Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
  • G01N35/10—Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices
  • G01N35/1079—Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices with means for piercing stoppers or septums
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
  • G01N1/28—Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q
  • G01N1/34—Purifying; Cleaning
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
  • G01N1/28—Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q
  • G01N1/40—Concentrating samples
  • G01N1/405—Concentrating samples by adsorption or absorption
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
  • G01N1/28—Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q
  • G01N1/40—Concentrating samples
  • G01N1/4005—Concentrating samples by transferring a selected component through a membrane
  • G01N2001/4011—Concentrating samples by transferring a selected component through a membrane being a ion-exchange membrane
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N2030/009—Extraction
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N30/02—Column chromatography
  • G01N2030/022—Column chromatography characterised by the kind of separation mechanism
  • G01N2030/025—Gas chromatography
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N30/02—Column chromatography
  • G01N30/04—Preparation or injection of sample to be analysed
  • G01N30/06—Preparation
  • G01N2030/062—Preparation extracting sample from raw material
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
  • G01N35/10—Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices
  • G01N2035/1027—General features of the devices
  • G01N2035/1048—General features of the devices using the transfer device for another function
  • G01N2035/1053—General features of the devices using the transfer device for another function for separating part of the liquid, e.g. filters, extraction phase
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N30/02—Column chromatography
  • G01N30/04—Preparation or injection of sample to be analysed
  • G01N30/06—Preparation
  • G01N30/08—Preparation using an enricher
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N30/02—Column chromatography
  • G01N30/04—Preparation or injection of sample to be analysed
  • G01N30/06—Preparation
  • G01N30/12—Preparation by evaporation
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T29/00—Metal working
  • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
  • Y10T29/49826—Assembling or joining

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of solid phase microextraction which is commonly known as SPME.
• the invention more specifically relates to a needle that can be used in the context of the SPME.
• SPME is an effective tool for obtaining a preliminary concentration of a sample, such as an aqueous solution, containing an organic compound to be analyzed, e.g. ex. by means of gas chromatography
• a hollow needle in which an adsorbent material is placed is preferably used.
• the latter may be in the form of a coating of the inner wall of the needle, of a mass made of a copolymer or of a mass of free solid particles, that is to say not fixed by a binder.
• European Patent Application EP 1 41 1 068 A1 describes an adsorbent material in the form of a copolymer and the US patent application.
• US 2001/0032521 A1 discloses an adsorbent material in the form of quartz wool.
• the adsorption phase consists in passing the sample, generally several times, through the adsorbent material.
• the desorption is preferably by heating, directly into the injection port of the analysis apparatus, e.g. ex. chromatograph.
• the hollow needle During the adsorption and desorption operations, the hollow needle must be introduced into a container (eg vial, syringe, GC injector, etc.) provided with a port which is closed by a septum. To facilitate its passage through the septum, the needle preferably has a sharp distal end.
• a container eg vial, syringe, GC injector, etc.
• the needle preferably has a sharp distal end.
• the hollow needles of the state of the art have certain disadvantages. For example, when passing through a septum, fragments of the septum may be accidentally introduced into the needle, thereby causing partial or complete obstruction of sample flow in the needle.
• the present invention has the advantage of remedying in particular the problems described in the previous chapter.
• the tip of the needle is closed.
• the holes are arranged between the adsorbent material and the tip of the needle.
• At least part of the holes are at the height of the adsorbent material.
• the adsorbent material consists of a mass of non-bonded particles.
• the adsorbent material may be any other substance / structure known to those skilled in the art, eg quartz wool, a copolymer or a coating on the inner wall of the needle.
• holes are preferably chosen whose diameter is such that the particles can be retained in the needle. In general, the diameter of the holes is therefore smaller than that of the smallest particle.
• first retaining means eg baffle
• baffle e.g baffle
• Second retaining means may also be arranged on the side of the tip of the needle. These are particularly useful, even necessary, if the tip of the needle is not closed.
• the needle may also have one or more grooves located (s) towards its free end. In this configuration, at least a portion of the holes are disposed in the groove or grooves.
• the needle in another embodiment, includes a first hole disposed between the tip and the adsorbent material and a second hole disposed between the first hole and the adsorbent material.
• the diameter of the second hole is smaller than the diameter of the first hole.
• the needle comprises more than two holes arranged successively along the needle.
• the internal diameter of the needle is between 0.5 and 0.7 mm while the diameter of the lateral holes preferably varies between 50 and 10 microns.
• the sum of the sections of the lateral holes is greater than the internal section of the needle.
• the invention also relates to an SPME device comprising a needle as defined in any one of the three preceding paragraphs, a container provided with a closure element adapted to be pierced by said needle and suction means intended to suck at the through the needle a fluid initially contained in the container, said needle being further mounted movable relative to the container, so as to be at least in a first position and a second position; the first position being defined by placing the two holes in communication with the inside of the container, the second position being defined by placing the second hole in communication with the free air and placing the first hole in communication with the inside; of the container.
• the invention also relates to the use of the device previously described, the use being characterized by the following steps:
• a head space volume, quantifiable or not, is passed through the ad / absorbent phase by means of an external pump.
• the ad / absorbing phase is cleaned by immersion in a heated oven or, before or only, in a suitable solvent to avoid memory effects, that is to say, completely eliminate the traces and residues from the previous analysis and not completely desorbed during the injection.
• the desorption of the residues from the preceding sample is assisted by applying a vacuum, at least partially, to the adsorbent needle to facilitate cleaning.
• This partial vacuum may or may not be combined with heating and / or cleaning with a suitable solvent.
• the vacuum production system is the same used for the pre-concentration of the sample.
• the device comprises a valve that makes it possible to switch from a pre-concentration mode to a cleaning mode (or conditioning).
• the invention finally relates to a method for manufacturing a needle as defined above.
• the process is characterized by the following steps:
• first retaining means eg a baffle
• adsorbent material through the tip of the needle
• the pre-concentration needle can be connected to an external vacuum source.
• This can be either a pump or a predetermined volume previously placed under vacuum (loop).
• the aspiration must be precisely controlled. A suction too strong or too long would deplete the contents of the bottle without hope of being able to transit the sample through the adsorbent as is the case with the movements back and forth.
• the latter mode has other defects, in particular to rely heavily on the pressure inside the sealed bottle, and possible leakage always possible at the piston of the syringe.
• an auxiliary (auxiliary) pump it is therefore necessary to adjust the pump vacuum, the suction flow or its operating time.
• the syringe carrying the adsorbent needle described here must have at least one port, for example lateral, on which will be connected the auxiliary pumping.
• One of the privileged possibilities of using an auxiliary pumping system consists in switching on a pump connected to the syringe for a sufficient time so that a known and constant volume, but much smaller than the volume of gas contained in the bottle, is sucked up. and conducted through the adsorbent.
• relaxation we reintroduced into the bottle a volume of gas or air almost equivalent to what I was sucked to increase its internal pressure. A new suction cycle can then be performed again and so on until the desired preconcentration factor is obtained.
• gases in the relaxation cycle can be done by a leakage arranged at the level of the bottle (by introduction of a second needle for example) or by the syringe if it can be connected to a source of gas. more than its connection to a vacuum source.
• a leakage arranged at the level of the bottle (by introduction of a second needle for example) or by the syringe if it can be connected to a source of gas. more than its connection to a vacuum source.
• a third variant is described in the particular embodiment below. Detailed description of the invention
• FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a needle according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the free end of a needle that includes a flute.
• Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention in which the needle is in a first position.
• Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention in which the needle is in a second position.
• the hollow needle 1 is mounted directly, or via a pipe or tube, at the end of a syringe or suction pump or of a vacuum element (canister) These elements are not illustrated.
• the needle 1 may be fixed or removable. It is preferably made of steel or other hard metal.
• the needle 1 contains inside an adsorbent material 2 in the form of solid particles, free, that is to say not fixed by a binder.
• the adsorption phase of the sample is carried out by activating the plunger of the syringe upwards and then downwards alternately, or by taking the desired volume of the fluid by means of a pump or a pump. vacuum system.
• the desorption is preferably done by heating, usually directly in the injection port of the analysis apparatus (chromatograph). If appropriate, if the adsorbent material 2 supports it, this operation can be carried out by rinsing in a suitable solvent.
• the adsorbent material 2 is positioned in the needle rather towards the tip so that it is properly immersed in the hot zone of the injector for optimal thermal desorption.
• the adsorbent material 2, which may be activated carbon, or any other solid adsorbent, in particular a polymer (Tenax TM, sol-gel, etc.) is held in place in the needle 1 by one or more "baffles" 3 allowing the fluid to pass freely but retaining the particles.
• the procedure is as follows: a needle without a tip but with lateral holes 4 is initially used.
• the baffle 3 is firstly integrated, whose design may be variable; the adsorbent material 2, preferably screened, is then introduced by suction, and its particle size is between 100 and 500 microns.
• the quantity of adsorbent material 2 is determined by weighing and / or by checking the position of the bed by carefully introducing an element making it possible to determine the final position of the adsorbent material 2 (for example the same type of tool for introducing and positioning correctly the baffle 3).
• a second baffle (not shown) may be mounted after the absorbent material to prevent it from emerging.
• the needle 1 is finally pinched and / or closed by any means, known to those skilled in the art, so as to also form a sharp end.
• an adsorbent material 2 consisting of a mixture of polymers or to introduce different polymers in successive layers.
• the lateral holes 4 are positioned on the side of the tip 5 of the needle 1, towards the base of the adsorbent material 2 or at the level of the second baffle if such an element is installed.
• the fact of using a multitude of lateral holes 4 ensures a better operation of the needle 1 by allowing an optimal flow of the flow of the sample to be pre-concentrated.
• a single lateral hole would indeed be insufficient because it can be easily closed by an adsorbent particle or an outer particle (septum pieces).
• a single hole at the tip of the needle is also to be avoided because of the risk of closure by fragments of septum.
• the absorbent material when the absorbent material consists of unbound particles, a large number of small holes with a diameter smaller than the most small particle of adsorbent.
• This configuration creates a filter to retain the particles inside the needle and therefore does not require the use of a second baffle.
• the holes 4 are disposed within a groove 6 arranged along the needle 1, preferably towards its free end.
• Several grooves can be arranged, each may include one or more holes. These grooves have the effect of stiffening the tip of the needle and to prevent the holes are obstructed by septal fragments. Indeed, the holes thus arranged never come into direct contact with the septum.
• the invention is not limited to the method described above. It also covers any method for making a hollow needle comprising an adsorbent material and side holes.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a variant of the invention in which the holes are arranged along the needle, in order to limit the suction in the bottle 11.
• the holes 7, 8 are all arranged below the adsorbent 2.
• the bottom hole 7, or the holes 7 (if there are several arranged at the same height) is / are placed (s) all the way down towards the tip of the needle 1. It is through this hole (s) that the analyte is introduced into the needle 1.
• the upper hole 8 is disposed higher, between the lower hole 7 and the adsorbent.
• the upper hole 8 is intended to produce a leak and is generally of smaller diameter than the lower hole 7.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a normal use in which the two holes 7, 8 are inside the sealed bottle 11 containing the sample 10.
• the two holes 7, 8 are arranged below the adsorbent 2. Note that the upper hole 8 is smaller than the lower hole 7.
• FIG. 4 thus illustrates a particular case in which the upper hole 8 is outside while the lower hole 7 is in the sealed bottle 11 containing the sample 10.
• a pump for example, the sample by air entering through the upper hole 8. This does not exhaust the sample 10 too quickly.
• the flow through the lower hole 7 stops spontaneously when the pressure in the bottle 11 reaches a certain vacuum. Stopping the pump allows the bottle 11 to return to atmospheric pressure because the air enters through the upper hole 8 and spring in the bottle 11 through the lower hole 7.
• This system offers the advantage of freeing oneself of a valve. In this case, only the pump would be switched by an electrical relay.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38055118

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications Before (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (7)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (16)

• 2006
  • 2006-12-22 EP EP06127003A patent/EP1936384A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2007
  • 2007-12-20 US US12/520,596 patent/US20100000342A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-12-20 JP JP2009542374A patent/JP2010513915A/ja active Pending
  • 2007-12-20 EP EP07859470A patent/EP2104856A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2007-12-20 WO PCT/IB2007/055246 patent/WO2008078292A1/fr active Application Filing

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events