Chromatography Apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a chromatography system ( 100 ) comprising: plural modules ( 1 - 25 ) including at least one pump and a column valve unit ( 8 ) connectable to plural chromatography columns; and a controller ( 600 ), the controller being operable to control the or each pump and the column valve to perform different chromatographic processes, including chromatography employing just one column, as well as chromatography employing just one column, as well as chromatography employing two or more columns by selective valve opening in said unit. The system includes a housing ( 110 ) into which the plural modules ( 1 - 25 ) are interchangeably mountable in apertures of one generally vertical face of housing, the modules are adapted for selective fluidic interconnection by tubing substantially at said one face such that in use the modules and tubing occupy a generally vertically extending volume to minimize the footprint of the system.

1 . A chromatography system comprising:
 a plurality of modules including at least one pump and a column valve unit connectable to plural chromatography columns; and   a controller, the controller being operable to control the or each pump and the column valve unit to perform different chromatographic processes, including chromatography employing just one column, as well as chromatography employing two or more columns by selective valve opening in said column valve unit, and wherein at least one of said plurality of modules is demountable from an apertured front panel of a housing of the chromatography system.   
     
     
         2 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of modules is mounted in one generally vertical plane, such that liquid connections required between respective modules can be made only at a front face of the chromatography system. 
     
     
         3 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said selective valve opening allows a reversal of flow directions in use in one or more of said plural chromatography columns. 
     
     
         4 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to control said modules according to software, and further comprising a display screen, said software being suitable to display plural icons on said screen and allowing user manipulation of the icon on the screen to drag and drop the icons to form a series of icons representative of a user defined chromatography control method. 
     
     
         5 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the user defined method includes a continuous chromatography process employing said two or more chromatography columns. 
     
     
         6 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to perform one or more of column packing, column packing testing, and cleaning of at least a part of the system. 
     
     
         7 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising plural chromatography columns, each column including a chamber of changeable volume for housing chromatographic separation media and an adapter moveable to increase or decrease each said volume, and wherein the column valve unit is in fluid communication with each said adapter and is selectively operable to move independently or collectively each said adapter by means of fluid pressure changes to consequently change each said volume and in use to cause compression or relief from compression of media within each said column volume. 
     
     
         8 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plural modules are interchangeably mountable in apertures of one generally vertical face of the system housing, the modules being adapted for selective fluidic interconnection by tubing, and wherein at least one of said modules includes said column valve unit. 
     
     
         9 . The chromatography system of  claim 8 , wherein the modules are adapted for selective fluidic interconnection by tubing substantially at said one generally vertical face such that in use the modules and tubing occupy a generally vertically extending volume to minimize the footprint of the system. 
     
     
         10 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein, other than said one generally vertical face, the system housing has flat or curved faces without joints other than at the edges of the faces. 
     
     
         11 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the modules comprise one or more of: a pH monitor; an outlet valve; a conductivity monitor; a column valve; an inlet valve; a system liquid pump; a flow restrictor; a mixer; an air trap; an air trap valve; and air trap vent and a UV monitor. 
     
     
         12 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein output from the chromatography column(s) is passed out through a port to a conductivity monitor, a UV light absorption monitor, and a pH monitor, and is thence directed into an appropriate storage vessel in dependence on the signals from the three monitors such that separated fractions are collected in an appropriate vessel. 
     
     
         13 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein output from column washings is collected in a waste vessel. 
     
     
         14 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the system includes two liquid pumps, one of said pumps being selectively operable alone or both pumps being selectively operable together, thereby to provide a range of fluid flow which is suitable for more than one mode of chromatography process. 
     
     
         15 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a pre-column conductivity monitor and/or adjustable feet. 
     
     
         16 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the column valve unit further comprises a port which can be used to change the volume of hydraulic cylinders so as to provide compression of the contents of column(s). 
     
     
         17 . The chromatography system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the chromatographic processes include a continuous chromatography process that includes control of at least one pump and where the column valve unit is switched to provide fluid flow from the at least one pump in both directions in each of the columns employed.