Automated parallel capillary electrophoresis system with hydrodynamic sample injection

Abstract

An automated capillary zone electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends is spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. The system includes a stacked, dual carrousel arrangement to eliminate cross-contamination resulting from reuse of the same buffer tray on consecutive executions from electrophoresis. The system also has a container connected to the detection end of the capillaries. The container is provided with valving which facilitate cleaning the capillaries, loading buffer into the capillaries, introducing samples to be electrophoresed into the capillaries, and performing capillary zone electrophoresis on the thus introduced samples.

1 . A capillary zone electrophoresis subsystem configured to cooperate with a light source and a light detector to detect migrating samples, the subsystem comprising:
 a fluid container;   a plurality of capillary tubes, each capillary tube having a first end and a second end, the first ends being arranged to receive samples thereinto and each of the second ends terminating in the fluid container;   a power supply configured to apply a voltage across the capillary tubes;   a pump operably connected to the fluid container, the pump configured to introduce a liquid into the container when the pump is in an operating mode;   a vacuum device connected to the fluid container via a vacuum conduit entering the fluid container at a level higher than a level of each second end of the capillary tubes, the vacuum device configured to cause a negative pressure in the container, when the pump is not in the operating mode and the container is sealed;   a gas release valve connected to the container and configured to vent a gas in the container when the gas release valve is opened; and   a drain valve connected to the container and configured to drain a liquid in the container, when the drain valve is open.