초록 ▼

This invention is an integrated instrument for high-capacity electrophoretic analysis of biopolymer samples. It comprises a specialized high-voltage, electrophoretic module in which the migration lanes are formed between a bottom plate and a plurality of etched grooves in a top plate, the module per

This invention is an integrated instrument for high-capacity electrophoretic analysis of biopolymer samples. It comprises a specialized high-voltage, electrophoretic module in which the migration lanes are formed between a bottom plate and a plurality of etched grooves in a top plate, the module permitting concurrent separation of 80 or more separate samples. In thermal contact with the bottom plate is a thermal control module incorporating a plurality of Peltier heat transfer devices for the control of temperature and gradients in the electrophoretic medium. Fragments are detected by a transmission imaging spectrograph which simultaneously spatially focuses and spectrally resolves the detection region of all the migration lanes. The spectrograph comprises a transmission dispersion element and a CCD array to detect signals. Signal analysis comprises the steps of noise filtering, comparison in a configuration space with signal prototypes, and selection of the best prototype. Optionally post-processing is done by a Monte-Carlo simulated annealing algorithm to improve results. Optionally, an array of micro-reactors can be integrated into the instrument for the generation of sequencing reaction fragments directly from crude DNA samples.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An integrated apparatus for concurrent preparation and analysis of a plurality of biopolymer fragment samples, each sample comprising a plurality of fragments obtained from one or more biopolymers, the apparatus comprising:(a) means for substantially concurrent electropho

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An integrated apparatus for concurrent preparation and analysis of a plurality of biopolymer fragment samples, each sample comprising a plurality of fragments obtained from one or more biopolymers, the apparatus comprising:(a) means for substantially concurrent electrophoretic separation of each of a plurality of biopolymer fragment samples loaded into an electrophoretic separation medium;(b) means for substantially simultaneously stimulating light emissions from fragments in a plurality of biopolymer fragment samples;(c) means for substantially simultaneous resolution of said light emissions into spatial and spectral components and generation of output signals representative thereof; and(d) means for loading the plurality of biopolymer fragment samples into the electrophoretic separation medium comprising(i) a plurality of wells in the electrophoretic separation medium from which the biopolymer fragment samples migrate for separation, each well containing a buffer medium;(ii) a solid phase loading comb having a plurality of teeth, each tooth being spaced and sized to fit into one of the plurality of wells, the teeth having means for the adhesion of the biopolymer fragment samples, the adhesion being such that the fragment samples are released upon insertion into the buffer medium in the wells,said solid phase loading comb being guided into the sample wells by notches formed on a plate, the notches being sized to match the teeth of the comb.