Rotary valve
Rotary valves and methods of using, manufacturing, and storing the same are provided herein. The rotary valve includes a rotor and a stator, biased toward one another to form a fluid tight seal. In some implementations, the rotor comprises an integrated flow channel containing a porous solid support. Frequently, the interface between rotor and stator is made fluid-tight using a gasket. Some implementations of the rotary valve include a displaceable spacer to prevent the gasket from sealing against at least one of the rotor and stator prior to operation, wherein when the spacer is displaced, the gasket seals the rotor and stator together in a fluid-tight manner.
1. A rotary valve comprising:
a. a rotor 10 comprising a rotor valving face 12 , an outer face 13 opposite the rotor valving face, and a rotational axis 16 ;
b. a stator 50 ;
c. a gasket 80 interposed between the stator and the rotor valving face; and
d. a displaceable spacer 60 for preventing the gasket from sealing against at least one of the rotor and stator,
wherein, when the spacer is displaced the gasket seals the rotor and stator together in a fluid-tight manner.
2. The valve of claim 1 , further comprising a retention element 90 biasing the rotor and stator towards one another.
3. The valve of claim 2 , wherein the retention element 90 comprises a retention ring 91 and a biasing element 96 .
4. The valve of claim 3 , wherein the retention ring 91 is fixedly coupled to the stator and the biasing element 96 is a spring.
5. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the rotor 10 comprises at least one lip 21 and the displaceable spacer 60 comprises a plurality of tabs 61 displaceable from a storage configuration to an operational configuration, wherein each of the tabs 61 contact the at least one lip 21 and thereby prevent the gasket from sealing the rotor and stator in the storage configuration, and disengage with the at least one lip when the tabs are displaced from the storage configuration to the operational configuration.
6. The valve of claim 5 , wherein the at least one lip 21 is an interior lip 23 and the rotor further comprises a displacer slot 28 adjacent to the interior lip, wherein the displacer slot accommodates the tabs 63 when displaced to the operational configuration.
7. The valve of claim 5 , wherein the rotor 10 comprises a curved outer wall 14 and the at least one lip 21 is a peripheral lip 22 located on the outer wall.
8. The valve of claim 5 , wherein the rotor comprises one or more cams 24 which displace the plurality of tabs 61 from the storage configuration to the operational configuration and thereby disengages the plurality of tabs 61 from the at least one lip 21 when the rotor is rotated.
9. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the gasket 80 comprises an aperture 83 therethrough and wherein the stator comprises an arcing rail 70 for laterally constraining the gasket.
10. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the outer face 13 comprises an opening for engaging a spline.
11. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the rotor further comprises a flow channel 40 having an inlet 41 and an outlet 42 at the rotor valving face, wherein the flow channel comprises a porous solid support 45 .
12. The valve of claim 11 , wherein the stator comprises a stator face 52 and a plurality of passages 54 , each passage comprising a port 53 at the stator face.
13. A microfluidic network comprising (a) a rotary valve according to claim 12 and (b) a plurality of conduits 55 each fluidically connected to one of the ports 53 .
14. A method of purifying an analyte, the method comprising:
a. providing the valve according to claim 12 ;
b. flowing a sample comprising analyte through the flow channel 40 ; and
c. retaining at least a portion of the analyte on the porous solid support 45 to produce a bound analyte portion and a depleted sample portion.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein flowing the sample through the flow channel 40 further comprises rotating the rotor 10 at a first rotational position, thereby fluidically connecting a first port 53 a , the flow channel 40 , and a second port 53 b.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sample is flowed into the flow channel 40 via the first port 53 a to create a depleted sample and wherein the depleted sample exits the flow channel via the second port 53 b.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising rotating the rotor 10 to a second rotational position, thereby fluidically connecting a third port 53 c , the flow channel 40 and a fourth port 53 d.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising flowing eluent into the flow channel 40 via the third port 53 c and thereby releasing at least a portion of the analyte from the porous solid support 45 to produce an analyte sample, wherein the analyte sample exits the flow channel via the fourth port 53 d.
19. A method of storing a rotary valve, the method comprising:
a. placing the valve according to claim 1 into a storage container; and
b. storing the valve for a period of time.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein storing the valve comprises maintaining the valve in a storage position wherein the gasket is spaced apart from at least one of the rotor and the stator.