A method for anomaly detection and diagnosis in a chromatography system including a sample handling unit, a chromatographic separation unit, and a detection unit is disclosed. The method can include performing, with the chromatography system, a chromatography analysis of a sample to obtain a chromatogram of the sample, the sample including a known quantity of a reference standard. The method can also include determining peak information corresponding to the reference standard in the chromatogram and determining whether the peak information conforms with an expected response of the chromatography system associated with the reference standard. If the peak information does not conform with the expected response, the method can include determining that there is an anomaly in the operation of the chromatography system and diagnosing a cause of the anomaly as relating to the operation of at least one the sample handling unit, the chromatographic separation unit, and the detection unit.

A method of performing mass spectrometry includes accumulating, over an accumulation time, ions produced from components eluting from a chromatography column and transferring the accumulated ions to a mass analyzer. During an acquisition, a mass spectrum of detected ions derived from the transferred ions is acquired. An elution profile is obtained from a series of acquired mass spectra including the acquired mass spectrum and a plurality of previously-acquired mass spectra. The elution profile includes a plurality of detection points representing intensity of the detected ions as a function of time. A current signal state of the elution profile is classified based on a subset of detection points included in the plurality of detection points. The accumulation time for a next acquisition of a mass spectrum is set based on the classified current signal state of the elution profile.

A system for blending solutions and a buffer solution is disclosed. In this system a switch valve is present capable of flowing one or more solutions, a low pressure pump for pumping the one or more solutions through the switch valve and a T-joint capable of receiving the one or more solutions through the low pressure pump and blending the one or more solutions with a buffer solution. A high pressure pump is present for collecting a blended solution.

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining a carry over of an analyte from a previous sample into a sample of interest on a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (LC-MS) device, the method comprising the following steps: (a) determining at least one chromatogram of said sample of interest on said LC-MS device; (b) determining a background height of the chromatogram; and (c) determining the carry over of the analyte from said previous sample into the sample of interest based on the background height. The present disclosure also relates to methods, systems, and computer program products related to the aforesaid method.

A gas chromatograph is provided with: a sample gas generator; a separation column; a detector; a plurality of gas supply sources; a switching unit; a regulator-; and an out-of-gas determination unit. After the out of gas determination unit has determined that the out of gas has occurred in the gas supply source supplying the carrier gas to the sample gas generator, it is configured to perform a column protection operation for changing the gas supply source fluidly connected to the sample gas generator by the switching unit.

A methodology scales supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and/or carbon dioxide based chromatography methods between different system and/or column configurations. The methodology includes measuring an average mobile phase density during a first separation utilizing C02 as a mobile phase component and substantially duplicating the average density profile for a second separation. Substantial duplication of the average mobile phase density (e.g., within about 10%, 5%, 2.5%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1 %, 0.05%) results in chromatography for both system and/or column configurations having similar selectivity and retention factors. Average mobile phase density may be, either measured directly, calculated, or approximated using average pressure or density measurements. The average pressure profile may be used as a close approximation to duplicate average density profiles between separations.

A method for determining a state of a fluidic system can include measuring back pressures in the fluidic system at different times and determining a state of the fluidic system. The determination is based on at least the measured back pressures and on additional status information indicative of at least one status of the fluidic system at at least one of the different times.

The disclosure includes an intelligent automatic control system for mine gas chromatographs, comprising a CPU. The system may comprise a touch screen coupled to the CPU, a computer and a relay unit electrically coupled to the CPU, and a remote transmission module and a remote mobile control terminal communicatively coupled to the CPU. A digital output terminal may be electrically coupled through the relay unit to a component selected from the group consisting of a solenoid valve, at least one heater, a chromatograph motor, a six-way injection valve, a ten-way injection valve, a chromatograph automatic injection pump, FID ignition coils, a TCD bridge solenoid valve, at least one gas generator solenoid valve, and a standard gas/sample gas conversion valve. The system may comprise at least one temperature sensor, at least one gas pressure sensor, a TCD bridge module, and at least one pressure-controlling switch electrically coupled to the CPU.

When a liquid in the column is replaced by carbon dioxide in a supercritical state in the chromatograph, an operation of a first pump is controlled by a flow rate control unit, and the carbon dioxide in the supercritical state is supplied at a constant pressure. Moreover, when a flow rate of the carbon dioxide in the supercritical state reaches a predetermined flow rate thereafter, the flow rate control unit controls an operation of the first pump so that the carbon dioxide in the supercritical state is supplied at a constant flow rate.

Pressure-controlled splitting can be used to inject a chemical sample from an injection source to a detector (e.g., a mass spectrometer) for chemical analysis (e.g., gas chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) with reduced peak widths. For example, the sample is first transferred to a first compression volume; then pressure in the system is increased to compress the sample to split it between a second compression volume and a column. The fraction of the sample split to the column can have reduced peak widths compared to the peak widths prior to compression and splitting yet can maintain the same peak height to preserve high sensitivity for trace level analysis. This portion of the sample can traverse the column and elute to the detector for analysis with reduced chemical noise. Faster injection rates can allow faster analysis times, as less separation of chemicals is needed before the sample reaches the detector.