Chromatography

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSES COMPRISING (A) A CHROMATOGRAPHIC COLUMN; (B) MEANS FOR PASSING A STREAM OF ELUTANT THROUGH THE COLUMN; (C) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A SAMPLE TO BE ANALYZED INTO THE ELUTANT STREAM ENTERING THE COLUMN; (D) A DETECTOR FOR RECEIVING FLUID EMERGING FROM THE COLUMN, SENSING THE SUCCESSIVE APPEARANCE THEREIN OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE SAMPLE ANALYZED, AND PRODUCING AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL OUTPUT IN RESPONSE THERETO, (I) THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PEAKS OF WHICH SIGNAL ARE FUNCTIONS OF THE QUANTITIES OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE SAMPLE ANALYZED; (E) A RECORDER; (F) A PLURALITY OF OUTPUT CHANNEL MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE DETECTOR AND THE RECORDER BY NORMALLY OPEN OUTPUT CIRCUITS, AND (I) INCLUDING MEANS IN EACH CHANNEL TO ATTENUATE THE MAGNITUDE OF AN OUTPUT SIGNAL APPLIED THERETO FROM THE DETECTOR; (G) MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAMPLE INTRODUCTION INTO THE COLUMN; (H) A PLURALITY OF SAMPLE SOURCES: (I) MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID PROGRAMMER, SAID MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A SAMPLE INTO THE COLUMN, AND SAID PLURALITY OF SAMPLE SOURCES FOR SEQUENTIALLY INTRODUCING SAMPLES FROM SAID SOURCES INTO SAID COLUMN; (J) A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS ARRANGED IN A RECTANGULAR ARRAY (I) SUCH THAT A CONDUCTOR IN ONE COORDINATE OF THE ARRAY CORRESPONDS TO ONE OF SAID SAMPLE SOURCES, AND (II) A CONDUCTOR IN THE OTHER COORDINATE OF THE ARRAY CORRESPONDS TO ONE OF SAID OUTPUT CHANNEL MEANS; (K) MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE PROGRAMMER AND THE SAMPLE SOURCE COORDINATE CONDUCTORS AND OPERABLE TO APPLY AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL TO THAT SAMPLE SOURCE COORDINATE CONDUCTOR CORRESPONDING TO THE SOURCE FROM WHICH A SAMPLE IS BEING ANALYZED; (L) A PLURALITY OF DIODES DISPOSED IN A RECTANGULAR COORDINATE ARRAY (I) SUCH THAT EACH DIODE IS CONNECTED BETWEEN A SAMPLE SOURCE COORDINATE CONDUCTOR AND AN OUTPUT CHANNEL COORDINATE CONDUCTOR AT THE CROSSING THEREOF TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT THEREBETWEEN; (M) MEANS FOR NORMALLY OPENING SAID OUTPUT CHANNEL COORDINATE CONDUCTORS AND FOR SEQUENTIALLY CLOSING AND OPENING SAID CONDUCTORS DURING EACH ANALYSIS; AND (N) OUTPUT CHANNEL CONNECTING MEANS OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE TRANSFER BY A DIODE OF SAID ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL TO ANY CLOSED OUTPUT CHANNEL COORDINATE CONDUCTOR TO CLOSE THE NORMALLY OPEN CIRCUIT CONNECTING THE OUTPUT CHANNEL CORRESPONDING THERETO BETWEEN THE DETECTOR AND THE RECORDER AND TO APPLY THE ATTENUATED OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM THE DETECTOR TO THE RECORDER.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSES COMPRISING (A) A CHROMATOGRAPHIC COLUMN; (B) MEANS FOR PASSING A STREAM OF ELUTANT THROUGH THE COLUMN; (C) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A SAMPLE TO BE ANALYZED INTO THE ELUTANT STREAM ENTERING THE COLUMN; (D) A DETECTOR FOR RECEIVING FLUID EMERGING FROM THE COLUMN, SENSING THE SUCCESSIVE APPEARANCE THEREIN OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE SAMPLE ANALYZED, AND PRODUCING AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL OUTPUT IN RESPONSE THERETO, (I) THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PEAKS OF WHICH SIGNAL ARE FUNCTIONS OF THE QUANTITIES OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE SAMPLE ANALYZED; (E) A RECORDER; (F) A PLURALITY OF OUTPUT CHANNEL MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE DETECTOR AND THE RECORDER BY NORMALLY OPEN OUTPUT CIRCUITS, AND (I) INCLUDING MEANS IN EACH CHANNEL TO ATTENUATE THE MAGNITUDE OF AN OUTPUT SIGNAL APPLIED THERETO FROM THE DETECTOR; (G) MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAMPLE INTRODUCTION INTO THE COLUMN; (H) A PLURALITY OF SAMPLE SOURCES: (I) MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID PROGRAMMER, SAID MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A SAMPLE INTO THE COLUMN, AND SAID PLURALITY OF SAMPLE SOURCES FOR SEQUENTIALLY INTRODUCING SAMPLES FROM SAID SOURCES INTO SAID COLUMN; (J) A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS ARRANGED IN A RECTANGULAR ARRAY (I) SUCH THAT A CONDUCTOR IN ONE COORDINATE OF THE ARRAY CORRESPONDS TO ONE OF SAID SAMPLE SOURCES, AND (II) A CONDUCTOR IN THE OTHER COORDINATE OF THE ARRAY CORRESPONDS TO ONE OF SAID OUTPUT CHANNEL MEANS; (K) MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE PROGRAMMER AND THE SAMPLE SOURCE COORDINATE CONDUCTORS AND OPERABLE TO APPLY AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL TO THAT SAMPLE SOURCE COORDINATE CONDUCTOR CORRESPONDING TO THE SOURCE FROM WHICH A SAMPLE IS BEING ANALYZED; (L) A PLURALITY OF DIODES DISPOSED IN A RECTANGULAR COORDINATE ARRAY (I) SUCH THAT EACH DIODE IS CONNECTED BETWEEN A SAMPLE SOURCE COORDINATE CONDUCTOR AND AN OUTPUT CHANNEL COORDINATE CONDUCTOR AT THE CROSSING THEREOF TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT THEREBETWEEN; (M) MEANS FOR NORMALLY OPENING SAID OUTPUT CHANNEL COORDINATE CONDUCTORS AND FOR SEQUENTIALLY CLOSING AND OPENING SAID CONDUCTORS DURING EACH ANALYSIS; AND (N) OUTPUT CHANNEL CONNECTING MEANS OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE TRANSFER BY A DIODE OF SAID ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL TO ANY CLOSED OUTPUT CHANNEL COORDINATE CONDUCTOR TO CLOSE THE NORMALLY OPEN CIRCUIT CONNECTING THE OUTPUT CHANNEL CORRESPONDING THERETO BETWEEN THE DETECTOR AND THE RECORDER AND TO APPLY THE ATTENUATED OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM THE DETECTOR TO THE RECORDER.