ANTIMICROBIAL LAYER FOR CHROMATOGRAPHIC CONTAINERS

Abstract

A chromatographic container (1) incorporating an antimicrobial layer (5) or an antimicrobial device (10) with such a layer (15) for use with a standard chromatographic container (11), which layer (5, 15) inhibits, in use, microbial growth. The antimicrobial layer (5, 15) can be on an internal surface of the container (1) or on an exposed surface of the device (10) and may be in the form of a coating, liner or film. The layer (5, 15) may be configured for gradual release an antimicrobial agent or chemical additive, for example sodium azide. Additionally or alternatively, the antimicrobial layer (5, 15) may include silver or silver particles, for example nanoparticles of silver.

Claims

1.-19. (canceled)

20. A device for use in a chromatography system, the device comprising: a surface configured to contact fluid during use in the chromatography system; and an antimicrobial layer formed on the surface that inhibits, in use, microbial growth on the layer.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the device is any of a bottle, a check valve, an injector, a filter, a guard column, a chromatographic column, a detector, a mixer, a vial, a cartridge, a plate, a solid phase extraction container, a collection container, a sinker, a sparge stone, and tubing.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the surface defines a fluid path within the device.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein the surface is formed from any of glass, stainless steel, and titanium.

24. The device of claim 20, wherein the surface is formed from an inert material.

25. The device of claim 20, wherein the surface is porous.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein a pore size of the surface is greater than about 0.22 m.

27. The device of claim 20, wherein the surface is an internal surface of the device.

28. The device of claim 20, wherein the surface is an external surface of the device.

29. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer comprises any of a coating, a liner, and a film.

30. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer has a thickness between about 1 nanometer and about 1000 nanometers.

31. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer covers all of the surface.

32. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer covers a portion of the surface.

33. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer is configured to release any of an antimicrobial agent and a chemical additive into fluid upon contact therewith.

34. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer includes sodium azide.

35. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer includes silver.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the antimicrobial layer includes silver nanoparticles.

37. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer is covalently attached to the surface.

38. The device of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial layer is adsorbed on the surface.

39. A chromatography system, comprising: a component having a surface configured to contact fluid during use of the chromatography system; and an antimicrobial layer formed on the surface that inhibits, in use, microbial growth on the layer.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the component is any of a bottle, a check valve, an injector, a filter, a guard column, a chromatographic column, a detector, a mixer, a vial, a plate, a solid phase extraction container, a collection container, a sinker, a sparge stone, and tubing.

41. The device of claim 39, wherein the antimicrobial layer includes sodium azide.

42. The device of claim 39, wherein the antimicrobial layer includes silver.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 is a front view of a chromatographic solvent bottle according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view of area A of FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an antimicrobial device according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 4 is a section view through line B-B of FIG. 3; and

[0028] FIG. 5 is a front view of a chromatographic solvent bottle containing the device of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0029] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a first embodiment of a chromatographic solvent container in the form of a bottle 1. The bottle 1 includes has a side wall 2 and base wall 3. As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, the side wall 2 includes a base layer 4, formed of glass in this embodiment, and an antimicrobial layer 5 on the internal surface of the base layer 4.

[0030] The antimicrobial layer 5 is a coating that includes sodium azide in this embodiment. The coating is configured for slow gradual release of the sodium azide into the solvent (not shown) contained in the container 1 to prevent or at least inhibit microbial growth. For example, the coating may be covalently attached to the internal surface of the base layer 4. Alternatively or additionally, the coating may be adsorbed on the internal surface of the base layer 4.

[0031] Referring now to FIGS. 3 to 5, there is shown an antimicrobial device 10 for use in a standard chromatographic solvent container 11. The device 10 is in the form of a cartridge or plate 10 that includes a substrate 14 with an antimicrobial layer 5 on each of its major surfaces, as shown more clearly in FIG. 4.

[0032] The antimicrobial layers 5 in this embodiment include silver nanoparticles, which are known to demonstrate high antimicrobial activity. In use, the antimicrobial device 10 is placed in the container 11 together with the solvent as shown in FIG. 5.

[0033] Sparge stones are often used to de-gas mobile phases by sparging helium gas through the mobile phase, thereby displacing dissolved oxygen. It would therefore be beneficial that, in some embodiments, an antimicrobial layer is incorporated on and/or in such sparge stones.

[0034] Chromatographic systems use sinkers at the inlet end of tubing used to feed mobile phase from a mobile phase bottle to the system pump. These sinkers are used as relatively large pore size filters in order to prevent particulates from the bottles from entering the chromatographic system. The pore size in these sinkers/filters is generally ten times larger than the size of bacteria (e.g. 0.22 m). Incorporation of a sinker with a pore size small enough to filter bacteria is not possible with current pump designs, which would cavitate and stop working as they would be unable to create enough vacuum to pull mobile phase through such a small pore size.

[0035] Both sparge stones and sinkers have similarities in that they are porous structures typically made of stainless steel, titanium or other inert materials. Mixers and/or the tubing may also be provided with an antimicrobial layer. The mixer is used to assist in mixing mobile phases from various pump heads so that the discrete portion delivered from each pump head, which can vary in composition, are blended to a homogeneous mixture before reaching the injector or column inlet.

[0036] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that several variations to the aforementioned embodiments are envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the chromatographic container may comprise a chromatographic sample vial or collection container. The antimicrobial layer 5 may cover some, e.g. a relatively small portion, half, most or all of the internal surface of the container 1. The device 10 may take any number of forms, but the antimicrobial layer 5 is preferably on an exposed surface to permit the layer to interact with, e.g., a solvent contained in the chromatographic container 11.

[0037] It will also be appreciated that any number of combinations of the aforementioned features and/or those shown in the appended drawings provide clear advantages over the prior art and are therefore within the scope of the invention described herein.