven slurry packing process, comprising:
 a bed of chromatographic media placed between a first and second frit all located inside the body with the second frit adjacent the second end of the column, the media being packed by axial compression, slurry packing;   a ram driven piston abutting the first frit and exerting a compressive force on the bed sufficient to maintain a desired bed compression;   a clamshell locking mechanism fastening the piston to the column;   wherein the column is packed by the ram forcing a downstream end of the piston through a slurry chamber and into the column to compress the bed in the column a desired amount, the ram and piston maintaining the bed in compression while the slurry chamber is removed and the locking mechanism fastens the piston to the column after which the ram is also removed, leaving the piston to maintain the compression.   
     
     
         39 . The column of  claim 38 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises an adjustable locking mechanism having a support fastened to the tubular body and having a threaded adjuster interposed between the support and the piston, such that rotation of the threaded adjuster increases or decreases the force the piston exerts on the bed. 
     
     
         40 . The column of  claim 38 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured to adjust the relative position of the piston and column along a length of the column. 
     
     
         41 . The column of  claim 40 , wherein the piston position is adjusted after the ram is removed to reduce the height of the bed in the column. 
     
     
         42 . The column of  claim 38 , wherein the piston maintains substantially the same force on the bed from the end of packing until after the ram is removed. 
     
     
         43 . The column of  claim 38 , wherein there are no springs between the locking mechanism and the piston. 
     
     
         44 . The column of  claim 38 , wherein a portion of the piston extends beyond the first end of the column. 
     
     
         45 . A portable tubular chromatography column having a tubular body with an inner diameter with first and second ends and an end cap on the second end, comprising:
 a bed of chromatographic media placed between a first and second frit all located inside the body with the second frit adjacent the second end of the column, the media being packed in the column by a ram driven, axial compression, slurry packing method;   a ram driven piston exerting a packing force on the bed during axial compression slurry packing, a downstream end of the piston passing through a slurry chamber attached to the column which chamber is removed after the downstream end of the piston passes through the chamber and into the column, the piston maintaining being fastened to the column after packing;   a locking mechanism connecting the piston to the column after the slurry chamber is removed and while a ram exerts a force on the piston to maintain a desired bed height or compression, the locking mechanism maintaining the piston position when the ram is removed sufficient to maintain substantially the same bed height or compression from the end of fluid packing and removal of the ram until after the locking mechanism connects the piston to the column.   
     
     
         46 . The column of  claim 45 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises an adjustable locking mechanism having a support fastened to the body and having a threaded adjuster interposed between the support and the piston, such that rotation of the threaded adjuster increases or decreases the force the piston exerts on the bed. 
     
     
         47 . The column of  claim 45 , wherein the locking mechanism has length adjustment mechanism to change the relative position of the piston and column along a length of the column. 
     
     
         48 . The column of  claim 46 , wherein the piston position is adjusted after the ram is removed to further reduce the height of the bed in the column. 
     
     
         49 . The column of  claim 46 , wherein the piston position is adjusted after the ram is removed to increase the height of the bed in the column. 
     
     
         50 . The column of  claim 45 , wherein the piston maintains substantially the same force on the bed from the end of packing until after the ram is removed. 
     
     
         51 . The column of  claim 45 , wherein there are no springs between the locking mechanism and the piston. 
     
     
         52 . A portable tubular chromatography column having a tubular body with an inner diameter with first upstream and second downstream ends and an end cap on the downstream end, the column produced by an axial compression slurry packing method, comprising:
 a bed of chromatographic media placed between a first and second fit all located inside the body with the second frit adjacent the second end of the column;   a piston exerting a force on the bed during compression and being fastened to the column by a locking mechanism after packing the bed, the bed being formed in the column by an axial compression, slurry packing technique with a ram applying a force to the piston and causing the piston to compress the bed as it is packed and with the downstream end of the piston passing through a slurry chamber connected to the column and passing into the column, the piston and ram providing sufficiently constant force on the bed to prevent substantial expansion of the bed when fluid packing is completed and the slurry chamber is disengaged from the column and the piston is fastened to the column by the locking mechanism, with the ram being removed after the piston is fastened to the column to form a column in which only the piston maintains pressure on the bed.   
     
     
         53 . The column of  claim 52 , wherein an upstream portion of the piston has a smaller stepped portion with the ram engaging that smaller portion. 
     
     
         54 . The column of  claim 52 , wherein there are no springs between the piston and locking mechanism. 
     
     
         55 . The column of  claim 52 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises an adjustable locking mechanism having a clamshell support fastened to the body and having a threaded adjuster interposed between the support and the piston, such that rotation of the threaded adjuster increases or decreases the force the piston exerts on the bed. 
     
     
         56 . The column of  claim 55 , wherein the piston position is adjusted after the ram is removed to change the height of the bed in the column. 
     
     
         57 . The column of  claim 52 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a connector encircling the upstream end of the column and which is split into at least two segments so that no single segment encircles the column with the segments held together by a part encircling the upstream end of the column. 
     
     
         58 . The column of  claim 52 , wherein the piston maintains substantially the same force on the bed from the end of packing until after the ram is removed and no longer exerts a force on the piston.