Automated fluid handling system

Abstract

Automated fluid handling system comprising a housing ( 20 ) and two or more fluid handling units ( 26 ) arranged as interchangeable modular components with an external fluidics section ( 30 ) and an internal non fluidics section ( 32 ), and wherein the housing ( 20 ) comprises a liquid handling panel ( 22 ) with two or more of component positions for receiving said interchangeable modular components ( 26 ) such that the external fluidics section ( 30 ) is separated from the non fluidics section ( 32 ) by the liquid handling panel ( 22 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Automated fluid handling system comprising a housing and two or more interchangeable fluid handling units the housing comprising a liquid handling panel including two or more component positions for receiving said interchangeable units, wherein said units are arranged as interchangeable modular components, and include:
 a fluidics section;   a non fluidics section comprising electronics or electrical components or control means; and   a panel member arranged to separate the fluidics section from the non fluidics section and for attachment of the modular component to a component position of the liquid handling panel,   
       and wherein the two or more component positions of the liquid handling panel are arranged for attachment of the panel members such that said respective fluidics sections are external to the housing and said respective non fluidics sections are internal to the housing. 
     
     
       2. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the interchangeable modular components are sealed against the liquid handling panel by a sealing member. 
     
     
       3. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , comprising a master control unit wherein the interchangeable modular components are connected to the master control unit by a system bus providing electrical communication to each interchangeable modular component. 
     
     
       4. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , wherein all interchangeable modular components are of same size. 
     
     
       5. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the interchangeable modular components are of two or more sizes. 
     
     
       6. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , comprising at least one fluid pump, at least one sensor unit and two or more fluid control valves of at least two different configurations, wherein at least the fluid control valves comprise said interchangeable modular components. 
     
     
       7. The fluid handling system of  claim 3 , wherein the master control unit comprises a system climate controller for controlling the climate in the housing and the interchangeable modular components. 
     
     
       8. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an internal climate panel arranged spaced from the liquid handling panel within the housing, said internal climate panel defining on one side an air inlet compartment and defining on an opposing side an air outlet compartment in the housing, the climate panel being provided with complementary component positions for receiving the internal non fluidics section of the interchangeable modular components, and wherein the non-fluidics section of at least one interchangeable modular component is provided with one or more air inlet openings located in the air inlet compartment and one or more air outlet openings located in the air outlet compartment when the interchangeable modular component is arranged in position in the component position. 
     
     
       9. The fluid handling system of  claim 8 , further comprising a system cooling unit providing a flow of air from the air inlet compartment to the air outlet compartment, through said at least one interchangeable modular component. 
     
     
       10. The fluid handling system of  claim 8 , wherein said at least one interchangeable modular component is provided with a local cooling unit providing a flow of air from the air inlet compartment to the air outlet compartment. 
     
     
       11. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is a liquid chromatography system arranged to provide a controlled fluid flow through a chromatography column. 
     
     
       12. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is a liquid filtration system. 
     
     
       13. The fluid handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is a chemical synthesis system. 
     
     
       14. The fluid handling system according to  claim 1  wherein the system further comprises at least one expansion housing module for accommodating additional interchangeable modular components. 
     
     
       15. The fluid handling system according to  claim 14 , further including means for automatic detection of said module to allow automatic configuration of the system by a master control unit. 
     
     
       16. A liquid chromatography system arranged to provide a controlled fluid flow through a chromatography column, the system comprising a housing and two or more interchangeable fluid handling units, the housing comprising a liquid handling panel including two or more component positions for receiving said interchangeable units, wherein said units are arranged as interchangeable modular components, and include:
 a fluidics section; 
 a non fluidics section in turn comprising electronics or electrical components or control means; and 
 a panel member arranged to separate the fluidics section from the non fluidics section and for attachment of the modular component to a component position of the liquid handling panel, 
 
       and wherein the liquid handling panel of the housing and the panel members are arranged such that the fluidics sections are external to the housing and respective non fluidics sections are internal to the housing. 
     
     
       17. The liquid chromatography system according to  claim 16 , wherein the interchangeable modular components include at least one two of: an injection valve; a column valve with integrated pressure sensors; a conductivity monitor; a UV monitor; a quaternary valve; an inlet valve with integrated air sensor; a system pump; a pump pressure monitor; an inlet valve with integrated air sensor; a rising valve; a mixer; a filter; a sample inlet valve; a flow restrictor; a pH valve; an outlet valve; and or a dummy component. 
     
     
       18. The liquid chromatography system according to  claim 17 , wherein said modular components are interconnected fluidically on the external side of the panel. 
     
     
       19. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16, wherein the interchangeable modular components are sealed against the liquid handling panel by a sealing member. 
     
     
       20. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16, comprising a master control unit wherein the interchangeable modular components are connected to the master control unit by a system bus providing electrical communication to each interchangeable modular component, and wherein each of the interchangeable modular components includes a dedicated CPU unit allowing each of the interchangeable modular components to independently perform operations in response to instructions over the bus. 
     
     
       21. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16, wherein all interchangeable modular components are of same size. 
     
     
       22. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16, wherein the interchangeable modular components are of two or more sizes. 
     
     
       23. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16, comprising at least one fluid pump, at least one sensor unit and two or more fluid control valves of at least two different configurations, wherein at least the fluid control valves are arranged as interchangeable modular components. 
     
     
       24. The liquid chromatography system of claim 20, comprising at least one fluid pump, at least one sensor unit and two or more fluid control valves of at least two different configurations, wherein at least the fluid control valves are arranged as interchangeable modular components. 
     
     
       25. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16 wherein the system further comprises at least one expansion housing module for accommodating additional interchangeable modular components at the liquid handling panel. 
     
     
       26. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16, wherein the housing includes at least four component positions. 
     
     
       27. The liquid chromatography system of claim 26, wherein the at least four component positions are arranged in a two dimensional array. 
     
     
       28. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16, comprising
 two double piston pumps,   one injection valve for injecting sample onto a column connecting to the flow path of the liquid chromatography system,   a UV monitor, and   a mixer.   
     
     
       29. The liquid chromatography system of claim 28, wherein the pump, valve, monitor, and mixer are interchangeable modular components. 
     
     
       30. The liquid chromatography system of claim 28, wherein the system further includes
 a pH-valve with an integrated flow cell for in-line monitoring of pH levels, and   a quaternary valve for automatic buffer preparation and formation of quaternary gradients.   
     
     
       31. The liquid chromatography system of claim 25, wherein the expansion housing module is attached to the housing and comprises two or more component positions adapted to receive additional interchangeable modular components at the liquid handling panel. 
     
     
       32. The liquid chromatography system of claim 31, wherein the component positions of the expansion housing module are arranged to receive interchangeable modules of the same size. 
     
     
       33. The liquid chromatography system of claim 31, wherein the component positions of the expansion housing module are arranged to receive interchangeable modules of two or more sizes. 
     
     
       34. The liquid chromatography system of claim 31, wherein the component positions of the expansion housing module comprise at least four component positions. 
     
     
       35. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16,
 wherein the fluidics section comprises one or more fluid connectors for connecting the interchangeable fluid handling unit to a fluid flow path of the liquid chromatography system, and the non fluidics section comprises an enclosure housing the with one or more air inlet openings.   
     
     
       36. The liquid chromatography system of claim 20, wherein the internal fluidics section comprises a bus connector for directly connecting the interchangeable modular component with the system bus, and each component position includes a complementary connector for connecting the bus connector of the interchangeable modular component inserted therein to said system bus. 
     
     
       37. The liquid chromatography system of claim 16, wherein said housing is adapted to accommodate at least one pump, at least one sensor unit and at least two fluid control valves of different configurations, of which at least two are interchangeable modular components. 
     
     
       38. A liquid chromatography system arranged to provide a controlled fluid flow through a chromatography column, the system comprising a housing, a master control unit connected to a system bus, two double piston pumps, and two or more interchangeable fluid handling units, the housing comprising a liquid handling panel including two or more component positions for receiving said interchangeable units, wherein said units are arranged as interchangeable modular components, and include:
 a fluidics section;   a non fluidics section in turn comprising electronics or electrical components or control means, and including a bus connector for directly connecting the interchangeable modular component with the system bus; and   a panel member arranged to separate the fluidics section from the non fluidics section and for attachment of the interchangeable modular component to a component position of the liquid handling panel,   wherein the liquid handling panel of the housing and the panel members are arranged such that the fluidics sections are external to the housing and respective non fluidics sections are internal to the housing,   wherein each component position includes a complementary connector for connecting the bus connector of the interchangeable modular component inserted therein to said system bus,   wherein each interchangeable modular component includes a dedicated CPU unit allowing the interchangeable modular component to independently perform operations in response to instructions over the system bus,   wherein the master control unit is arranged to automatically identify interchangeable modular components,   wherein the system includes at least a valve and a mixer as interchangeable modular components,   wherein the system is capable of performing automated liquid chromatography.   
     
     
       39. The liquid chromatography system according to claim 38, wherein said interchangeable modular components are interconnected fluidically on the external side of the panel. 
     
     
       40. The liquid chromatography system of claim 38, wherein the interchangeable modular components are sealed against the liquid handling panel by a sealing member. 
     
     
       41. The liquid chromatography system of claim 38, wherein the housing includes at least four component positions arranged in a two dimensional array. 
     
     
       42. The liquid chromatography system of claim 38, wherein the system further comprises at least one expansion housing module for accommodating additional interchangeable modular components at the liquid handling panel. 
     
     
       43. The liquid chromatography system of claim 38, wherein said housing is further adapted to include at least one sensor unit and at least two fluid control valves of different configurations, of which at least the sensor unit, and the fluid control valves are interchangeable modular components. 
     
     
       44. The liquid chromatography system of claim 38, wherein the fluidics section comprises one or more fluid connectors for connecting the interchangeable fluid handling unit to a fluid flow path of the liquid chromatography system, and the non fluidics section comprises an enclosure housing the with one or more air inlet openings.