Capillary array cartridge for capillary electrophoresis systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10274460-B2
Application number	US-201515124168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2015
Priority date	Mar 7, 2014
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to an apparatus for conducting a capillary electrophoresis assay. The apparatus can comprise a capillary array comprising an anode end and a cathode end, the capillary array provided in a housing further comprising a reservoir configured to house a separation medium and an anode buffer. The system can also comprise an injection mechanism configured to deliver sample to the cathode end of the capillary array, and a temperature control zone, wherein the temperature control zone is configured to control the temperature of the interior of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for conducting a capillary electrophoresis assay, the apparatus comprising:
a cartridge housing configured to be removably installed in an electrophoresis assay device;
a capillary array disposed in the cartridge housing, the capillary array comprising:
an anode end and a cathode end, wherein capillaries of the capillary array at the cathode end extend out of the cartridge housing and wherein in a position of the cartridge housing installed in an electrophoresis assay device, a substantial length of the capillaries extend horizontally from the cathode end to the anode end, and
a reservoir configured to hold an electrophoresis separation medium, the reservoir configured for use as an anode buffer reservoir during electrophoresis; and

an injection mechanism mounted to the cartridge housing, the injection mechanism configured to deliver sample to the cathode end of the capillary array,
wherein the housing defines a temperature control zone in which temperature is controllable in an interior of the housing at a region where the reservoir and portions of the capillaries disposed in the housing are located.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the injection mechanism is selected from a group consisting of T-injection, electro-kinetic injection, and pipette injection.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capillaries of the capillary array have a single bend between the cathode end and the anode end.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge housing is a hard shell housing or flexible polymer housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge housing further comprises a top plate and a base plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the base plate comprises a plurality of grooves configured to receive the respective capillaries of the capillary array.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge housing is configured to be replaceably installed in the capillary electrophoresis assay device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cathode end is provided outside the cartridge housing, and is configured to deliver a sample to the capillary array.

9. A method for conducting biological analysis of a sample, the method comprising:
providing a biological analysis device for conducting a biological analysis, the biological analysis device comprising a buffer source;
installing a cartridge housing into the biological analysis device, wherein the cartridge housing holds:
an electrode,
an injection mechanism,
an injection tip,
a reservoir of a polymer, and
a capillary array fluidically coupled to the reservoir,
wherein the electrode has an anode end and a cathode end, wherein in a position of the cartridge installed in an electrophoresis assay device, a substantial length of the capillary array extends horizontally from the cathode end to the anode end;

charging polymer from the reservoir into the capillary array to fill the capillary array;
activating the electrode to pull a sample through the injection tip into an injection volume space of the cartridge housing;
deactivating the electrode;
inserting the injection tip into the buffer source; and
conducting the biological analysis of the sample.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the injection mechanism is an electro-kinetic injection mechanism.

11. The method of claims 9 , wherein the injection volume space is adjacent to a sample inlet end of the capillary array.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electrode cathode end is adjacent to a sample inlet side of the capillary array, or the electrode anode end is adjacent to a polymer inlet side of the capillary array.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the buffer source is an anode or cathode buffer source.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the reservoir is a cathode or anode buffer source.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the biological analysis device is a capillary electrophoresis device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is configured to be replaceable in a capillary electrophoresis assay device, the capillary array being positioned for optical access by an optical detector of the capillary electrophoresis assay device when installed in the capillary electrophoresis assay device.

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Walton Ian
• Karger Achim
• Khorlin Alexander
• Simon Michael
• Sannicandro Adam
• Dukhovny Alexander
• Cobene Robert
• Kline Dan
• Dixon John

Classifications

• G01N27/44756 Primary

  Apparatus specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• G01N27/44743 Primary

  Introducing samples · CPC title

• G01N27/44704

  Details; Accessories · CPC title

• G01N27/44791 Primary

  Microapparatus (sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027) · CPC title