JP7490499B2 - Electrophoresis Equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an electrophoresis device.

Capillary electrophoresis devices in which capillaries are filled with a migration medium such as a polymer gel or polymer solution are widely used as electrophoresis devices. Patent Document 1 aims to "provide a unit that automatically supplies a large number of samples to capillaries using a multi-capillary array," and discloses a sample plate assembly in which "an adapter, a sample plate on top of the adapter, a septum on top of the septum holder on top of the septum holder are placed on a tray in the sample supply section of the capillary array in an electrophoresis device that analyzes fluorescently labeled samples using a capillary array using multiple capillaries" (see abstract of the document).

In such an electrophoresis device, when the sample plate assembly is pulled out from the cathode end of the capillary array, the frictional force generated between the septum and the cathode end may cause the sample plate assembly to float up and be left behind at the cathode end. In order to prevent the sample plate assembly from floating up, Patent Document 1 employs a configuration in which "the stripper plate presses down the sample plate assembly and the buffer tank with the force of a spring that is greater than the frictional force" (see paragraph 0038 of the same document). This stripper plate applies a force to the sample plate assembly by the elastic force of the spring in the direction opposite to the connection direction to the capillary array, which is greater than the frictional force generated between the septum and the capillaries.

JP 2001-324474 A

However, because the driving source for the stripper plate is a spring, and the autosampler that transports the sample plate assembly and the stripper plate are separately attached to the electrophoresis device, the positions at which the two mechanisms function must be adjusted to one another in order for the stripper plate to perform to its full potential. As a result, there is a possibility that differences in the performance of preventing the sample plate assembly from floating up may occur between devices, depending on the degree to which the two mechanisms are adjusted to one another.

Therefore, the present disclosure provides a technology that reduces the difference between devices in the performance of preventing a container from floating up when the container connected to the capillary is removed from the capillary.

The electrophoresis apparatus disclosed herein comprises a capillary, a stage on which a container containing a sample or a reagent is placed, and an autosampler that moves the stage in a horizontal direction parallel to the surface of the stage and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the stage, the autosampler having a stopper that applies a downward force to the container when the stage is lowered in the vertical direction to remove the container connected to the capillary from the capillary, and by moving the stage, the autosampler positions the container in a position where at least a portion of the container faces the stopper.

Further features related to the present disclosure will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings. Also, aspects of the present disclosure may be realized and realized by the elements and combinations of various elements and aspects of the following detailed description and the appended claims.
The descriptions in this specification are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope or application of the present disclosure in any way.

According to the electrophoresis apparatus of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the difference between apparatuses in the performance of preventing the container from floating up when the container is retracted from the capillary.
Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an electrophoretic device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a portion of an electrophoretic device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sample plate assembly. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an autosampler. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an X-axis drive unit in the autosampler. 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining the operation of transferring the sample plate assembly from the sample setting portion to the stage. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the autosampler when inserting a cathode tip into a sample plate assembly. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the sample plate assembly and the stopper are engaged with each other. FIG. 13 is a front view showing a state in which the sample plate assembly and the stopper are engaged with each other. FIG. 13 is a top view for explaining the connection position between the sample plate assembly and the cathode end. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the position of the stage when connecting the N position of the sample plate assembly with the cathode end. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the position of the stage when the K position of the sample plate assembly is connected to the cathode end. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an X-axis drive unit having a tunnel-type stopper according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the tunnel-type stopper covers a part of the sample plate assembly. FIG. 13 is a front view showing a state in which the tunnel-type stopper covers a part of the sample plate assembly. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an autosampler according to a third embodiment.

[First embodiment]
<Configuration Example of Electrophoresis Apparatus>
1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an electrophoresis apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The electrophoresis apparatus 100 includes a capillary array 110, an electrophoresis unit 120, a liquid delivery unit 130, and an irradiation and detection unit 140.

The capillary array 110 has one or more capillaries 101, a capillary head 111, a load header 112, and a fixed substrate 113. The capillary array 110 can be attached to and detached from the electrophoresis device 100 as a capillary array unit while being positioned in the frame. The capillary array 110 is replaced when it has been used a predetermined number of times or when the analysis items are changed. The capillary 101 is typically a quartz pipe, and its outer cover is coated with polyimide resin to improve its strength. The capillary head 111 is a member that can be attached and detached from the liquid delivery section 130 in a pressure-tight and airtight manner. When there are multiple capillaries 101, the capillary head 111 bundles one end (anode end) of the capillaries 101. The load header 112 is provided with a tubular cathode electrode 114. The capillaries 101 are fixed to the load header 112 with their cathode ends 116 protruding from the lower ends of the cathode electrodes 114, penetrating the cathode electrodes 114. The fixed substrate 113 has multiple grooves for aligning the multiple capillaries 101. The fixed substrate 113 aligns and fixes the capillaries 101 near the detection positions 102 on the optical flat surface with a height accuracy of several microns.

The electrophoresis unit 120 has a thermostatic bath 121, a cathode side buffer container 122, and a high voltage power supply 124. The thermostatic bath 121 contains the capillary array 110 and adjusts the temperature of the capillary array 110. For example, a Peltier element is used as a heat source for the thermostatic bath 121, and the temperature can be set from a temperature lower than room temperature to a high temperature of 50°C or higher. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the thermostatic bath 121 has a fan, and the fan circulates the air in the thermostatic bath 121, thereby reducing the temperature variation in the thermostatic bath 121. The cathode side buffer container 122 contains a buffer solution 123. The cathode end 116 and the cathode electrode 114 of the capillary 101 are immersed in the buffer solution 123. In this state, a voltage is applied by the high voltage power supply 124.

The liquid delivery section 130 delivers a highly viscous polymer solution (hereinafter referred to as polymer), which is an electrophoretic medium, to the capillary 101. The liquid delivery section 130 has a pump 131, a block 132, a polymer container 133, and an anode side buffer container 134. The polymer container 133 contains a polymer 136. The anode side buffer container 134 contains a buffer solution 137. An anode electrode 138 is immersed in the buffer solution 137. The block 132 has an internal flow path and functions as a connection section for communicating the capillary head 111, the polymer container 133, and the anode side buffer container 134. The pump 131 is connected to the flow path in the block 132. The polymer 136 in the polymer container 133 is delivered to the capillary 101 via the block 132 by driving the pump 131. In addition, the buffer solution 137 in the anode side buffer container 134 is electrically connected to the capillary 101 via the block 132.

The irradiation and detection unit 140 has a light source 141 and a detector 142, and optically detects the sample separated by electrophoresis in the capillary 101. The light source 141 irradiates the detection position 102 of the capillary 101 with excitation light, which causes the sample passing through the detection position 102 to emit light that is dependent on the sample. The detector 142 detects the light emitted from the sample. At the detection position 102 of the capillary 101, the coating has been removed so that the internal light emission can leak to the outside.

The operation of each part of the electrophoresis device 100 is controlled by a control device (not shown). The control device includes at least a memory that stores a program for operating the electrophoresis device 100 and a processor that executes the program.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of the configuration of the electrophoresis device 100. As shown in Figure 2, the electrophoresis device 100 includes an autosampler 150, a buffer transport unit 160, and a sample placement unit 170 in addition to the configuration in Figure 1.

A user can place a sample plate assembly 180 (container) in the sample placement section 170 from outside the electrophoresis device 100. In the example shown in FIG. 2, four sample plate assemblies 180 can be placed in the sample placement section 170, but the number is not limited to four.

The autosampler 150 transports the sample plate assembly 180 in three axial directions (X, Y, and Z). The buffer transport unit 160 transports the cathode side buffer container 122 in at least the Y and Z directions. The operation of the autosampler 150 and the buffer transport unit 160 is controlled by the above-mentioned control device. In this specification, the X-axis direction (first direction) and the Y-axis direction (second direction) are parallel (horizontal) to the upper surface of the stage (described later) on which the sample plate assembly 180 is placed, and the Z-axis direction is perpendicular to the upper surface of the stage (described later). The positive X-axis direction may be referred to as "forward" and the negative X-axis direction as "rearward". Similarly, the positive Z-axis direction may be referred to as "upward" and the negative Z-axis direction as "downward".

3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the sample plate assembly 180. The sample plate assembly 180 has a sample adapter 181, a sample container 182, a septum 183, and a septum clip 184. The sample container 182 is, for example, a microtiter plate, and has a plurality of wells for containing a sample solution or a reagent. The sample adapter 181 contains the sample container 182. The septum 183 is disposed on the sample container 182 and has a plurality of protrusions covering each well. The septum 183 can be formed of a material through which the capillary 101 can be penetrated, such as silicone rubber. The septum clip 184 fixes the sample container 182 and the septum 183 to the sample adapter 181, for example, by hooking a claw provided on the side surface onto the sample adapter 181. The septum clip 184 has a plurality of holes corresponding to each well of the sample container 182, thereby allowing each capillary 101 to be inserted into the well of the sample container 182. By assembling the sample adapter 181, sample container 182, septum 183, and septum clip 184, the above four components are integrated into the sample plate assembly 180.

<Electrophoresis method>
The outline of the sample electrophoresis method will be described. First, the autosampler 150 is driven to transport the sample plate assembly 180 installed in the sample installation section 170, and the cathode end 116 of the capillary 101 is inserted into the sample plate assembly 180. The sample container 182 in the sample plate assembly 180 has a number of wells, and each well contains a solution containing a sample such as fluorescently labeled DNA. The cathode end 116 penetrates the septa 183 and is immersed in the sample solution in the well. In this state, a voltage of about several kV is applied between the anode electrode 138 and the cathode electrode 114 by the high voltage power supply 124, so that the sample is introduced from the cathode end 116 into the capillary 101. Next, the autosampler 150 is driven to move the sample plate assembly 180 away from the cathode end 116, and the buffer transport section 160 is driven to insert the cathode end 116 into the cathode side buffer container 122. With the cathode end 116 immersed in the buffer solution 123, a voltage is applied between the anode electrode 138 and the cathode electrode 114 by the high voltage power supply 124, so that the sample electrophoreses in the capillary 101 and is separated according to its electrophoretic mobility. The irradiation and detection unit 140 detects the separated sample.

<Autosampler configuration example>
Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the autosampler 150. The autosampler 150 is provided at the rear side of the sample setting section 170. The autosampler 150 has a stage 200, an X-axis driving section 151 (first driving section), a Z-axis driving section 152 (second driving section), and a Y-axis driving section 153 (third driving section). Although not shown in Fig. 4, a sample plate assembly 180 is placed on the stage 200.

The X-axis drive unit 151 moves the stage 200 in the X-axis direction. The Z-axis drive unit 152 drives the stage 200 in the Z-axis direction. The Y-axis drive unit 153 drives the stage 200 in the Y-axis direction. In the autosampler 150 shown in FIG. 4, the stage 200 is provided on the X-axis drive unit 151. The Y-axis drive unit 153 is provided at the bottom, the Z-axis drive unit 152 is mounted on it, and the X-axis drive unit 151 is mounted on it. A guide rail for moving the Z-axis drive unit 152 in the Y-axis direction is provided on the upper surface of the Y-axis drive unit 153, and a guide rail for moving the X-axis drive unit 151 in the Z-axis direction is provided on the Z-axis drive unit 152. The sample installation unit 170 is provided with a slit portion 171 for installing the sample plate assembly 180, and the stage 200 can enter the slit portion 171.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the X-axis drive unit 151. The X-axis drive unit 151 has a stage 200, a stopper 300, a base 311, a guide rail 312, and a drive source 313. The guide rail 312 is disposed on the base 311 and extends in the X-axis direction. The drive source 313 is, for example, a motor, and the stage 200 moves in the X-axis direction along the guide rail 312 by being driven by the drive source 313. The stage 200 has a positioning pin 201. The positioning pin 201 is fitted into a positioning hole (not shown in Figure 5) provided on the bottom surface of the sample plate assembly 180, which makes it easy to position the sample plate assembly 180 when it is placed on the stage 200.

The stopper 300 has two members that are roughly C-shaped when viewed from the X-axis direction. The bottom surface of each C-shaped member is fixed to the Y-axis direction end of the upper surface of the base 311 so that the openings face each other. The stopper 300 can be formed, for example, by bending a plate-shaped member at a roughly right angle so that three surfaces are formed. In FIG. 5, the stopper 300 is installed only on the front side of the base 311 in the X-axis direction, but it may extend over the entire X-axis direction of the base 311.

<Autosampler operation example>
6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of transferring the sample plate assembly 180 from the sample setting section 170 to the stage 200. First, the autosampler 150 drives the X-axis drive section 151, the Z-axis drive section 152, and the Y-axis drive section 153 to move the stage 200 to the rear of a predetermined sample plate assembly 180 set in the sample setting section 170 (FIG. 6(a)). At this time, the height of the stage 200 is set below the bottom surface of the sample plate assembly 180.

Then, the autosampler 150 drives the X-axis drive unit 151 to move the stage 200 forward and position it below the sample plate assembly 180 (FIG. 6(b)). At this time, the positioning pin 201 on the stage 200 and the positioning hole 185 at the bottom of the sample plate assembly 180 are positioned so that their central axes are aligned to some extent.

Next, the autosampler 150 drives the Z-axis drive unit 152 to move the stage 200 upward (FIG. 6(c)). This causes the stage 200 to rise as if scooping up the sample plate assembly 180 from the slit portion 171 of the sample installation portion 170, and the sample plate assembly 180 is mounted on the stage 200. At this time, the positioning pin 201 on the stage 200 is inserted into the positioning hole 185 of the sample plate assembly 180, so that the sample plate assembly 180 is mounted in the same position on the stage 200 every time.

Next, the autosampler 150 drives the X-axis drive unit 151 to move the stage 200, which is located above the sample placement unit 170, backward onto the X-axis drive unit 151 (FIG. 6(d)). At this time, the shape of the sample plate assembly 180 engages with the shape of the stopper 300 fixed onto the X-axis drive unit 151. This prevents the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up.

Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the autosampler 150 when inserting the cathode end 116 into the sample plate assembly 180. In this specification, transporting the sample plate assembly 180 and inserting the cathode end 116 of the capillary 101 into the well of the sample container 182 is sometimes referred to as "connecting."

The cathode end 116 protrudes vertically downward in the Z-axis direction when viewed from the X-axis direction. Therefore, the autosampler 150 transfers the sample plate assembly 180 installed in the sample installation section 170 to the stage 200, and then drives the X-axis drive section 151 and the Y-axis drive section 153 to adjust the position of the stage 200 in the XY direction so that the well of the sample container 182 and the cathode end 116 can be connected (FIG. 7(a)). Next, the stage 200 is raised upward by the Z-axis drive section 152, and the cathode end 116 is inserted into the sample plate assembly 180 (FIG. 7(b)). When the sample plate assembly 180 is to be pulled out from the cathode end 116, it is lowered vertically by the Z-axis drive section 152 (FIG. 7(c)). At this time, friction occurs between the ceptor 183 in the sample plate assembly 180 and the cathode end 116. If the stopper 300 were not present, the sample plate assembly 180 would float up from the stage 200 and be left behind on the cathode end 116 side.

Figure 8A is a perspective view showing the state in which the sample plate assembly 180 and the stopper 300 are engaged. Because the cathode end 116 is located behind the sample mounting section 170, the sample plate assembly 180 is transferred from the sample mounting section 170 to the stage 200, and then pulled backward by the X-axis drive section 151. During this operation, a part of the sample adapter 181 of the sample plate assembly 180 enters below the upper surface section 301 of the stopper 300 installed on the base 311. This prevents the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up. In this state, the sample plate assembly 180 on the stage 200 can be inserted into and removed from the cathode end 116.

8B is a front view showing the state in which the sample plate assembly 180 and the stopper 300 are engaged. As shown in FIG. 8B, the sample adapter 181 of the sample plate assembly 180 has a flange 186 (engagement portion) that engages with the stopper 300. When the sample plate assembly 180 is transported to the area of the stopper 300, the upper surface portion 301 of the stopper 300 is positioned above the flange 186. As a result, even if the sample plate assembly 180 floats when the sample plate assembly 180 is pulled out from the cathode end 116, the stopper 300 catches on the flange 186 and serves to hold the sample plate assembly 180 on the stage 200. In other words, the stopper 300 applies a downward force to the sample plate assembly 180 when the stage 200 is driven downward to pull out the capillary 101 from the sample plate assembly 180. The downward force acting on the sample plate assembly 180 is greater than the friction force acting between the septum 183 and the capillary 101.

Instead of providing the sample adapter 181 with a flange 186, a groove (engagement portion) through which the top surface 301 of the stopper 300 can pass may be provided on the side of the sample adapter 181. In this case, if the top surface 301 of the stopper 300 is positioned inside the groove, even if the sample plate assembly 180 floats up when the sample plate assembly 180 is pulled out from the cathode end 116, the stopper 300 will get caught in the groove and will be prevented from floating up any further.

The right diagram of FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of region G in the left diagram. As shown in this enlarged view, there is a gap 302 between the sample adapter 181 of the sample plate assembly 180 and the stopper 300. Due to the presence of the gap 302, when the sample plate assembly 180 is moved in the X-axis direction, the sample plate assembly 180 does not come into contact with the stopper 300, so the movement is not hindered. The size of the gap 302 in the Z-axis direction can be made smaller than the length of the positioning pin 201 on the stage 200 in the Z-axis direction. As a result, when the sample plate assembly 180 is retracted from the cathode end 116 of the capillary 101, even if the sample plate assembly 180 floats up and the stopper 300 comes into contact with the flange 186, the positioning pin 201 remains inserted in the positioning hole 185. Therefore, the position of the sample plate assembly 180 relative to the stage 200 can be maintained.

The stopper 300 and sample adapter 181 are structures that do not have a driving source, so there is no need to adjust the position of the mechanism to prevent the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up.

9 is a top view for explaining the connection positions of the sample plate assembly 180 and the cathode end 116. The number of connection positions between the sample plate assembly 180 and the cathode end 116 is determined by the number of wells of the sample container 182 and the number of capillaries 101. As an example, a case will be described in which the number of wells of the sample container 182 is 96 and the number of capillaries 101 is 24. As shown in FIG. 9, when the number of wells of the sample container 182 is 96, the wells are arranged in 12 rows in the Y-axis direction with 8 wells in one row in the X-axis direction. Also, when the number of capillaries 101 is 24, the cathode ends 116 of the capillaries 101 are arranged in 3 rows in the Y-axis direction with 8 wells in one row in the X-axis direction. Therefore, the number of connection positions between the sample plate assembly 180 and the cathode end 116 is four. The four connection positions are K position 701, L position 702, M position 703, and N position 704 from the front side in the X-axis direction.

Figure 10A is a side view showing the position of the stage 200 when connecting the N position 704 of the sample plate assembly 180 to the cathode end 116. As shown in Figure 10A, when connecting the cathode end 116 to the N position 704 on the rearmost side of the X axis of the sample plate assembly 180, the sample plate assembly 180 engages with the stopper 300 over the entire X axis direction.

Figure 10B is a side view showing the position of the stage 200 when the K position 701 of the sample plate assembly 180 is connected to the cathode end 116. As shown in Figure 10B, when the cathode end 116 is connected to the K position 701 of the sample plate assembly 180 that is the most forward on the X axis, only one end of the sample plate assembly 180 in the X axis direction engages with the stopper 300.

In this way, even when the sample plate assembly 180 moves to each of the four connection positions, at least a portion of the sample plate assembly 180 remains engaged with the stopper 300. However, the length α of the stopper 300 in the X-axis direction and the distance β by which the sample plate assembly 180 penetrates under the stopper 300 only need to be strong enough for the stopper 300 to withstand the frictional force generated between the ceptor 183 and the cathode end 116 when the sample plate assembly 180 is pulled out from the cathode end 116, and there is no problem if they are short.

Summary of the First Embodiment
As described above, in the electrophoresis device 100 according to the first embodiment, the stopper 300 is provided on the autosampler 150 having the stage 200 for transporting the sample plate assembly 180 (container). The autosampler 150 transports the sample plate assembly 180 to a position where the flange 186 provided on the side of the sample plate assembly 180 faces the upper surface 301 of the stopper 300 by moving the stage 200. In this way, the sample plate assembly 180 can be prevented from floating up by simply moving the sample plate assembly 180 from the sample setting section 170 to the autosampler 150. Therefore, since there is no need to adjust the members to each other in order to exert the function of preventing the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up, the difference between the devices in the function of preventing the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up can be reduced. In addition, there is no need to use a driving source such as a spring that requires position adjustment in order to exert the function of preventing the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up.

The stopper 300 applies a downward force to the sample plate assembly 180 when the sample plate assembly 180 is retracted from the state in which the capillary 101 is inserted into the sample plate assembly 180. As a result, even if the sample plate assembly 180 is lifted up due to the frictional force between the septum 183 of the sample plate assembly 180 and the capillary 101, the downward force is applied by contacting the stopper 300, so that the sample plate assembly 180 can be prevented from being left behind on the capillary 101 side.

The upper surface 301 of the stopper 300 engages with the flange 186 on the side surface of the sample plate assembly 180, so that no structure is placed between the cathode end 116 of the capillary 101 and the upper surface of the sample plate assembly 180. This makes it easy to adjust the amount of movement of the stage 200 toward the capillary 101.

<Modification of the first embodiment>
In the example described above, the height from the top surface of the base 311 to the top surface 301 of the stopper 300 is smaller than the height from the top surface of the base 311 to the top surface of the sample plate assembly 180, and the flange 186 on the side surface of the sample plate assembly 180 engages with the stopper 300. Alternatively, the height of the stopper 300 may be increased so that the top surface 301 of the stopper 300 is positioned above the top surface of the sample plate assembly 180.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, it has been described that the upper surface 301 of the substantially C-shaped stopper 300 is positioned above the flange 186 of the sample adapter 181, thereby preventing the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up. The shape of the stopper is not limited to the substantially C-shape as long as it can apply a downward force to the sample plate assembly 180 when the sample plate assembly 180 is retracted from the capillary 101. Therefore, in the second embodiment, another shape of the stopper is proposed.

The overall configuration of the electrophoretic device according to this embodiment is similar to that of the electrophoretic device 100 of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2), and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the same components as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an X-axis drive unit 151 having a tunnel-type stopper 400 according to the second embodiment. Similar to the stopper 300 of the first embodiment, the tunnel-type stopper 400 is fixed onto the base 311 of the X-axis drive unit 151. In addition, an opening 402 through which the cathode end 116 can be accessed is provided on the upper surface 401 of the tunnel-type stopper 400.

Figure 12A is a perspective view showing a state in which the tunnel-type stopper 400 covers a part of the sample plate assembly 180. As shown in Figure 12A, the sample plate assembly 180 goes under the tunnel-type stopper 400, thereby preventing the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up. In other words, the tunnel-type stopper 400 covers the upper part of the sample plate assembly 180, thereby preventing the sample plate assembly 180 from floating up. The X-axis drive unit 151 moves the stage 200 so that the opening 402 is positioned at the connection position between the sample plate assembly 180 and the cathode end 116 of the capillary 101.

Even if the sample plate assembly 180 floats up when the sample plate assembly 180 is pulled out from the cathode end 116, the upper surface 401 of the tunnel-type stopper 400 contacts the upper surface of the sample plate assembly 180 and serves to hold the sample plate assembly 180 on the stage 200. In other words, the tunnel-type stopper 400 applies a downward force to the sample plate assembly 180 when the stage 200 is driven downward to pull out the capillary 101 from the sample plate assembly 180.

Figure 12B is a front view showing the state in which the tunnel-type stopper 400 covers a portion of the sample plate assembly 180. As shown in Figure 12B, the height from the upper surface of the base 311 to the upper surface of the tunnel-type stopper 400 is greater than the height from the upper surface of the base 311 to the upper surface of the sample plate assembly 180. As a result, when the sample plate assembly 180 is moved in the X-axis direction, the sample plate assembly 180 does not come into contact with the tunnel-type stopper 400, and therefore the movement is not impeded.

<Summary of the second embodiment>
As described above, in the second embodiment, the autosampler 150 moves the stage 200 to transport the sample plate assembly 180 to a position where a part of the upper surface of the sample plate assembly 180 faces the upper surface portion 401 of the tunnel type stopper 400. The tunnel type stopper 400 applies a downward force to the sample plate assembly 180 when the sample plate assembly 180 is pulled out from the cathode end 116 by covering the upper side of the sample plate assembly 180. Therefore, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained in this embodiment. Moreover, since the tunnel type stopper 400 according to the second embodiment covers the upper side of the sample plate assembly 180, it is not necessary to specially design the shape of the sample plate assembly 180. Furthermore, since the tunnel type stopper 400 can be formed from one part, it is easy to manufacture and to arrange it in the X-axis drive unit 151.

[Third embodiment]
In the second embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the tunnel-type stopper 400 is fixed to the X-axis drive unit 151 of the autosampler 150. In the third embodiment, a configuration example is proposed in which the structure of the autosampler and the arrangement of the stopper are changed. The overall configuration of the electrophoresis device according to this embodiment is similar to that of the electrophoresis device 100 (FIG. 1) of the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

<Autosampler configuration example>
13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an autosampler 350 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the autosampler 350 has an X-axis drive unit 351, a Z-axis drive unit 352, and a Y-axis drive unit 353. The X-axis drive unit 351 moves the stage 200 in the X-axis direction. The Z-axis drive unit 352 drives the stage 200 in the Z-axis direction. The Y-axis drive unit 353 drives the stage 200 in the Y-axis direction. In the autosampler 350, a guide rail extending in the Z-axis direction is provided on a base of the Z-axis drive unit 352 along the YZ plane, and a base of the Y-axis drive unit 353 is mounted on the guide rail. A guide rail extending in the Y-axis direction is provided on the base of the Y-axis drive unit 353, and the X-axis drive unit 351 is mounted on the guide rail.

The Y-axis drive unit 353 has two arms 354 that protrude in the X-axis direction from both ends of the base in the Y-axis direction, and a tunnel-type stopper 500 is provided to bridge the arms 354. In other words, the tunnel-type stopper 500 extends in the Y-axis direction. An opening 502 is provided on the upper surface 501 of the tunnel-type stopper 500, through which the cathode end 116 can be accessed.

<Summary of the Third Embodiment>
As described above, in the third embodiment, the autosampler 350 moves the stage 200 to transport the sample plate assembly 180 to a position where a part of the upper surface of the sample plate assembly 180 faces the upper surface portion 501 of the tunnel type stopper 500. The tunnel type stopper 500 is fixed to the Y-axis drive unit 353 and extends in the Y-axis direction. The tunnel type stopper 500 applies a downward force to the sample plate assembly 180 when the sample plate assembly 180 is pulled out from the cathode end 116 by covering the upper side of the sample plate assembly 180. Therefore, the same effect as that of the second embodiment can be obtained in this embodiment. In addition, the sample plate assembly 180 can be moved in the Y-axis direction while maintaining a state in which the sample plate assembly 180 can be prevented from floating up. As a result, for example, when a plurality of capillary arrays 110 are arranged in the Y-axis direction, the sample plate assembly 180 can be easily moved in the Y-axis direction when moving the sample plate assembly 180 from the currently inserted capillary array 110 to another capillary array 110.

[Modification]
The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present disclosure, and it is not necessary to include all of the configurations described. In addition, a part of an embodiment can be replaced with a configuration of another embodiment. In addition, a configuration of another embodiment can be added to a configuration of an embodiment. In addition, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be added to, deleted from, or replaced with a part of the configuration of another embodiment.

100...electrophoresis device, 101...capillary, 102...detection position, 110...capillary array, 120...electrophoresis section, 130...liquid delivery section, 140...irradiation detection section, 150...autosampler, 160...buffer transport section, 170...sample placement section, 180...sample plate assembly, 200...stage, 300...stopper, 350...autosampler, 400...tunnel type stopper, 500...tunnel type stopper

Claims (11)

Capillary and
a stage on which a container containing a sample or a reagent is placed;
an autosampler that moves the stage in a horizontal direction parallel to a surface of the stage and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the stage;
The autosampler comprises:
a first drive unit provided with the stage and configured to move the stage in a first direction parallel to the horizontal direction;
a second drive unit that moves the first drive unit in the vertical direction;
a stopper that is installed on the first driving unit and applies a downward force to the container when the stage is lowered in the vertical direction to move the container connected to the capillary away from the capillary;
An electrophoresis apparatus, comprising: a stage for moving the container to a position where at least a portion of the container faces the stopper. 2. The electrophoretic device of claim 1,
The electrophoresis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the autosampler moves the stage to move the container relative to the stopper in a state in which at least a portion of the container faces the stopper. Capillary and
a stage on which a container containing a sample or a reagent is placed;
an autosampler that moves the stage in a horizontal direction parallel to a surface of the stage and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the stage;
The autosampler comprises:
a stopper that applies a downward force to the container when the stage is lowered in the vertical direction to move the container connected to the capillary away from the capillary;
By moving the stage, the container is disposed at a position where at least a portion of the container faces the stopper;
The electrophoresis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stopper engages with an engaging portion provided on a side surface of the container. 4. The electrophoretic device according to claim 3 ,
An electrophoresis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion has a flange protruding from a side surface of the container. 4. The electrophoretic device according to claim 3 ,
Electrophoresis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion has a groove provided on a side surface of the container. 4. The electrophoretic device according to claim 1,
The stopper covers at least a portion of an upper surface of the container. 7. The electrophoretic device according to claim 6 ,
The stopper has an opening on its upper surface through which the capillary can pass. Capillary and
a stage on which a container containing a sample or a reagent is placed;
an autosampler that moves the stage in a horizontal direction parallel to a surface of the stage and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the stage;
The autosampler comprises:
a stopper that applies a downward force to the container when the stage is lowered in the vertical direction to move the container connected to the capillary away from the capillary; and
a first drive unit that moves the stage in a first direction parallel to the horizontal direction, a second drive unit that moves the stage in the vertical direction, and a third drive unit that moves the stage in a second direction that intersects with the first direction and is parallel to the horizontal direction,
the stage is provided on the first driving unit, the third driving unit moves the first driving unit in the second direction, and the second driving unit moves the third driving unit in the vertical direction;
The stopper is installed on the third driving unit ,
The electrophoresis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the autosampler moves the stage to position the container so that at least a portion of the container faces the stopper . Capillary and
a stage on which a container containing a sample or a reagent is placed;
an autosampler that moves the stage in a horizontal direction parallel to a surface of the stage and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the stage;
The autosampler comprises:
a stopper that applies a downward force to the container when the stage is lowered in the vertical direction to move the container connected to the capillary away from the capillary;
By moving the stage, the container is disposed at a position where at least a portion of the container faces the stopper;
The container has a positioning hole on a bottom surface,
The stage has a positioning pin on an upper surface thereof,
Electrophoresis apparatus, characterized in that the positioning pin is longer than the gap between the container and the stopper. Capillary and
a stage on which a container containing a sample or a reagent is placed;
an autosampler that moves the stage in a horizontal direction parallel to a surface of the stage and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the stage;
The autosampler comprises:
a stopper that applies a downward force to the container when the stage is lowered in the vertical direction to move the container connected to the capillary away from the capillary;
By moving the stage, the container is disposed at a position where at least a portion of the container faces the stopper;
The container comprises:
a sample container having a well for containing the sample or the reagent;
an adapter for receiving the sample container;
a septum disposed on the sample container and penetrable by the capillary;
a septum clip disposed on the septum and secured to the adapter;
An electrophoresis apparatus, wherein the downward force is greater than a frictional force generated between the capillary and the septum. 11. The electrophoretic device of claim 10 ,
The electrophoresis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adapter has an engagement portion that engages with an upper surface of the stopper.

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