Apparatus and method for the generation, separation, detection, and recognition of biopolymer fragments
US6485625B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 21, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 26, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 21, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N27/44721
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
This invention is an integrated instrument for the 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 sequen…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.