CHROMATOGRAPHIC BED INSERT

1 : A chromatographic bed insert, comprising:

a base comprising a plurality of openings; and

an array of projection members positioned on the base and projecting substantially perpendicular to the base,

wherein the chromatographic bed insert has a displacement volume % D which is less than 50% of a volume defined by the chromatographic bed insert, and

the chromatographic bed insert is configured to reduce a hydraulic radius R H of a chromatography bed comprising the chromatographic bed insert by at least 25% compared to a corresponding chromatography bed which does not comprise the chromatographic bed insert.

2 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 1 , wherein the projection members comprise a free end and a fixed end which is connected to the base.

3 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 1 , wherein each of the projection members has a projection member height, a first projection member thickness, and a second projection member thickness, and the projection members have a ratio of the first projection member thickness to the second projection member thickness of 1:1 to 20:1.

4 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 3 , wherein each of the projection members has a ratio of the first projection member thickness to the projection member height of 1:2 to 1:20.

5 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a plurality of base members positioned such that the base has the openings.

6 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 5 , wherein the base members comprise a raised edge oriented in a direction substantially similar to the projection members.

7 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 1 , wherein the base has the openings that form a pattern which is radially symmetric.

8 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 1 , wherein the base has the openings that form a square grid.

9 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 1 , wherein the base has the openings that form a hexagonal grid.

10 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 7 , wherein the projection members are positioned on the base such that the array of projection members forms a pattern which is radially symmetric.

11 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 8 , wherein the projection members are positioned on the base such that the array of projection members forms a square grid.

12 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 1 , which comprises a plurality of layers each comprising the base and the array of projection members,

wherein the layers include a first layer positioned on a second layer and form a stack in which the base of the first layer is positioned on the array of the projection members of the second layer.

13 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 12 , wherein a second array of projection members associated with the second layer is aligned with a first array of projection members associated with the first layer.

14 : The chromatographic bed insert of claim 12 , wherein the first layer includes a first base, the second layer includes a second base, and each of the projection members in the second layer comprises a first end connected to the first base and a second end connected to the second base.

15 : A chromatographic device, comprising:

a chromatographic medium; and

a chromatographic bed insert including

a base comprising a plurality of openings, and

an array of projection members positioned on the base and projecting substantially perpendicular to the base,

wherein the chromatographic bed insert has a displacement volume % D which is less than 50% of a volume defined by the chromatographic bed insert, and

the chromatographic bed insert is configured to reduce a hydraulic radius R H of the chromatographic device by at least 25% compared to a corresponding chromatographic device which does not comprise the chromatographic bed insert.

16 : The chromatographic device of claim 15 , wherein the chromatographic device has a corrected hydraulic radius R HC of less than 1 cm, and the corresponding chromatographic device which does not comprise the chromatographic bed insert has R H of at least 1 cm.

17 : The chromatographic device of claim 15 , wherein the chromatographic device has a hydraulic radius R HC of less than 0.75 cm, and the corresponding chromatographic device which does not comprise the chromatographic bed insert has R H of 1 to 5 cm.

18 : The chromatographic device of claim 15 , wherein the chromatographic medium comprises packed particles.

19 : The chromatographic device of claim 18 , wherein the particles are at least one selected from the group consisting of a synthetic resin particle, a polysaccharide particle, and an inorganic material particle.

20 : A method of chromatographically separating constituents of a liquid mixture, the method comprising:

passing the liquid mixture and an eluting solvent through a chromatographic device; and

collecting fractions comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a constituent of the liquid mixture and the eluting solvent,

wherein the chromatographic device includes

a chromatographic medium; and

a chromatographic bed insert including

a base comprising a plurality of openings, and

an array of projection members positioned on the base and projecting substantially perpendicular to the base,

the chromatographic bed insert has a displacement volume % D which is less than 50% of a volume defined by the chromatographic bed insert, and

the chromatographic bed insert is configured to reduce a hydraulic radius R H of the chromatographic device by at least 25% compared to a corresponding chromatographic device which does not comprise the chromatographic bed insert.