A system and method of determining levels of contaminants in a base gas. A gas chromatography column is used as part of a cold trap. A sample of a base gas is fed through the gas chromatography column. Due to the temperature of the gas chromatography column, some of the contaminants concentrate. A purified carrier gas is directed through the reinforced tube assembly after contaminants have collected. The gas chromatography column is heated to a second temperature that releases at least some of the concentrated contaminants. The contaminants mix with the purified carrier gas to create a contaminated carrier gas. The contaminated carrier gas is directed to one or more testing units that analyze the contaminated carrier gas to quantify the contaminants.

This disclosure relates a device for a chromatographic system, comprising: a chamber defining an internal portion, a capillary disposed within the chamber, the capillary having an input, an output, and an elongate body extending between the input and the output, a cold finger having a first portion in thermal contact with a portion of the elongate body to define a capillary trapping zone, wherein the first portion of the cold finger extends to a second portion that is situated external to the chamber, a heater in thermal contact with the trapping zone of the capillary and configured to transfer heat to the trapping zone, a thermal buffer configured to buffer the heat from the heater into the cold finger and thereby retain the heat within the trapping zone of the capillary, a cooling device arranged external to the chamber and thermally connected to the second portion of the cold finger to define a primary conduction zone, wherein the cooling device is configured to generate a cooling temperature zone at the primary conduction zone, a controller configured to selectively alternate the trapping zone between a cooling temperature by turning off the heat and using the cooling device together with its engagement with the cold finger, and an injection temperature using the heater, wherein the heater alternates between an off state and an on state and a user defined frequency.

To suppress generation of dew condensation in temperature control space when heating temperature control is performed. In an apparatus, an air temperature control part for cooling or heating air in temperature control space has a first temperature control element for performing at least cooling of air, and a second temperature control element for performing at least heating of air downstream of the first temperature control element. In this manner, when heating temperature control is performed, cooling and dehumidification of air taken in from an air intake portion can be performed by the first temperature control element, and then heating of the dehumidified air can be performed by the second temperature control element.

To suppress inflow of external air through a rack insertion opening while a sample rack is pulled out. An apparatus includes a housing, a temperature control space, and an air temperature control part. The housing has the rack insertion opening on one side surface for putting in and taking out the sample rack. The air temperature control part has an air intake portion for intake of air in the temperature control space, a fan for blowing air taken in from the air intake portion toward the sample rack accommodated in the temperature control space, and a cooling element provided to cool the air on a path of air taken in from the air intake portion. The air temperature control part is configured to reduce an amount of air flowing near the rack insertion opening while the sample rack is pulled out from the temperature control space as compared to while the sample rack is accommodated in the temperature control space, so as to suppress inflow of air through the rack insertion opening.

A thermostat arrangement for a sample separation device for separating a fluidic sample includes a separation unit thermostat unit for adjusting a temperature of a separation unit for separating the fluidic sample in a mobile phase, a sample handling unit thermostat unit for adjusting the temperature of a sample handling unit for handling the fluidic sample, and a thermal coupling unit for thermally coupling the separation unit thermostat unit with the sample handling unit thermostat unit.

A method comprising: introducing a sample volume into an inlet end of a liquid chromatography column, wherein the liquid chromatography column includes a focusing segment proximal to the inlet end of the liquid chromatography column and a separation segment proximal to an elute outlet of the liquid chromatography column; maintaining only the focusing segment at a first temperature as the sample is introduced into the focusing segment; and subsequently heating the focusing segment to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature after the entire sample volume has been introduced into the focusing segment.

A system and method of reducing chromatographic band broadening within a separation column include passing a mobile phase through a length of a separation column, and generating a spatial thermal gradient external to and along the length of the separation column. The spatial thermal gradient is specifically configured to counteract a particular change in a property of the mobile phase as the mobile phase passes through the separation column. For example, the particular change counteracted may be a change in density or in temperature of the mobile phase. For analytical-scale columns, for example, the spatial thermal gradient may be configured to produce temperatures external to and along the length of the separation column that substantially matches temperatures predicted to form in the mobile phase along the column length as the mobile phase passes through the separation column, thereby substantially preventing formation of a radial thermal gradient in the mobile phase.

A method of comprising: introducing a sample volume into an inlet end of a liquid chromatography column, wherein the liquid chromatography column includes a focusing segment proximal to the inlet end of the liquid chromatography column and a separation segment proximal to an elute outlet of the liquid chromatography column; maintaining only the focusing segment at a first temperature as the sample is introduced into the focusing segment; and subsequently heating the focusing segment to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature after the entire sample volume has been introduced into the focusing segment.

A thermal system for use in a column manager of a liquid chromatography system comprises a plurality of spatially separated individually controlled thermoelectric chips. A column module houses a plurality of thermally conductive troughs. Each trough resides in a separate thermal zone to be thermally conditioned individually by one of the individually controlled thermoelectric chips. Each trough is adapted to hold one or more liquid chromatography columns therein. A plurality of spatially separated thermal bridges includes a first thermal bridge thermally coupling one of the thermoelectric chips to a first one of the plurality of troughs and a second thermal bridge of the plurality of thermal bridges thermally coupling another of the thermoelectric chips to a second one of the plurality of troughs.

A thermal modulator for a chromatographic system includes a cooler, a thermal valve, a thermal buffer, a heater, and a capillary. The thermal valve thermally-engages the cooler. The thermal buffer thermally-engages the thermal valve. The heater thermally-engages the thermal buffer. The capillary thermally-engages the heater and is configured to transport an analyte in a first direction.