Method of cooling a multiplexed capillary electrophoresis system
AssigneeSymyx Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPeijun Cong, Robert D. Doolen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multiplexed capillary electrophoresis system with cooling sufficient to prevent overheating during chiral separation. The system includes a thermally insulated enclosure enclosing a bundle of capillary tubes, a light source and photodetector. A heat transfer system is provided for cooling closely spaced portions and spread apart portions of the capillary tubes to an extent sufficient to prevent overheating of the tubes and contents thereof due to the heat generated during chiral separation.
Claims33
A multiplexed capillary electrophoresis system with cooling sufficient to prevent overheating during chiral separation, said system comprising:
- a bundle of capillary tubes having inlet end portions spaced apart for loading of fluid samples to be analyzed into the tubes, outlet end portions for exit of said fluid samples from the tubes, and intermediate portions between the inlet and outlet end portions arranged in a generally planar array in which the intermediate portions extend side-by-side in closely spaced generally parallel relation,
- a power source for applying a potential difference between the inlet end portions and the outlet end portions to cause an electrical current to flow through the contents of the capillary tubes at a level sufficient to cause chiral separation in said fluid samples, said current generating heat in the tubes and the contents thereof,
- a light source for directing light to pass through said array of intermediate portions of the capillary tubes,
- a photodetector for receiving light passing through said array,
- a thermally insulated enclosure enclosing said bundle of capillary tubes, light source and photodetector,
- a first heat transfer mechanism for cooling said array of closely spaced intermediate portions of the capillary tubes, and
- a second heat transfer mechanism for cooling at least the spaced apart inlet end portions of the capillary tubes.
A method of preventing overheating of a bundle of capillary tubes during a multiplexed capillary electrophoresis process for substantially concurrently effecting chiral separation in multiple fluid samples, said method comprising:
- mounting a bundle of capillary tubes in an enclosure so that inlet end portions of the tubes are spaced apart for loading of said fluid samples into the tubes and intermediate portions of the tubes are arranged in an array in which the intermediate portions extend side-by-side in closely spaced generally parallel relation,
- loading said fluid samples into the inlet end portions of the tubes,
- causing an electrical current to flow through the contents of the capillary tubes at a level sufficient to cause chiral separation in said fluid samples, said current generating heat in the tubes and contents thereof,
- analyzing one or more properties of the fluid samples as they flow through the array of intermediate portions of the capillary tubes;
- cooling the array of closely spaced intermediate portions of the capillary tubes by using a first heat transfer mechanism, and
- cooling at least the spaced apart inlet end portions of the capillary tubes by using a second heat transfer mechanism.
A method of substantially concurrently effecting chiral separation in multiple fluid samples using a multiplexed capillary electrophoresis process, said method comprising:
- mounting a bundle of capillary tubes so that inlet end portions of the tubes are positioned for loading of said fluid samples into the tubes and intermediate portions of the tubes are arranged in an array in which the intermediate portions extend side-by-side in closely spaced generally parallel relation,
- loading said fluid samples into the inlet end portions of the tubes,
- causing an electrical current to flow through the contents of the capillary tubes at a level sufficient to cause chiral separation in said fluid samples during said electrophoresis process, and
- analyzing one or more properties of the fluid samples as they flow through the array of intermediate portions of the capillary tubes after chiral separation has been achieved.
A multiplexed capillary electrophoresis system for chiral separation, said system comprising:
- a bundle of capillary tubes having inlet end portions positioned for loading of fluid samples to be analyzed into the tubes, outlet end portions for exit of said samples from the tubes, and intermediate portions between the inlet and outlet end portions arranged in an array in which the intermediate portions extend side-by-side in closely spaced generally parallel relation,
- a power source for applying a potential difference between the inlet end portions and the outlet end portions to cause an electrical current to flow through the contents of the capillary tubes at a level sufficient to cause chiral separation in said fluid samples,
- a light source for directing light to pass through said array of intermediate portions of the capillary tubes, and
- a photodetector for receiving light passing through said array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.