Electrophoresis apparatus having staggered passage configuration
First Claim
1. An electrophoresis apparatus, comprising:
- a transport capillary or channel;
a first separation capillary or channel overlapping and intersecting the transport capillary or channel at a first intersection;
the first intersection having a first staggered configuration which includes a first elongated concentration area;
a first analyte concentrator containing at least one first immobilized affinity ligand in the first elongated concentration area to concentrate a first analyte of interest from a sample introduced into the transport capillary or channel;
a second separation capillary or channel overlapping and intersecting the transport capillary or channel at a second intersection spaced downstream from the first intersection;
the second intersection having a second staggered configuration which includes a second elongated concentration area;
a second analyte concentrator containing at least one second immobilized affinity ligand in the second elongated concentration area to concentrate a second analyte of interest from the sample introduced into the transport capillary or channel;
analyte detector means for identifying and characterizing the first and second analytes of interest conveyed thereto from the first and second analyte concentrators, respectively; and
controlling means for controlling flow of the sample in the transport capillary or channel and past the first and second intersections and for controlling flow of buffer fluid through the first and second separation capillaries or channels and conveyed by electrophoresis migration, pressure or a combination of electrophoresis migration and pressure to the analyte detector means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrophoresis apparatus is generally disclosed for sequentially analyzing a single sample or multiple samples having one or more analytes in high or low concentrations. The apparatus comprises a relatively large-bore transport capillary which intersects with a plurality of small-bore separation capillaries and includes a valve system. Analyte concentrators, having antibody-specific (or related affinity) chemistries, are stationed at the respective intersections of the transport capillary and separation capillaries to bind one or more analytes of interest. The apparatus allows the performance of two or more dimensions for the optimal separation of analytes. The apparatus may also include a plurality of valves surrounding each of the analyte concentrators to localize each of the concentrators to improve the binding of one or more analytes of interest.
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Citations
184 Claims
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1. An electrophoresis apparatus, comprising:
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a transport capillary or channel; a first separation capillary or channel overlapping and intersecting the transport capillary or channel at a first intersection; the first intersection having a first staggered configuration which includes a first elongated concentration area; a first analyte concentrator containing at least one first immobilized affinity ligand in the first elongated concentration area to concentrate a first analyte of interest from a sample introduced into the transport capillary or channel; a second separation capillary or channel overlapping and intersecting the transport capillary or channel at a second intersection spaced downstream from the first intersection; the second intersection having a second staggered configuration which includes a second elongated concentration area; a second analyte concentrator containing at least one second immobilized affinity ligand in the second elongated concentration area to concentrate a second analyte of interest from the sample introduced into the transport capillary or channel; analyte detector means for identifying and characterizing the first and second analytes of interest conveyed thereto from the first and second analyte concentrators, respectively; and controlling means for controlling flow of the sample in the transport capillary or channel and past the first and second intersections and for controlling flow of buffer fluid through the first and second separation capillaries or channels and conveyed by electrophoresis migration, pressure or a combination of electrophoresis migration and pressure to the analyte detector means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 176, 179)
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63. An electrophoresis apparatus, comprising:
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a transport capillary or channel; a first analyte concentrator including one or more first immobilized affinity ligands which are attracted to a first analyte of interest; a first separation capillary or channel to convey by electrophoresis migration and/or pressure the first analyte of interest from a sample transported in the transport capillary or channel and concentrated by the first analyte concentrator at a first location of the transport capillary or channel to a detector system which identifies and characterizes the first analyte of interest; the transport capillary or channel and the first separation capillary or channel defining a first staggered configuration at the first location and having a first elongated section in which the first analyte concentrator is positioned; the first separation capillary or channel being communicable upstream of the first staggered configuration with a buffer supply; a second analyte concentrator including one or more second immobilized affinity ligands which are attracted to a second analyte of interest; a second separation capillary or channel to convey by electrophoresis migration and/or pressure the second analyte of interest from the sample transported in the transport capillary or channel and concentrated by the second analyte concentrator at a second location of the transport capillary or channel to the detector system which also identifies and characterizes the second analyte of interest; the transport capillary or channel and the second separation capillary or channel defining a second staggered configuration at the second location and having a second elongated section in which the second analyte concentrator is positioned; the second separation capillary or channel being communicable upstream of the second staggered configuration with a buffer supply; and a valve system to control fluid flow in the transport capillary or channel and the separation capillaries or channels. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 177, 180)
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120. An electrophoresis apparatus, comprising:
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a transport capillary or channel; a first analyte concentrator which is a first analyte concentrator-microreactor adapted to concentrate a first analyte of interest; a first separation capillary or channel to convey by electrophoresis migration and/or pressure the first analyte of interest from a sample transported in the transport capillary or channel and concentrated by one or more first immobilized affinity ligands in the first analyte concentrator-microreactor at a first location of the transport capillary or channel to a detector system which identifies and characterizes the first analyte of interest; the first separation capillary or channel being positionable in fluid communication at an inlet end thereof with a buffer supply; the transport capillary or channel and the first separation capillary or channel defining a first staggered configuration at the first location and having a first elongated portion in which the first analyte concentrator-microreactor is positioned; a second analyte concentrator which is a second analyte concentrator-microreactor adapted to concentrate a second analyte of interest; a second separation capillary or channel to convey by electrophoresis migration and/or pressure the second analyte of interest from the sample and concentrated by one or more second immobilized affinity ligands in the second analyte concentrator-microreactor at a second location of the transport capillary or channel to the detector system which also identifies and characterizes the second analyte of interest; the second separation capillary or channel being positionable in fluid communication at an inlet end thereof with a buffer supply; the transport capillary or channel and the second separation capillary or channel defining a second staggered configuration at the second location and having a second elongated portion in which the second analyte concentrator-microreactor is positioned; and a valve system to control fluid flow in the capillaries or channels, the valve system including valves on the first separation capillary or channel and the transport capillary or channel and operatively around the first staggered configuration and valves on the second separation capillary or channel and the transport capillary or channel and operatively around the second staggered configuration. - View Dependent Claims (121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 181)
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178. An electrophoresis apparatus, comprising:
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a transport capillary or channel; a first separation capillary or channel overlapping and intersecting the transport capillary or channel at a first intersection; the first intersection having a first staggered configuration which includes a first elongated concentration area; a first analyte concentrator containing at least one first immobilized affinity ligand in the first elongated concentration area to concentrate a first analyte of interest from a sample introduced into the transport capillary or channel; a second separation capillary or channel overlapping and intersecting the transport capillary or channel at a second intersection spaced downstream from the first intersection; the second intersection having a second staggered configuration which includes a second elongated concentration area; a second analyte concentrator containing at least one second immobilized affinity ligand in the second elongated concentration area to concentrate a second analyte of interest from the sample introduced into the transport capillary or channel; analyte detector means for identifying and characterizing the first and second analytes of interest conveyed thereto from the first and second analyte concentrators, respectively; and a valve system which controls flow of the sample in the transport capillary or channel and past the first and second intersections and which controls flow of buffer fluid through the first and second separation capillaries or channels and conveyed by electrophoresis migration, pressure or a combination of electrophoresis migration and pressure to the analyte detector means. - View Dependent Claims (182, 183, 184)
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Specification