US5110431A
Expired / Lapsed
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On-capillary gap junction for fluorescence detection in capillary electrophoresis
Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC
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Filing: 1990-02-28
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Granted: 1992-05-05
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Expires: 2010-02-28
Abstract
Abstract A junction reactor that aligns a pair of capillaries substantially collinearly, end-to-end that allows a small gap to be produced between these two ends. An applied voltage difference between the other ends of these two capillaries produces in the gap electric field lines that extend across the gap. Empirical evidence shows that the gap introduces only a small reduction in resolution of an electrophoretic or electrochromatographic separation. The gap enables sample liquid to be coupled between capillaries of different internal diameters and enables on-capillary reactions such as attaching a fluorescent tag to a sample components.
Inventors
- 👤 Stephen E. Moring
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 22:20
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/416; G01N27/447; G01N27/44704; G01N27/44717; G01N27/44721; G01N27/44756; G01N27/44773; G01N30/00; G01N30/02; G01N30/26; G01N30/28; G01N2030/285; G01N30/84; G01N2030/8429; G01N2030/8435; G01N30/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
252 words
A method of coupling sample liquid from an exit end of a first capillary into an inlet end of a second capillary, said method comprising the steps of: (a) inserting an exit end of said first capillary into a first end of a first channel extending through a gap junction reactor and attaching this capillary to said gap junction reactor utilizing a first fitting; (b) inserting the inlet end of said second capillary into a second end of said first channel and attaching this capillary to said gap junction reactor utilizing a second fitting, said first and second fittings each being located such that these fibers are aligned substantially collinearly at the exit end of the first capillary and the inlet end of the second capillary, each of these capillaries being inserted into the reactor to a depth such that an exit end of the first capillary is separated from the inlet end of the second capillary by said gap and these capillaries are nonoverlapping; (c) producing a flow of sample liquid through the first capillary, across the gap into the second capillary; and (d) producing a nonzero voltage difference between liquid in an exit end of the first capillary and liquid in an inlet end of the second capillary to produce electric field lines that cross from the exit end of the first capillary to the inlet end of the second capillary, whereby sample component zone broadening during passage across the gap is less than if this voltage difference were zero.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
252 words
A method of coupling sample liquid from an exit end of a first capillary into an inlet end of a second capillary, said method comprising the steps of: (a) inserting an exit end of said first capillary into a first end of a first channel extending through a gap junction reactor and attaching this capillary to said gap junction reactor utilizing a first fitting; (b) inserting the inlet end of said second capillary into a second end of said first channel and attaching this capillary to said gap junction reactor utilizing a second fitting, said first and second fittings each being located such that these fibers are aligned substantially collinearly at the exit end of the first capillary and the inlet end of the second capillary, each of these capillaries being inserted into the reactor to a depth such that an exit end of the first capillary is separated from the inlet end of the second capillary by said gap and these capillaries are nonoverlapping; (c) producing a flow of sample liquid through the first capillary, across the gap into the second capillary; and (d) producing a nonzero voltage difference between liquid in an exit end of the first capillary and liquid in an inlet end of the second capillary to produce electric field lines that cross from the exit end of the first capillary to the inlet end of the second capillary, whereby sample component zone broadening during passage across the gap is less than if this voltage difference were zero.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of: (e) controlling the temperature of said reactor, thereby adjusting reaction rates within this reactor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein said first and second capillaries have different internal diameters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the exit end of the first capillary and the inlet end of the second capillary are separated by a distance on the order of an inside diameter of one of these two capillaries.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein, during the step of aligning an exit end of the first capillary end to end with an inlet end of the second capillary, (f) viewing the region, containing the gap, through an optical imaging device that magnifies this region, thereby enabling increased accuracy in selecting a desired distance between these two ends.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein said voltage across the gap is produced by producing a voltage difference between liquid at an inlet end of the first capillary and liquid at an exit end of the second capillary.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of: (g) imaging a beam of light through said gap.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 7 further comprising the step of: (h1) utilizing a first optical fiber to collect light travelling from said gap.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as in claim 8 further comprising before step (g1) the step of: (g0) inserting an inlet end of said first optical fiber into a second channel that intersects the first channel; and (g0') utilizing a third fitting to attach this optical fiber to said gap junction reactor such that this first inlet end of this optical fiber is positioned and oriented to receive light from said gap.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said step of imaging a beam of light through said gap comprises transmitting this beam from an exit end of a second optical fiber that is attached to said junction gap reactor by a fourth fitting; wherein said inlet end of the first optical fiber is aligned substantially collinearly with said beam so that this beam passes through the gap to this first optical fiber, whereby this method is particularly suitable for absorbance measurements.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said inlet end of the first optical fiber is oriented such that it receives substantially no light directly from said beam of light, whereby this method is particularly suitable for fluorescence detection.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as in claim 11 wherein step (g) comprises the step of imaging light through a sidewall of the reactor along a direction approximately perpendicular to a plane containing the first channel and the second channel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as in claim 7 wherein said light is imaged through said gap without significantly illuminating the first or second capillaries, whereby scatter from such capillaries is substantially reduced.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
208 words
A gap junction reactor for coupling a first capillary and a second capillary such that an exit end of the first capillary is substantially collinear with an inlet end of the second capillary, said junction reactor comprising: a body having a first channel therethrough between a first fitting and a second fitting, each of which is attached to said body; said first capillary, which is to transport a sample liquid to said second capillary, being inserted through the first fitting and clamped by the first fitting in a first position in which its exit end extends into a first end of the first channel of the gap junction reactor; said second capillary being inserted through the second fitting and clamped by the second fitting in a second position in which its inlet end extends into a second end of said first channel such that said exit end of the first capillary and said inlet end of the second capillary are not overlapping, are aligned substantially collinearly and are separated by a gap; and a voltage source adapted to couple to fluid in said first and second capillaries to produce a voltage difference between the exit end of the first capillary and the inlet end of the second capillary.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
208 words
A gap junction reactor for coupling a first capillary and a second capillary such that an exit end of the first capillary is substantially collinear with an inlet end of the second capillary, said junction reactor comprising: a body having a first channel therethrough between a first fitting and a second fitting, each of which is attached to said body; said first capillary, which is to transport a sample liquid to said second capillary, being inserted through the first fitting and clamped by the first fitting in a first position in which its exit end extends into a first end of the first channel of the gap junction reactor; said second capillary being inserted through the second fitting and clamped by the second fitting in a second position in which its inlet end extends into a second end of said first channel such that said exit end of the first capillary and said inlet end of the second capillary are not overlapping, are aligned substantially collinearly and are separated by a gap; and a voltage source adapted to couple to fluid in said first and second capillaries to produce a voltage difference between the exit end of the first capillary and the inlet end of the second capillary.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 14 further comprising a heater attached to said body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 14 wherein said first and second capillaries have different inside diameters.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 14 wherein said exit end of the first capillary and said inlet end of the second capillary are separated by a distance on the order of an inside diameter of one of the capillaries.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 14 further comprising: a lens attached to a side of said reactor such that a user can peer through this lens to optically magnify a section of said first channel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 14 wherein said body is polymethyl pentene, whereby this body has a high degree of clarity and chemical inertness.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 14 further comprising: a source of an optical beam that is imaged onto said gap.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 20 further comprising: a first optical fiber positioned and oriented in said gap reaction reactor to receive light travelling from said gap between the first and second capillaries.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 21 further comprising: a third fitting that positions and claims said first optical fiber to said gap junction reactor.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 22 further comprising: a second optical fiber positioned and clamped to said reactor by a fourth fitting to direct said light beam through the gap.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 20 wherein said beam is directed through the gap without significantly overlapping onto said first and second capillaries, thereby reducing scatter off of said capillaries.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
35 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 24 further comprising: a first optical fiber positioned and oriented in said gap reaction reactor to receive light travelling from said gap between the first and second capillaries.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
53 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 14 wherein said body also has a second channel that intersects the first channel, this first channel terminating at a third fitting adapted to receive a third capillary, whereby liquids can be inserted through this third capillary into the gap between the first and second capillaries.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
37 words
A gap junction reactor as in claim 26 wherein the exit end of the first capillary and the inlet end of the second capillary each extends into an intersection of the first channel with the second channel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-05-05 | 1995-11-04 | 1996-05-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-05-05 | 1999-11-04 | 2000-05-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-05-05 | 2003-11-04 | 2004-05-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |