Establishing fluidic connections between chromatography components

Abstract

A thermal module for pre-heating liquid flowing into a liquid chromatography column, includes a trough compartment with two ends, one of the two ends having an electrical socket, a first fluidic assembly, a second fluidic assembly, and a clamp assembly. The clamp assembly includes a rail configured to receive the first fluidic assembly. The clamp assembly includes a carriage slidably mounted to the rail and configured to receive the second fluidic assembly. The carriage is operable to establish a first fluid tight seal between the first fluidic assembly and a chromatography column received within the clamp assembly, and to establish a second fluid tight seal between the second fluidic assembly and the chromatography column. The clamp assembly is disposed within the trough compartment, and the first fluidic assembly is plugged into the electrical socket at the one end of the trough compartment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermal module for pre-heating liquid flowing into a liquid chromatography column, comprising:
 a trough compartment with two ends, one of the two ends having an electrical socket;   a first fluidic assembly;   a second fluidic assembly; and   a clamp assembly,   wherein the clamp assembly includes a rail configured to receive the first fluidic assembly,   wherein the clamp assembly includes a carriage slidably mounted to the rail and configured to receive the second fluidic assembly,   wherein the carriage is operable to establish a first fluid tight seal between the first fluidic assembly and a chromatography column received within the clamp assembly, and to establish a second fluid tight seal between the second fluidic assembly and the chromatography column,   wherein the clamp assembly is disposed within the trough compartment, and   wherein the first fluidic assembly is plugged into the electrical socket at the one end of the trough compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The thermal module of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluidic assembly comprises:
 an inlet tubing sub-assembly; and   a heater block sub-assembly comprising a heater block made of thermally conductive material and configured to heat fluid passing though the inlet tubing sub-assembly.   
     
     
         3 . The thermal module of  claim 2 , wherein the heater block sub-assembly comprises:
 a heater cartridge in thermal communication with the heater block, the heater cartridge configured to provide heat to the heater block for transfer to fluid flowing through the inlet tubing sub-assembly; and   circuitry in electrical communication with the heater cartridge to control a temperature of the heater block by controlling operation of the heater cartridge.   
     
     
         4 . The thermal module of  claim 3 , further comprising a temperature sensor in thermal communication with the heater block to provide an indication of the temperature of the heater block, and wherein the circuitry is in electrical communication with the temperature sensor to determine therefrom the temperature of the heater block. 
     
     
         5 . The thermal module of  claim 1 , wherein the rail body includes mounting holes for mounting the rail within the trough compartment. 
     
     
         6 . The thermal module of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical socket is a first electrical socket, and wherein the thermal module further comprises a second electrical socket at an opposite end of the trough compartment relative to the first electrical socket. 
     
     
         7 . The thermal module of  claim 1 , wherein the trough compartment includes a trough configured to slide to either end of the trough compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The thermal module of  claim 7 , wherein the trough has a groove configured to channel leakage into a lower half of the trough compartment. 
     
     
         9 . The thermal module of  claim 7 , wherein the trough compartment is made of two halves mechanically held together, and wherein the trough is disposed between the two halves. 
     
     
         10 . The thermal module of  claim 9 , wherein an electrical cable extends from a rear side of the trough to an electrical connector, wherein the electrical connector plugs into electronics within a housing of the thermal module. 
     
     
         11 . The thermal module of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the two halves of the trough compartment includes a cutout region to accommodate the electrical cable during sliding of the trough in the trough compartment.