High throughput capillary electrophoresis system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A capillary electrophoresis system comprising:
- a base;
a plurality of wells disposed on the base;
an arm assembly mounted to the base and movable in three dimensions;
a detector docking station mounted to the base; and
a detector module comprising a capillary extending from an inlet end to an outlet end, a pair of electrodes extending adjacent the capillary inlet end and the capillary outlet end, and a detector aligned with a portion of the capillary, the arm assembly operative to move the detector module from the detector docking station to a working position with the capillary inlet end and an associated electrode disposed in a selected well and the capillary outlet end and an associated electrode disposed in a corresponding selected well.
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Abstract
The invention is directed to a high throughput capillary electrophoresis (CE) system, which comprises multiple mobile CE detector modules that are transportable by a programmable fluid-handling arm assembly to fixed samples in microtiter plate wells for analysis. The CE system of the invention is capable of simultaneously automating sample preparation and multiple CE analysis of the sample in a continuous timely process. The CE detector modules of the invention may be equipped with any suitable detection method, such as an ultraviolet (UV) absorbance or a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detector.
45 Citations
70 Claims
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1. A capillary electrophoresis system comprising:
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a base;
a plurality of wells disposed on the base;
an arm assembly mounted to the base and movable in three dimensions;
a detector docking station mounted to the base; and
a detector module comprising a capillary extending from an inlet end to an outlet end, a pair of electrodes extending adjacent the capillary inlet end and the capillary outlet end, and a detector aligned with a portion of the capillary, the arm assembly operative to move the detector module from the detector docking station to a working position with the capillary inlet end and an associated electrode disposed in a selected well and the capillary outlet end and an associated electrode disposed in a corresponding selected well. - 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)
an X-arm extendable horizontally over the plurality of wells;
a Y-arm fixedly mounted to the base and extending horizontally along a side of the wells orthogonal to the X-arm, the Y-arm linearly movably mounted on the X-arm;
a Z-arm extending vertically, the Z-arm linearly movably mounted on the Y-arm; and
a pick-up assembly movably mounted on the Z-arm for vertical motion.
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27. The system of claim 26, further comprising a track mechanism disposed on the X-arm, the Y-arm movably mounted to travel along the track mechanism of the X-arm.
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28. The system of claim 26, further comprising a track mechanism disposed on the Y-arm, the Z-arm movably mounted to travel along the track mechanism of the Y-arm.
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29. The system of claim 26, further comprising a track mechanism disposed on the Z-arm, the pick-up assembly movably mounted to travel on the track mechanism of the Z-arm.
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30. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm assembly comprises a pick-up assembly configured to engage and retain the detector module to transport the detector module.
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31. The system of claim 30, wherein the pick-up assembly includes a detector module retaining mechanism.
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32. The system of claim 31, wherein the detector module includes a magnetizable element, and the retaining mechanism comprises an energizable magnetic assembly operative to engage the magnetizable element on the detector module.
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33. The system of claim 32, wherein the magnetizable element comprises a steel plate.
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34. The system of claim 32, wherein the detector module includes a guide member for directing the magnetic assembly of the pick-up assembly to the magnetizable element.
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35. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector docking station further comprises at least a pair of wells in registration with the capillary inlet end and the capillary outlet end to receive the capillary and the associated electrode extending from the inlet end and the capillary and the associated electrode extending from the outlet end.
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36. The system of claim 35, wherein a buffer solution is disposed in the pair of wells on the detector docking station.
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37. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector docking station further comprises a detector module hold-down mechanism.
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38. The system of claim 37, wherein the detector docking station includes a magnetizable element, and the hold-down mechanism comprises an energizable magnetic assembly operative to engage the magnetizable element on the detector module.
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39. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller assembly in communication with the arm assembly and operative to direct the arm assembly to move a selected one of the plurality of detector modules to a selected position.
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40. The system of claim 39, wherein the controller assembly further comprises a display device and an operator input device.
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41. A method of establishing high throughput capillary electrophoresis analysis, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing the system of claim 1;
providing a sample for analysis; and
performing a capillary electrophoresis assay using the system of claim 1.
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42. The system of claim 1, further comprising flexible cabling between the base and the detector module.
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43. A detector module for cooperation with a capillary electrophoresis system comprising:
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a housing comprising an upper housing and a cartridge removably mounted to the upper housing, a channel disposed through the housing, the channel comprising an inlet end extending through the cartridge, an outlet end extending through the cartridge, and a midportion of the channel extending along an upper surface of the cartridge from the inlet end to the outlet end;
a capillary disposed in the channel in the housing and extending from the inlet end to the outlet end;
a first electrode extending through and depending from at least the cartridge of the housing in association with the capillary at the inlet end and a second electrode extending through and depending from at least the cartridge of the housing in association with the capillary at the outlet end; and
a detector disposed in alignment with a portion of the capillary. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A detector module for cooperation with a capillary electrophoresis system comprising:
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a housing having a channel therethrough;
a capillary disposed in the channel in the housing and extending from an inlet end to an outlet end;
a first electrode depending from the housing in association with the capillary at the inlet end and a second electrode depending from the housing in association with the capillary at the outlet end;
a detector disposed in alignment with a portion of the capillary; and
a temperature regulating mechanism operative to maintain the capillary at a selected temperature comprising a cooling channel formed in the housing for a coolant to circulate in the coolant channel.
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67. A detector module for cooperation with a capillary electrophoresis system comprising:
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a housing having a channel therethrough;
a capillary disposed in the channel in the housing and extending from an inlet end to an outlet end;
a first electrode depending from the housing in association with the capillary at the inlet end and a second electrode depending from the housing in association with the capillary at the outlet end;
a detector disposed in alignment with a portion of the capillary; and
a sealing element at the inlet end and the outlet end operative to seal a respective capillary and associated electrode to a working well. - View Dependent Claims (68)
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69. A detector module for cooperation with a capillary electrophoresis system comprising:
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a housing having a channel therethrough;
a capillary disposed in the channel in the housing and extending from an inlet end to an outlet end;
a first electrode depending from the housing in association with the capillary at the inlet end and a second electrode depending from the housing in association with the capillary at the outlet end;
a detector disposed in alignment with a portion of the capillary; and
a liftable mechanism comprising a magnetizable plate configured to be lifted by an arm assembly of the capillary electrophoresis system.
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70. A capillary electrophoresis system comprising:
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a base;
a plurality of wells disposed on the base;
an arm assembly mounted to the base and movable in three dimensions;
a detector docking station mounted to the base, a pair of electrodes are disposed on the docking station; and
a detector module comprising a capillary extending from an inlet end to an outlet end, and a detector aligned with a portion of the capillary, the arm assembly operative to move the detector module from the detector docking station to a working position with the capillary inlet end disposed in a selected well and the capillary outlet end disposed in a corresponding selected well.
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Specification