Electrophoresis device

Abstract

The invention aims to improve the spatial resolution in a multi-focus type electrophoresis apparatus that irradiates a capillary array from both ends thereof with laser beams. The invention relates to an electrophoresis apparatus in which capillaries at both ends of a capillary array are irradiated respectively with laser beams, and each of the two laser beams traverses multiple capillaries. In the electrophoresis apparatus, the laser beams are coaxially introduced into the capillary array from the both ends thereof to travel in a direction vertical to axis of each capillary and horizontal to the aligrnent plane of the capillary array; and a λ/4 plate and a polarizer are arranged on the laser beam optical axes. According to the invention, the total width of the incident laser beams is made narrow, generation of pseudo signals is prevented, and an analysis performance is improved.

1 . An electrophoresis device that detects luminescence generated from each of a plurality of capillaries, comprising:
 a capillary array having the plurality of capillaries aligned in a plane, being irradiated from both ends thereof respectively with laser beams and allowing each of the laser beams to be transmitted through the capillaries from one to another so as to traverse the capillaries, thereby generating the luminescence in each of the capillaries;   a quarter wavelength plate; and   a polarizer, wherein   the laser beams are coaxially introduced into the capillary array from the both ends thereof to travel in a direction vertical to the axis of each of the capillaries and horizontal to the alignment plane of the capillary array, and   the quarter wavelength plate and the polarizer are arranged on the axis of the laser beams so as to block transmitted feedback light and reflected feedback light.   
   
   
       2 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a solid state laser as a source of the laser beams. 
   
   
       3 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a laser source oscillating a laser beam; and   a beam splitter splitting the laser beam from the laser source into two laser beams, wherein   the capillary array is irradiated from both ends thereof with the two laser beams,   the polarizer is arranged in a route of the laser beam before the laser beam is split, and   the quarter wavelength plate is arranged in each of routes of the laser beams after the laser beam is split.   
   
   
       4 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a laser source oscillating a laser beam; and   a non-polarizing beam splitter splitting the laser beam from the laser source into two laser beams, wherein   the capillary array is irradiated from both ends thereof with the two laser beams, and   the polarizer and the quarter wavelength plate are arranged in a route of the laser beam before the laser beam is split.   
   
   
       5 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a laser source oscillating a laser beam; and   a beam splitter splitting the laser beam from the laser source into two laser beams, wherein   the capillary array is irradiated from both ends thereof with the two laser beams, and   the polarizer and the quarter wavelength plate are arranged in each of routes of the laser beams after the laser beam is split.   
   
   
       6 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 5 , further comprising
 a mirror having a reflection characteristic in which phases of s-polarization light and p-polarization light are kept unchanged, wherein   the laser beam is reflected by the mirror.   
   
   
       7 . An electrophoresis device that detects luminescence generated from each of a plurality of capillaries, comprising:
 a capillary array having the plurality of capillaries aligned in a plane, being irradiated from both ends thereof respectively with laser beams and allowing each of the laser beams to be transmitted through the capillaries from one to another so as to traverse the capillaries, thereby generating the luminescence in each of the capillaries;   a quarter wavelength plate; and   a polarizer, wherein   the capillary array is irradiated from both ends thereof with two laser beams so that optical axes of the laser beams overlap each other,   the quarter wavelength plate is arranged so that each of transmitted feedback light and reflected feedback light passes through the quarter wavelength plate twice, and   the polarizer is arranged so as to be reached by the transmitted feedback light and reflected feedback light whose phases is rotated by 90 degrees through the quarter wavelength plate.   
   
   
       8 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 7 , further comprising a solid state laser as a source of the laser beams. 
   
   
       9 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a laser source oscillating the laser beam; and   a beam splitter splitting laser beam from the laser source into two laser beams, wherein   the capillary array is irradiated from both ends thereof with the two laser beams,   the polarizer is arranged in a route of the laser beam before the laser beam is split, and   the quarter wavelength plate is arranged in each of routes of the laser beams after the laser beam is split.   
   
   
       10 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a laser source oscillating the laser beam; and   a non-polarizing beam splitter splitting the laser beam from the laser source into two laser beams, wherein   the capillary array is irradiated from both ends thereof with the two laser beams, and   the polarizer and the quarter wavelength plate are arranged in a route of the laser beam before being split.   
   
   
       11 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 7 , further comprising
 a laser source oscillating the laser beam; and   a beam splitter splitting the laser beam from the laser source into two laser beams, wherein   the capillary array is irradiated from both ends thereof with the two laser beams, and   the polarizer and the quarter wavelength plate are arranged in each of routes of the laser beams after the laser beam is split.   
   
   
       12 . The electrophoresis device according to  claim 11 , further comprising a mirror having a reflection characteristic in which phases of s-polarization light and p-polarization light are kept unchanged, wherein
 the laser beam is reflected by the mirror.