Method for automatic optimization of liquid chromatography autosampler

1. A method for optimizing the operation of an autosampler coupled to a liquid chromatography (LC) system, comprising:

reading, from a database on an electronic memory storage device, a pre-injection time value corresponding to the time required for the autosampler to perform preparatory operations pertaining to the performing of a sample analysis procedure on a sample and including at least moving a syringe into position over a sample container and drawing the sample from the sample container into the syringe;

calculating an autosampler delay time from the pre-injection time value, a start time of a previously-started sample analysis and a duration time value of the previously-started sample analysis;

performing the autosampler preparatory operations after delaying said autosampler preparatory operations for a time corresponding to the autosampler delay time;

measuring a time value of the preceding performing of autosampler preparatory operations;

replacing the pre-injection time value stored in the database with the measured time value of the preceding performing of autosampler preparatory operations if the measured time value of the preceding performing of autosampler preparatory operations is greater than the pre-injection time value stored in the database; and

injecting the sample from the autosampler into an injection port of the LC system after receipt of a signal from the LC system by the autosampler.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pre-injection time value corresponds to the time required for the autosampler to perform preparatory operations including the moving of the syringe into position over the sample container and the drawing the sample from the sample container into the syringe and further including washing of the syringe and the injection port.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pre-injection time value corresponds to the time required for the autosampler to perform preparatory operations including the moving of the syringe into position over the sample container and the drawing the sample from the sample container into the syringe and further including transporting of the syringe with the drawn sample to the injection port.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the read pre-injection time value is one of a plurality of pre-injection time values stored in the database, each stored pre-injection time value corresponding to a different respective sample analysis procedure.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the reading of the pre-injection time comprises reading, from the database on the electronic memory storage device, a pre-sample time value and a sample transport time value, wherein the time required for the autosampler to perform preparatory operations is the sum of the pre-sample time and the sample transport time.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 , the measuring of the time value of the performing of autosampler preparatory operations comprises:

measuring a first time component during which the autosampler performs all preparatory operations prior to the drawing of the sample from the sample container;

measuring a second time component during which the autosampler performs all remaining preparatory operations prior to injecting the sample into the injection port; and

replacing the pre-sample time value and the sample transport time value stored in the database with the measured first and second time components, respectively,

wherein the sum of the first and second time components is equal to the time value of the performing of autosampler preparatory operations.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including, prior to the calculating the autosampler delay time from the pre-injection time value and from a sample analysis time value:

reading the sample analysis time value from the database on the electronic memory storage device.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the read sample analysis time value is one of a plurality of sample analysis time values stored in the database, each of said sample analysis time values corresponding to a different respective sample analysis procedure.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 , further comprising:

performing an LC analysis of the injected sample using the LC system; and

replacing the sample analysis time value stored in the database with a measured value of a time required for the LC system to perform the LC analysis.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the delaying of the autosampler preparatory operations occurs after the operation of autosampler post-injection operations pertaining to the previously-started sample analysis.

11. A method for optimizing the operation of an autosampler coupled to a liquid chromatography (LC) system com having a plurality of simultaneously operating LC channels, the method comprising:

reading, from a database on an electronic memory storage device, a pre-injection time value pertaining to the performing of a sample analysis procedure on a sample and corresponding to the time required for the autosampler to perform preparatory operations including at least moving a syringe into position over a sample container and drawing a sample from the sample container into the syringe;

retrieving or calculating a respective remaining sample analysis time for each of the plurality of LC channels;

calculating an autosampler delay time from the pre-injection time value and from a minimum value of the remaining sample analysis times;

performing the autosampler preparatory operations after delaying said autosampler operations for a time corresponding to the autosampler delay time;

measuring a time value of the preceding performing of autosampler preparatory operations;

replacing the pre-injection time value stored in the database with the measured time value of the preceding performing of autosampler preparatory operations if the measured time value of the preceding performing of autosampler preparatory operations is greater than the pre-injection time value stored in the database; and

injecting the sample from the autosampler into an LC channel that corresponds to the minimum value of the remaining sample analysis times after receipt of a signal from the LC system by the autosampler.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the pre-injection time value corresponds to the time required for the autosampler to perform preparatory operations including the moving of the syringe into position over the sample container and the drawing the sample from the sample container into the syringe and further including washing of the syringe and the injection port.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the pre-injection time value corresponds to the time required for the autosampler to perform preparatory operations including the moving of the syringe into position over the sample container and the drawing the sample from the sample container into the syringe and further including transporting of the syringe with the drawn sample to the injection port.

14. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the reading of the pre-injection time comprises reading, from the database on the electronic memory storage device, a pre-sample time value and a sample transport time value, wherein the time required for the autosampler to perform preparatory operations is the sum of the pre-sample time and the sample transport time.

15. A liquid chromatography system comprising:

a liquid chromatograph (LC) configured to analyze liquid samples;

an LC control process electrically coupled to the LC;

an autosampler configured to inject liquid samples to the LC;

an autosampler control process electrically coupled to the autosampler; and

a computer-readable memory module electrically configured so as to provide data to and receive data from each of the LC control process and the autosampler control process,

wherein the autosampler control process is configured to:

cause the austosampler to perform pre-sampling operations pertaining to and transport operations upon a sample in accordance with a sample analysis procedure after delaying operation for a time corresponding to a calculated autosampler delay time;

measure a time value of the performing of the pre-sampling and transport operations;

cause the autosampler to inject the sample into an injection port of the LC after receipt of a signal from the LC; and

wherein one of the LC control process and the autosampler control process is configured to:

read, from a database on the computer-readable memory module, a pre-injection time value comprising a previously measured time required for the autosampler to perform the pre-sampling and transport operations;

calculate the autosampler delay time from the read pre-injection time value, a start time of a previously-started LC sample analysis and a duration time value of the previously-started LC sample analysis;

replace the pre-injection time value stored in the database with the measured time value of the performing of the pre-sampling and transport operations if the measured value of the performing of the pre-sampling and transport operations is greater than the pre-injection time value stored in the database.

16. A liquid chromatography system as recited in claim 15 :

wherein the LC comprises a plurality of LC channels, each channel having a respective LC injection port and configured to perform a different respective LC sample analysis, and the plurality of LC channels configured to perform the LC sample analyses concurrently, and

wherein the autosampler control process is further configured to cause the autosampler to inject the sample into the injection port of an LC channel associated with a minimum remaining sample analysis time.