# US 5,710,628 A · Automated electrophoresis and fluorescence detection apparatus and method

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- Number: US 5,710,628 A
- Document ID: US5710628A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/353,932
- Filed: 1994-12-12
- Granted: 1998-01-20
- Earliest claimed: 1994-12-12
- Assignees: Visible Genetics Inc.
- Inventors: Paul Waterhouse; John A. Renfrew; John K. Stevens
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5710628A

## CPC

- G01N 27/44721: {by optical means}
- 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

Improved detection methods and apparatus which may be used individually or in various combinations enhance the ability of the electrophoresis apparatus to detect fluorophore-labeled materials in short periods of time. One such apparatus comprises a housing adapted to receive an electrophoresis gel holder; an excitation source of electromagnetic radiation having a frequency effective to induce emission of electromagnetic radiation from the fluorophore; a plurality of optical fibers for delivering electromagnetic radiation from the excitation source to a linear array of excitation/detection sites on the gel holder, optical switching means for sequentially directing electromagnetic radiation into one of several pre-defined groups of the optical fibers; detection means such as a photomultiplier tube, or an array of photomultiplier tubes for detecting emission from the fluorophore induced by a radiation from the excitation source; and means for correlating a detected emission with the switching of the excitation electromagnetic radiation such that a given emission may be linked with the excitation/detection site being irradiated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for electrophoretic separation and detection of a plurality of samples, each labeled with a fluorophore and loaded into a lane of an electrophoresis gel, comprising:
(a) a housing adapted to receive an electrophoresis gel holder containing an electrophoresis gel loaded with the samples;
(b) an excitation source for providing an incident beam of coherent radiation of a frequency suitable for excitation of the fluorophore,
(c) a spot array generation grating for dividing the incident beam of coherent radiation into a plurality of excitation beamlets of the frequency suitable for excitation of the fluorophore and directing each excitation beamlet to an excitation/detection site on a different lane of the electrophoresis gel; and
(d) at least one detector for detecting emissions from the excitation/detection sites.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is a photodiode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive mounting plate and means for vacuum affixing the gel holder to the mounting plate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mounting plate is formed from a ceramic.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the mounting plate is alumina.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply for providing an electric field of 100-400 V/cm to an electrophoresis gel placed in the apparatus.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the excitation source is a laser.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the excitation source is an argon ion laser.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the excitation source is a helium neon laser.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the excitation source is a laser diode.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the grating divides the incident beam into 8 to 24 beamlets.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

An apparatus in accordance with claims 11, wherein the grating divides the incident beam into 16-24 beamlets.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the grating divides the incident beam into 16 beamlets.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the grating divides the incident beam into 24 beamlets.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing holds a gel holder disposed therein in a fixed position relative to the spot array generation grating and the means for detecting emissions.