New patent application published for: SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SAMPLING

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SAMPLING

Claims

1. A sample processing system comprising: a separation capillary located to deliver an eluent from a capillary electrophoresis (CE) system into a transport liquid in a receiving volume of an open port interface for delivery of the eluent to an analytical instrument, wherein the separation capillary is electrically decoupled from the analytical instrument.
2. The sample processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport liquid comprises a buffer liquid delivered from the CE system.
3. The sample processing system of claim 1, wherein the receiving volume comprises an air-liquid interface at atmospheric pressure.
4. The sample processing system of claim 3, wherein a tip of the separation capillary is disposed on an air side of the air-liquid interface.
5. The sample processing system of claim 4, wherein a tip of the separation capillary is disposed on a liquid side of the air-liquid interface.
6. The sample processing system of claim 2, further comprising an isolation transformer electrically decoupling the CE system from the analytical instrument.
7. A system comprising: a capillary having a first end connected to a sampling device and a second end, wherein the sampling device is configured to separate a sample with a separation solution and deliver the sample and the separation solution to the second end; a transport liquid supply system in fluidic communication with a transport liquid supply conduit that provides a transport liquid from a transport liquid source through the transport liquid supply conduit, wherein the transport liquid provided from the transport liquid supply conduit comprises a receiving volume defined at least in part by a meniscus, the transport liquid in the receiving volume is electrically grounded relative to the first end, and wherein the second end of the capillary is in fluidic communication with the receiving volume; a liquid exhaust system in fluidic communication with a removal conduit that removes liquid from the receiving volume; and an analysis system in fluidic communication with the removal conduit.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second end of the capillary is disposed within the meniscus and further comprising a capillary ground contact in fluid contact with at least part of the receiving volume.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second end of the capillary is disposed in the removal conduit and wherein the capillary ground contact comprises at least in part a conduit wall of the receiving volume.
10. The system of claim 7, wherein a perimeter of the second end of the capillary is spaced apart from the removal conduit.
11. The system of claim 7, further comprising an interface coupled to the transport liquid supply conduit and the second end of the capillary, wherein the interface defines the receiving volume proximate the removal conduit.
12. The system of claim 7, wherein the second end of the capillary further comprises a conductive tip and wherein the receiving volume is grounded by the conductive tip.
13. The system of claim 7, wherein the interface comprises at least one flexible element.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the flexible element comprises at least one of rubber, polyurethane, neoprene, and silicone.
15. The system of claim 7, wherein the sampling device performs capillary electrophoresis or liquid chromatography.
16. The system of claim 7, wherein the analysis system is a mass spectrometer.
17. The system of claim 7, wherein the second end of the capillary further comprises a conductive tip, wherein the conductive tip is disposed above a meniscus of the receiving volume, and wherein the sample and the separation solution is grounded by the conductive tip.
18. A method for analyzing a sample, the method comprising: receiving the sample and a separation solution from a capillary into a receiving volume defined at least in part by a transport liquid delivered from a transport liquid supply conduit, while electrically grounding the transport liquid; aspirating the transport liquid, received sample and the separation solution into a liquid exhaust system in fluidic communication with a removal conduit in fluidic communication with the receiving volume; and analyzing the received sample and separation solution with a mass analysis system.
19. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising supplying the transport liquid to the transport liquid supply conduit from a transport liquid supply system in fluidic communication with the transport liquid supply conduit.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving volume is defined at least in part by a meniscus.
21. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising receiving the second end of the capillary within the meniscus.
22. The method of claim 18, wherein a perimeter of the second end of the capillary is in contact with the removal conduit.
23. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising receiving an interface defining the receiving volume proximate the removal conduit.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the interface comprises at least one flexible element.
25. The method of claim 18, wherein the sampling device performs at least one of capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography to obtain the sample.
26. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising receiving the sample and the separation solution from the capillary, wherein the sample and the separation solution are released from the second end of the capillary under gravity into the receiving volume.
27. The method of claim 18, wherein the separation solution is diluted by the transport liquid to allow for ionization by the mass analysis system.