Patent ID: 11906409
Assignee: DIONEX CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC B  G

Claim 0:
1. A method of concentrating an analyte, comprising:
processing a first portion of a fluid sample comprising an analyte in a first analyte concentrator assembly, the first analyte concentrator assembly including a first ion exchange element, the first analyte concentrator assembly retaining a first portion of the analyte and discharging a first effluent that is substantially free of the analyte, the discharged first effluent being fluid transferred from the first analyte concentrator assembly to an eluent generation module, the eluent generation module including an eluent generating component, the eluent generating component including an electrolyte reservoir, an eluent generation chamber, and an ion exchange connector, the electrolyte reservoir separated from the eluent generation chamber by the ion exchange connector;
processing a second portion of the fluid sample comprising the analyte in a second analyte concentrator assembly, the second analyte concentrator assembly including a second ion exchange element, the second analyte concentrator assembly retaining a second portion of the analyte and discharging a second effluent that is substantially free of the analyte, the discharged second effluent being fluid transferred from the second analyte concentrator assembly to the eluent generation module;
processing the transferred first effluent within the eluent generation module so as to produce a first eluent that is substantially free of the analyte from the transferred first effluent, the first eluent being fluid transferred from the eluent generation module to the second analyte concentrator assembly;
processing the transferred second effluent within the eluent generation module so as to produce a second eluent that is substantially free of the analyte from the transferred second effluent, the second eluent being fluid transferred from the eluent generation module to the first analyte concentrator assembly;
eluting the first portion of the analyte retained by the first analyte concentrator assembly with the second eluent so as to produce a first concentrated analyte sample, the first concentrated analyte sample being fluid transferred from the first analyte concentrator assembly to an analyte detection module;
eluting the second portion of the analyte retained by the second analyte concentrator assembly with the first eluent so as to produce a second concentrated analyte sample, the second concentrated analyte sample being fluid transferred from the second analyte concentrator assembly to the analyte detection module;
analyzing the first concentrated analyte sample in the analyte detection module, the analyte detection module includes at least one detector selected from the group consisting of a conductivity detector, an electrochemical detector, a mass spectrometry detector, and an ultraviolet detector; and
analyzing the second concentrated analyte sample in the analyte detection module.