Centrifugal fraction collection system and method

1. A centrifugal fraction collection system comprising:

a rotating carrier for holding at least one sample collection container and inducing a centrifugal force;

a guide disposed on the rotating carrier; and

a flexible eluant tube disposed over the rotating carrier and through the guide for receiving a flow of eluant having volatile and non-volatile components and directing the flow of eluant into at least one sample collection container wherein the centrifugal force separates the non-volatile and volatile components based on their respective densities and collects the non-volatile components in at least one sample collection container.

2. The system of claim 1 in which one end of the flexible eluant tube is configured to receive the flow of eluant from a supercritical fluid chromatography system.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the one end of the flexible eluant tube is maintained in a fixed position above the rotating carrier and the other end of the flexible eluant tube axially rotates in the guide.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a plurality of sample collection containers disposed in the rotating carrier.

5. The system of claim 4 in further including a distributor subsystem coupled to and synchronized with the rotating carrier for locating, aligning, and locking the flexible eluant tube to a predetermined one of the plurality of sample collection containers and for distributing fractions of the eluant to a predetermined number of the plurality of sample collection containers.

6. The system of claim 5 in which the next predetermined sample collection container in the collection sequence is located approximately opposite a sample collection container receiving a flow of eluant and for maintaining asymmetrical distribution of weight of collected eluant among the plurality of sample collection containers.

7. The system of claim 6 in which the distributor subsystem advances the guide and flexible eluant tube to each of the plurality of sample collection containers in a predetermined pattern for maintaining a symmetrical distribution of weight of the fractionated eluant in the plurality of sample collection containers.

8. The system of claim 7 further including a collection container identification subsystem for determining the location of one of the plurality of sample collection containers receiving the flow of eluant.

9. The system of claim 5 in which distributor subsystem includes a distributor cover having one or more detent recesses, an actuator, one or more rotating pawls, and a clutch mechanism.

10. The system of claim 9 in which the actuator is coupled to the rotating carrier and the one or more rotating pawls engage the one or more detent recesses in the distributor cover to lock the distributor cover at a desired location.

11. The system of claim 10 in which a profile of the one or more detent recesses in the distributor cover aligns the distributor cover, the guide, and the flexible eluant tube proximate a predetermined one of the plurality of sample collection containers.

12. The system of claim 9 in which the distributor subsystem includes a distributor cover having a plurality of locking teeth and one or more locking pins or levers which engage one or more of the plurality of locking teeth to halt the distributor cover at a desired location and counteract accumulated angular momentum generated by rotating the distributor cover.

13. The system of claim 5 in which the distributor subsystem is advanced to the next predetermined sample collection container mechanically and/or electrically by applying pneumatic pressure pulses and/or by applying mechanical forces and/or by applying electrical signals and/or by applying optical signals and/or by applying wireless signals and/or by applying electromagnetic signals.

14. The system of claim 5 further including a retraction device for retracting the flexible eluant tube from one of the plurality of collection containers while the distributor subsystem advances to the next predetermined one of the plurality of sample collection containers.

15. The system of claim 14 in which the retraction device is controlled mechanically and/or electrically by applying pneumatic pressure pulses and/or by applying mechanical forces and/or by applying electrical signals and/or by applying wireless signals and/or by applying optical signals and/or by applying electromagnetic signals.

16. The system of claim 14 further including a diverter valve coupled between a source of the flow of eluant and the flexible eluant tube configured to temporarily stop the flow of eluant while the retraction device retracts the flexible eluant tube and the distributor subsystem advances the flexible eluant tube to the next predetermined sample collection container and extends the flexible eluant tube into a next predetermined sample collection container and thereafter allowing the flow of eluant to be dispensed in the next predetermined sample collection container.

17. The system of claim 16 further including an embedded controller for controlling the distributor subsystem, the retraction device, the collection container identification subsystem, the diverter valve, and the rotation speed of the rotating carrier by predetermined commands entered into the controller and/or by commands received from an external system control subsystem.

18. The system of claim 17 in which the controller includes a control panel having a display for displaying the sample collection container receiving the eluant and a plurality of switches for controlling operation of the rotating carrier, the distributor subsystem, the diverter valve, and for programming collection of pure compounds from the non-volatile components into one or more of the plurality of collection containers based on a commands entered into the controller and/or signals from a chemical processing system detector and/or from the control computer of a chemical processing system.

19. The system of claim 1 in which the flexible eluant tube extends a predetermined length into a sample collection container for increasing the yield of the non-volatile components.

20. The system of claim 1 in which the volatile components include carbon dioxide and the non-volatile compounds include a component chosen from the group consisting of: molecules, compounds, chiral molecules, enantiomers, drugs, sample precipitates, reactants, reaction products, natural product extracts, and modifier solvents.

21. The system of claim 1 in which the flexible eluant tube is made of a durable material capable of withstanding continuous flexing caused by high speed rotation of the rotating carrier and which is un-reactive with the volatile and non-volatile components.

22. A centrifugal fraction collection system comprising:

a rotating carrier for holding at least one sample collection container and inducing a centrifugal force; and

an eluant tube disposed over the rotating carrier and coupled to the rotating carrier for receiving a flow of eluant having volatile and non-volatile components and directing the flow of eluant into at least one sample collection container wherein the centrifugal force separates the non-volatile and volatile components based on their respective densities and collects the non-volatile components in at least one sample collection container.

23. The system of claim 22 further including a housing, a cover, and a fluidic sealing bearing disposed in the cover, the fluidic sealing bearing including a coupling attached to a rigid eluant tube receiving the flow of eluant and a rotating portion disposed in the coupling fixably attached to a rigid eluant tube which is fixably attached to the rotating carrier.