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US 2003/0113935 A1Published application
Analytical device with lightguide illumination of capillary and microgrooves arrays
Assignees3M Innovative Properties Company, Applera Corporation
InventorsLarry J. Carson, Joel R. Dufresne, Patrick R. Fleming, Michael C. Lea, Nicholas A. Lee, John Shigeura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An analytical cell including a lightguide with a plurality of conduits filled with a migration medium. The medium, the lightguide and a surrounding medium have refractive indices selected such that light entering the lightguide is internally reflected within the lightguide to provide substantially uniform illumination of the conduits.
Claims45
An analytical cell for detection of an analyte, comprising:
- an elongate lightguide;
- an array of conduits extending though the lightguide, wherein the conduits are configured to support a migration medium;
- and wherein the lightguide and its surrounding medium have refractive indices selected such that light entering the lightguide is internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate the conduits.
An analytical cell comprising a cover on a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises an array of substantially parallel grooves, wherein the grooves are substantially coplanar and are configured to support a migration medium;
- wherein the migration medium, the substrate, the cover and the surrounding medium have refractive indices selected such that a lightguide is formed when the cover is placed on the substrate, and light entering the lightguide is totally internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate the grooves.
An analytical device, comprising:
- (a) an elongate lightguide comprising:
- (1) a substrate comprising an array of substantially parallel grooves configured to support a migration medium, wherein the grooves are substantially coplanar and have a longitudinal axis in a first direction, and
- (2) a cover on the substrate;
- and,
- (b) a light source outside the lightguide, wherein the source emits a light beam with an optical axis substantially coplanar with and normal to the longitudinal axes of the grooves, wherein the migration medium, the substrate, the cover and a medium surrounding the substrate have refractive indices selected such that light emitted by the light source is totally internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate the grooves.
2 more elements
An assay method comprising:
- (a) providing an analytical cell comprising:
- (1) a substrate comprising a plurality of substantially parallel grooves, wherein the grooves are substantially coplanar, are configured to support a migration medium, and have longitudinal axes in a first direction, and (2) a cover on the substrate;
- wherein the migration medium, the substrate, the cover and a medium surrounding the substrate have refractive indices selected such that a lightguide is formed when the cover is placed on the substrate, and light entering the lightguide is internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate the grooves;
- (b) placing a sample on the migration medium in a groove, wherein the sample comprises a fluorescently labeled analyte;
- (c) applying an electric field across the first direction to move the analyte in the groove;
- (d) illuminating the lightguide with a light beam having an optical axis along a second direction substantially coplanar with the plane of the grooves and normal to the first direction, wherein the light entering the lightguide is totally internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate at least a portion of each groove;
- and
- (e) detecting an emission from the analyte.
5 more elements
An analytical cell comprising:
- (a) a solid lightguide comprising
- (1) a first wall with a first interior surface, a second wall with a second interior surface, wherein the second wall is opposite the first wall, and the second interior surface faces the first interior surface,
- (2) a third wall with a third interior surface, and a fourth wall opposite the third wall, and
- (3) a surrounding medium adjacent at least one of the walls;
- (b) a plurality of capillaries configured to support a migration medium, wherein the capillaries are fixed in an array at least partially enclosed within the lightguide, wherein the longitudinal axes of the capillaries are substantially parallel and coplanar, and wherein the migration medium, the capillaries, the lightguide and the surrounding medium have refractive indices selected such that light entering the lightguide is internally reflected within the lightguide at the interior surfaces to illuminate the capillaries.
2 more elements
An analytical cell comprising a lightguide, wherein the lightguide comprises:
- (1) a substrate comprising a plurality of substantially parallel grooves, wherein the grooves are substantially coplanar and have a substantially arcuate cross section;
- (2) a cover comprising an array of substantially parallel grooves corresponding to the grooves in the substrate, wherein the grooves in the cover are substantially coplanar and have a substantially arcuate cross section;
- and
- (3) a plurality of capillaries in the grooves between the substrate and the cover, wherein the capillaries have a substantially circular cross section, and the longitudinal axes of the capillaries extend in a first direction to form a substantially coplanar array, and wherein the capillaries are configured to support a migration medium;
- wherein the migration medium, the capillaries, the substrate, the cover and a medium bordering the substrate have refractive indices selected light entering the lightguide from a second direction substantially coplanar with and normal to the first direction is totally internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate the array.
2 more elements
An analytical device, comprising:
- (a) a lightguide comprising (1) a substrate comprising a plurality of substantially parallel grooves, wherein the grooves are substantially coplanar and have a substantially arcuate cross section, (2) a cover comprising a plurality of substantially parallel grooves corresponding to the grooves in the substrate, wherein the grooves in the cover are substantially coplanar and have a substantially arcuate cross section;
- (b) a plurality of capillaries in the grooves between the substrate and the cover, wherein the capillaries have a substantially circular cross section, and the longitudinal axes of the capillaries extend in a first direction to form a substantially coplanar array, and wherein the capillaries are configured to support a migration medium;
- (c) a light source outside the lightguide, wherein the light source emits a beam having an optical axis substantially coplanar with and normal to the longitudinal axes of the capillaries in the array;
- wherein the migration medium, the capillaries, the substrate, the cover and a medium bordering the substrate have refractive indices selected such that light emitted by the light source is totally internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate the array.
1 more element
An assay method comprising:
- (1) providing an analytical cell comprising:
- (a) a lightguide comprising (1) a substrate comprising a plurality of substantially parallel grooves, wherein the grooves are substantially coplanar and have a substantially arcuate cross section, (2) a cover comprising a plurality of substantially parallel grooves corresponding to the grooves in the substrate, wherein the grooves in the cover are substantially coplanar and have a substantially arcuate cross section;
- (b) a plurality of capillaries in the grooves between the substrate and the cover, wherein the capillaries have a substantially circular cross section, and the longitudinal axes of the capillaries extend in a first direction to form a substantially coplanar array, and wherein the capillaries are configured to support a migration medium;
- (2) placing a sample on the migration medium in each capillary in the array, wherein the sample comprises a fluorescently labeled analyte;
- (3) applying an electric field across the first direction to move the analyte in a capillary in the array;
- (4) illuminating the lightguide with a light beam having an optical axis along a second direction substantially coplanar with the plane of the array and normal to the first direction, wherein the light entering the lightguide is totally internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate at least a portion of the array;
- (5) detecting with a detector an emission from the analyte.
4 more elements
An analyte separation device for the detection of one or more fluorescently labeled analytes, comprising:
- (a) an elongate lightguide;
- (b) an array of conduits in the lightguide, wherein the conduits are configured to support a migration medium;
- (c) a light source optically coupled to the lightguide, wherein the lightguide has a refractive index greater than its surrounding medium such that light emitted by the source is totally internally reflected within the lightguide to illuminate the conduits;
- and
- (d) a detector optically coupled to the conduits.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.