Electrophoresis device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345994-B2
Application number	US-202017759910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2020
Priority date	Feb 21, 2020
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrophoresis device with improved abnormality detection capability. The electrophoresis device according to the present invention includes a flow passage with which a phoresis medium is filled, a first and second electrodes disposed at respectively a cathode side and an anode side of the flow passage, a power supply for applying voltage across the first and second electrodes, a pump for feeding the phoresis medium to the flow passage, and a control section. The control section executes operations including filling the flow passage with the phoresis medium, executing electrophoresis of a sample, and applying voltage to the first and second electrodes prior to the sample electrophoresis to determine a state of a current path based on a value of current flowing through the current path. The control section applies voltage to the current path for 20 seconds or longer in the determine step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrophoresis device comprising:
a flow passage with which a phoresis medium is filled;
a first electrode disposed at a cathode side of the flow passage;
a second electrode disposed at an anode side of the flow passage, wherein:
the flow passage includes a capillary and a block, with which a phoresis medium is filled;
the block includes a first flow passage for communication between the capillary and a phoresis medium container, and a second flow passage for communication between a buffer container which stores the second electrode and the capillary, and the first flow passage or the phoresis medium container includes a third electrode for abnormality confirmation;

a power supply for applying voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode, and the first electrode and the third electrode;
a pump for feeding the phoresis medium to the flow passage; and
a control section, wherein:
the control section executes control operations relating to an analysis workflow including a filling step of filling the flow passage with the phoresis medium, an electrophoresis step of executing electrophoresis of a sample, and an abnormality detection step of determining, based on a first current value and a second current value, a state of a current path which contains the phoresis medium filled in the flow passage, by applying voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode to obtain the first current value, and the first electrode and the third electrode to obtain the second current value, prior to the sample electrophoresis; and
the control section applies voltage to the current path for 20 seconds or longer in the abnormality detection step.

2. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1 , wherein:
when abnormality is determined from the first current value and the second current value, the capillary and the block are filled with the phoresis medium; and
when abnormality is determined from either the first current value or the second current value, the block is filled with the phoresis medium.

3. The electrophoresis device according to claim 2 , wherein: when abnormality is detected from the first current value, and abnormality is not detected from the second current value, an amount of the phoresis medium to be fed is smaller than that of the phoresis medium to be fed when abnormality is detected from the second current value, and abnormality is not detected from the first current value.

4. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1 , wherein the control section applies voltage of 4 kV or higher in the abnormality detection step.

5. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1 , wherein the control section executes the filling step again upon detection of abnormality detected in the abnormality detection step.

6. The electrophoresis device according to claim 5 , wherein:
the control section records the number of abnormality detections executed in the abnormality detection step or the number of times of the executed filling steps; and
in the analysis workflow, in the case of the second abnormality detection, it is determined whether the filling step is to be executed again based on the current value derived from the first abnormality detection, and the current value derived from the second abnormality detection.

7. An electrophoresis device comprising:
a flow passage with which a phoresis medium is filled;
a first electrode disposed at a cathode side of the flow passage;
a second electrode disposed at an anode side of the flow passage;
a power supply for applying voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode;
a pump for feeding the phoresis medium to the flow passage; and
a control section, wherein:
the control section executes control operations relating to an analysis workflow including a filling step of filling the flow passage with the phoresis medium, an electrophoresis step of executing electrophoresis of a sample, and an abnormality detection step of applying voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode prior to the sample electrophoresis to determine a state of a current path which contains the phoresis medium filled in the flow passage based on a value of current flowing through the current path;
the control section applies voltage to the current path for 20 seconds or longer in the abnormality detection step;
the control section executes the filling step again upon detection of abnormality detected in the abnormality detection step;
the control section records the number of abnormality detections executed in the abnormality detection step or the number of times of the executed filling steps;
in the analysis workflow, in the case of the second abnormality detection, it is determined whether the filling step is to be executed again based on the current value derived from the first abnormality detection, and the current value derived from the second abnormality detection; and
when it is determined that an amount of variation in the current value is small based on comparison of a threshold value with a difference between the current value derived from the first abnormality detection and the current value derived from the second abnormality detection, the phoresis medium is fed at a higher speed or under a higher pressure than the speed or the pressure for feeding the phoresis medium in the filling step.

8. The electrophoresis device according to claim 7 , wherein:
the current value is measured after feeding the phoresis medium at the higher speed or under the higher pressure, and compared with the current value derived from the second abnormality detection to determine whether the filling step is to be executed again; and
if the filling step is not executed, an error is notified.

9. The electrophoresis device according to claim 5 , wherein the recorded number of times reaches a predetermined number of times, the error is notified.

10. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1 , wherein in the abnormality detection step, the value of current flowing through the current path is compared with a predetermined threshold value to determine the current path state.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Noda Kazuki
• Aritome Katsuhiro
• Ooura Takeshi

Classifications

• G02F1/1676

  Electrodes · CPC title

• G02F1/1679

  Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells; Filling or closing of cells · CPC title

• G02F1/1685

  Operation of cells; Circuit arrangements affecting the entire cell · CPC title

• G02F1/167 Primary

  by electrophoresis · CPC title

• G01N27/44713 Primary

  Particularly adapted electric power supply · CPC title