# US 2023/0266271 A1 · Capillary electrophoresis device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0266271 A1 - Document ID: US20230266271A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/018,174 - Filed: 2020-08-13 - Published: 2023-08-24 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-13 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation - Inventors: Kentaro OSAWA; Takashi ANAZAWA; Manabu SHIOZAWA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230266271A1 ## CPC - G01N 27/447: using electrophoresis - G01N 27/44782: {of a plurality of samples} - G01N 27/44721: {by optical means} - G01N 27/44743: {Introducing samples} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A capillary electrophoresis device includes: a plurality of capillaries; a light source; a detector that detects light transmitted through the capillaries; an optical coupling optical system and a plurality of first optical fibers provided between the light source and the plurality of capillaries; and a plurality of second optical fibers provided between the plurality of capillaries and the detector. The optical coupling optical system couples the light from the light source to the plurality of first optical fibers. Each of the plurality of first optical fibers has a first end face connected to the optical coupling optical system, and a second end face arranged close to and opposite to a corresponding capillary among the capillaries. Each of the plurality of second optical fibers has a first end face arranged close to and opposite to a corresponding capillary among the capillaries, and a second end face connected to the detector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A capillary electrophoresis device comprising: a plurality of capillaries into which a sample to be measured is introduced and electrically separated; a light source that generates light for analyzing the sample electrically separated by the plurality of capillaries; a detector that detects light transmitted through the capillaries; an optical coupling optical system and a plurality of first optical fibers provided between the light source and the plurality of capillaries; and a plurality of second optical fibers provided between the plurality of capillaries and the detector, wherein the optical coupling optical system couples the light from the light source to the plurality of first optical fibers, each of the plurality of first optical fibers has a first end face connected to the optical coupling optical system, and a second end face arranged close to and opposite to a corresponding capillary among the capillaries, and each of the plurality of second optical fibers has a first end face arranged close to and opposite to a corresponding capillary among the capillaries, and a second end face connected to the detector. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein a core diameter of the second optical fiber is larger than a core diameter of the first optical fiber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein a core diameter c1 of the second optical fiber satisfies the following Formula (1): [Formula 1] cx c 0 ) 2 ⁢ NA 1 - NA 2 ⁢ ( d 2 + R out 2 ) + R in 1 - NA 2 ( - c 0 ≤ - 2 ⁢ NA 1 - NA 2 ( d 1 + R out 2 ) + R in 1 - NA 2 ≤ c 0 ) m ⁡ ( d 1 + d 2 + R out ) - c 0 2 ( - 2 ⁢ NA 1 - NA 2 ⁢ ( d 1 + R out 2 ) + R in 1 - NA 2 < - c 0 ) and m is given as follows: c y = c 0 + 2 ⁢ ( d 1 + d 2 + R out ) ⁢ NA 1 - NA 2 ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the optical coupling optical system uniformizes a spatial light intensity distribution of the light source to perform the coupling to the plurality of first optical fibers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the optical coupling optical system includes an imaging optical system and at least one lens, and a focal position or a combined focal position of the at least one lens coincides with an image formation position of a light emitting surface of the light source formed by the imaging optical system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the optical coupling optical system includes an imaging optical system and a third optical fiber, and the third optical fiber has a first end face arranged at an image formation position of a light emitting surface of the light source formed by the imaging optical system, and a second end face directly connected to the plurality of first optical fibers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 6, wherein the first end faces of the plurality of first optical fibers are bound into one to form a bundle, and a core diameter of the third optical fiber is larger than a diameter of a minimum enclosing circle of cores of the plurality of optical fibers included in the bundle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein at least one optical fiber among plurality of first optical fibers has a first end face connected to the optical coupling optical system and a second end face connected to a detector for reference light. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein in the plurality of first optical fibers, the second end faces arranged close to and to correspond to the plurality of capillaries are provided at an array pitch pi satisfying the following Formula (2): m = ( 2 ⁢ d 1 + R out ) ⁢ c 0 + R in ⁢ c 0 2 + ( 2 ⁢ d 1 + R out ) 2 - R in 2 ( 2 ⁢ d 1 + R out ) 2 - R in 2 ) . (in Formula (2), c0 is a core diameter of the first optical fiber, c1 is a core diameter of the second optical fiber, d1 is a distance between the second end face of the first optical fiber and the capillary, d2 is a distance between the first end face of the second optical fiber and the capillary, Rout is an outer diameter of the capillary, and NA is a numerical aperture of the first optical fiber). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of capillaries, the plurality of first optical fibers, or the plurality of second optical fibers is positioned one by one by a plurality of grooves of a positioning array substrate including the grooves, and positions of the grooves coincide with each other when a plurality of the positioning array substrates is provided. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second light source; and a light irradiation unit that irradiates the plurality of capillaries with light from the second light source, wherein an irradiation direction of the light with respect to the plurality of capillaries by the light irradiation unit is perpendicular to both an irradiation direction of light with respect to the capillaries by the plurality of first optical fibers and a length direction of the capillary. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein a core diameter of the second optical fiber is 60 μm or more. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein when a distance between the second end face of the first optical fiber and the capillary is d1 and a distance between the first end face of the second optical fiber and the capillary is d2, d1≤300 μm and d2≤300 μm.