Patent ID: 7144502

Claim:
An ultra-high pressure chromatography system (UHPLC) comprising: a high pressure chromatography arrangement of equipment including: at least one solvent reservoir maintaining an associated solvent, the number of solvent reservoirs being equal to the number of solvents; at least one high pressure pump that is operatively coupled to the at least one solvent reservoir for transporting the solvent; an injector disposed downstream of the at least one solvent reservoir for receiving the associated solvent or a gradient formed as a mix of several solvents; and at least one analytical column disposed downstream of the injector for performing separation on an injection plug that is delivered thereto by the injector, a first conduit being disposed between the injector and the at least one analytical column; and a UHPLC module for converting the high pressure chromatography arrangement of equipment into the UHPLC system, the module including: a first valve disposed within the first conduit; a gradient storage column fluidly connected to the first conduit and operatively coupled to the first valve so that the injection plug can be selectively delivered and stored therein; and an ultra-high pressure pump operatively connected to the gradient storage column for loading the stored injection plug onto the analytical column for separation thereof; wherein during loading of the injection plug onto the analytical column, the high pressure chromatography arrangement of equipment upstream of the first valve is shielded from ultra-high pressures generated by the ultra-high pressure pump.