Capillary electrophoresis device and capillary cartridge

Abstract

The invention provides a capillary electrophoresis device which can easily replace a capillary tube. The capillary electrophoresis device is provided with: a capillary cartridge (102) in which a capillary (101) is positioned; a first structure (106) in which a flow path connected to one end of the capillary tube is formed; and a second structure (107) in which a flow path connecting the other end of the capillary tube is formed. At least one of the first structure and the second structure is movable within a predetermined range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a capillary electrophoresis apparatus and a capillary cartridge. Background Art

[0002] In the capillary used in a capillary electrophoresis apparatus, residues of a sample accumulate inside the capillary due to repeated electrophoresis, and the coating inside the capillary deteriorates, resulting in a reduction in separation performance. Therefore, if the capillary is subjected to electrophoresis a certain number of times, it needs to be replaced.

[0003] As background art in this technical field, there is Patent Document 1. The following is described in the abstract of this publication: In order to provide a small capillary electrophoresis apparatus that facilitates capillary replacement work, it includes: an electrophoresis unit 3 that has electrodes disposed at both ends of a capillary 2; a sample liquid delivery unit 7 that delivers a sample liquid to both ends of the capillary 2; a capillary holding unit 4 that has a structure that sandwiches the capillary 2 and is composed of two plates that can be detached from the apparatus; a sample liquid detection unit 5 that has a through hole in a part of the capillary holding unit 4 and obtains information on electrophoresis from this hole; and a temperature control unit 6 that controls the temperature of the capillary holding unit 4. Since the top surface of the housing 1 above the capillary holding unit 4 can be opened and closed, the capillary 2 can be easily detached.

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-008808 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] In the aforementioned Patent Document 1, when replacing the capillary, after opening the top surface of the housing that can be opened and closed and removing the component that sandwiches the capillary, it is necessary to connect both ends of the capillary to the flow path while arranging the capillary on the groove engraved in the temperature control unit, and the installation is difficult.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a capillary electrophoresis apparatus in which capillary replacement is easy.

[0010] Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, for example, the structure described in the claims is adopted. This application includes multiple solutions to the above problems. If one example is cited, it is a capillary electrophoresis device characterized by comprising: a capillary cassette in which a capillary is positioned; a first structure in which a flow path connecting one end of the capillary is formed; and a second structure in which a flow path connecting the other end of the capillary is formed, and at least one of the first structure and the second structure is movable within a predetermined range.

[0012] Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, a capillary electrophoresis device with easy capillary replacement can be provided. Other problems, structures, and effects than those described above will become clear from the following description of the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing the outline of the capillary electrophoresis device according to Embodiment 1.

[0015] Figure 2 It is an exploded view of the capillary cassette according to Embodiment 1.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the capillary cassette according to Embodiment 1.

[0017] Figure 4A It is a schematic diagram showing the installation method of the capillary cassette according to Embodiment 1.

[0018] Figure 4B It is a schematic diagram showing the installation method of the capillary cassette according to Embodiment 1.

[0019] Figure 4C It is a schematic diagram showing the installation method of the capillary cassette according to Embodiment 1.

[0020] Figure 4D It is a schematic diagram showing the installation method of the capillary cassette according to Embodiment 1.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram showing the installation method of the capillary cassette when both of the structures according to Embodiment 1 are movable.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram showing the mechanism for moving the structure according to Embodiment 1 in the axial direction of the capillary.

[0023] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure in which the structure according to Embodiment 2 is movable in the θ direction.

[0024] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure in which the structure has a convex portion for fixing the capillary cassette according to Embodiment 3.

[0025] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a holder that restricts the rotation of the structure involved in Embodiment 3.

[0026] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the capillary cartridge involved in Embodiment 4 can be disassembled and assembled by a snap fastener. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] Hereinafter, the manners for implementing the present invention will be described in sequence with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Embodiment 1

[0029] In Embodiment 1, an embodiment of the structure of a capillary electrophoresis device will be described. The capillary electrophoresis device includes: a capillary cartridge in which a capillary is positioned; a first structure in which a flow path connecting one end of the capillary is formed; and a second structure in which a flow path connecting the other end of the capillary is formed, and at least one of the first structure and the second structure is movable within a predetermined range, that is, capable of moving.

[0030] Figure 1 It shows an overview of the capillary electrophoresis device of this embodiment. The capillary electrophoresis device of this example has one or more capillaries 101, a capillary cartridge 102 for holding the capillary 101 and adjusting the temperature of the capillary, a first structure 106 and a second structure 107 having flow paths connected to the capillary 101, a gel supply unit 103 for filling the capillary with gel via the first structure or the second structure, and a high-voltage power supply 104 for applying a high voltage to the capillary. The capillary cartridge 102, the first structure 106, and the second structure 107 are placed on a predetermined substrate.

[0031] The capillary 101 is a glass tube with an inner diameter of several tens of μm and an outer diameter of several hundreds of μm, the surface of which is covered and protected by polyimide. The capillary 101 is provided with a first capillary head 108, a second capillary head 109, a first capillary head presser 110, a second capillary head presser 111, and a detection window 105, and they are integrated.

[0032] The first capillary head 108 is connected to the first structure 106, and the second capillary head 109 is connected to the second structure 107. Here, the connection between the first structure and the first capillary head and the connection between the second capillary head 109 and the second structure are fixed by the first capillary head presser 110 or the second capillary head presser 111 respectively.

[0033] A method for fixing a first structure and a first capillary head based on a first capillary head presser will be described. The first capillary head presser 110 has internal threads cut, and the first structure 106 has external threads cut so as to be connectable to the first capillary head presser 110. When the threads are tightened, the first capillary head 108 is pressed against the first structure 106. In addition, at least a part of the insertion portion of the first capillary head 108 and the insertion port of the capillary head of the first structure form a tapered structure, and by contacting each other, leakage of the gel is prevented when the gel is filled. The description has been given by taking the first capillary head presser as an example, but the fixing method based on the second capillary head presser is the same. When the screws provided on the second capillary head presser 111 and the second structure are tightened, the second capillary head is pressed against the second structure, and the second capillary head and the second structure are fixed.

[0034] In addition, the first capillary head presser 110 and the second capillary head presser 111 also function as handles when connecting the capillary head to the structure. When replacing the capillary 101, it is not necessary to contact the front end of the capillary 101, reducing the risk of contamination of the capillary 101. In addition, here, an example has been given in which threads are provided inside the capillary head presser and outside the structure, but as long as the threads are provided in a meshing manner, they can also be provided outside the capillary head presser and inside the structure.

[0035] In addition, the second structure 107 is connected to the gel filling unit 103 and the gel supply unit. After the gel is supplied into the second structure 107 through the gel supply unit 115, the gel supplied to the second structure is transported to the capillary 101 and the first structure through the gel filling unit 103. The first structure and the second structure are connected to the waste liquid container 116. For example, the used gel is transported to the waste liquid container through the first structure by the transportation of the new gel. Although the illustration is omitted in Figure 1 the sample, reagent is supplied to the first structure or the second structure, and the used substances are sent to the waste liquid container 116 and stored.

[0036] Moreover, the first structure 106 is connected to the cathode 113, and the second structure 107 is connected to the anode 112. The anode 112 and the cathode 113 are connected to a high-voltage power supply. Therefore, when a voltage is applied to the cathode and the anode in a state where the capillary, the first structure, and the second structure are filled with gel, the flow paths of the first structure and the second structure and the gel in the capillary are electrically connected. When a negatively charged sample is supplied to the first structure 108 in a state where the gel is filled and a voltage is applied to the anode 112 and the cathode 113 by the high-voltage power supply, the sample electrophoreses toward the anode 108. When the sample reaches the detection window 105 through the capillary 101, it is detected by a detection unit (not shown).

[0037] The capillary 101 of this embodiment is held in a positioned state inside the capillary cartridge 102. Further, the capillary cartridge 102 has a heater that adjusts the temperature of the capillary 101 to a predetermined temperature.

[0038] In a capillary electrophoresis apparatus, by utilizing the high heat dissipation performance of the capillary, the influence of Joule heat is reduced and the separation performance is improved. Generally, methods of temperature adjustment include a method of using a surface heater with adjusted temperature on the capillary surface and a method of circulating air with a constant adjusted temperature in the space where the capillary is provided. In this embodiment, the former surface heater is adopted.

[0039] Figure 2 FIG. 7 is an example of an exploded view of the capillary cartridge 101 of this embodiment. The capillary cartridge 101 has a multi-layer structure including a heat-insulating material housing 201, a heat-insulating material 202, a capillary 101, a heater housing 203, and a heater unit 204. In addition, the heat-insulating material housing refers to the housing on the heat-insulating material side, and the heater housing refers to the housing on the heater side.

[0040] The heat-insulating material housing 201 is the outer shell of the capillary cartridge 102 and has a guiding structure 205 for positioning and holding the capillary 101. The guiding structure 205 is a columnar structure with a notch, and the capillary is held by arranging the capillary inside the notch. The heat-insulating material 202 and the heater unit 204 have holes and recesses for inserting the guiding structure 205. In a state where the capillary 101 is positioned in the notch of the guiding structure 205, the capillary 101 is arranged on the heater by inserting the guiding structure 205 into the hole. Due to the temperature deviation caused by the position of the surface heater and the difference in the susceptibility to the influence of external gas, if the capillary cannot be arranged at the same position during capillary replacement, the temperature adjustment accuracy of the capillary will deviate, which will cause a deviation in the analysis performance. In this embodiment, through the guiding structure 205, even if the capillary 101 is disassembled and assembled, the capillary can be arranged at the same position on the heater. Therefore, the temperature deviation caused by the position of the capillary arranged on the heater can be reduced. As a result, the performance deviation between the capillary cartridges before and after capillary replacement becomes smaller. Therefore, stable analysis performance can be obtained.

[0041] In a method of reproducibly arranging the capillary on the heater surface, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a method of engraving a groove on the path where the capillary is to be arranged on a heat sink and a method of pasting the capillary on the heat sink using a component such as a seal are considered. However, in the former method, it is difficult to arrange the capillary as Figure 1It is configured on a curve in this way. This is because the capillary tube has a large elasticity, so it cannot be held by a shallow groove. On the other hand, in the case of a deep groove, it is difficult to make the capillary tube contact the heater, which becomes a cause of temperature deviation. In this embodiment, in a state where a part of the capillary tube 101 is held by the guiding structure 205, the guiding structure is inserted into the surface heater, so that the capillary tube 101 can stably contact the heater, and the temperature deviation can be reduced.

[0042] In addition, in the latter method, when pasting a seal to position the capillary tube, a special fixture or the like is required to paste it at a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the capillary tube 101 can be positioned by the guiding structure 205 provided on the aforementioned heat insulating material housing, so that the capillary tube can be reproduced well and easily fixed on an arbitrary curve. In addition, the area of the capillary tube held by the guiding structure is very narrow, only a few millimeters, so the risk of affecting the analysis result is smaller than that in the case of fixing by a seal.

[0043] The heat insulating material 202 prevents the heat from the heater unit 204 from dissipating to the outside, and reduces the influence of the temperature inside the capillary tube cartridge 102 from the outside air temperature. In addition, the heat insulating material 202 is made of a soft material. When the heat insulating material housing 201 and the heater housing 203 are closed, the heat insulating material 202 is flattened, and thereby the capillary tube 101 is pressed against the heater unit 204. As a result, the capillary tube 101 can effectively perform heat exchange with the heater unit 204.

[0044] The heater housing 203 is the outer shell of the capillary tube cartridge 101. Different from the heat insulating material housing 201, the heater housing 203 does not have the guiding structure 205. The width of the space inside the housing that can close the heat insulating material housing 201 and the heater housing 203 is smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of the heat insulating material 202 and the heater unit 204. This is to strongly press the aforementioned capillary tube 101 against the heater unit 204 to improve the efficiency of heat exchange.

[0045] The heater unit 204 has a temperature sensor on the surface on the side of the capillary tube 101, and the temperature of the surface contacted by the capillary tube 101 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature through the temperature sensor.

[0046] Figure 3 This is an example of a cross-sectional view of the capillary tube cartridge of this embodiment. The left side of this figure represents the heat insulating material housing 201, and the right side represents the heater housing 203. The heater unit 204 inside the heater housing 203 is a multi-layer structure of a surface heater 206, a metal plate 207, an insulating sheet 208, and a heat sink 209, and has a groove for engaging with the guiding structure 205.

[0047] The surface heater 206 is controlled by a temperature sensor (not shown) located on the heat sink 209 to adjust the temperature of the heat sink 209 to a predetermined temperature. The metal plate 207 diffuses the heat from the surface heater within the surface to make the temperature on the surface uniform. In addition, since the material of the metal plate 207 is a metal with a large heat capacity, it is not easily affected by interference. The insulating sheet 208 is a sheet made of a material with a high resistance, which prevents discharge from the capillary 101, to which a high voltage is applied, to the metal plate 207.

[0048] The heat sink 209 is a sheet made of a material with a high heat conductivity, which improves the heat exchange efficiency between the capillary 104 and the heater unit 204. The capillary electrophoresis device utilizes the high heat dissipation performance of the capillary to reduce the influence of Joule heat and improve the separation performance. Generally, the temperature adjustment methods include a method of using a surface heater with adjusted temperature on the surface of the capillary, and a method of circulating air with a constant temperature adjusted in the space where the capillary is provided. In this embodiment, the surface heater is taken as an example for illustration, but as long as the temperature can be adjusted, it can also be an air circulation type.

[0049] In this embodiment, the positioning of the capillary in the capillary cartridge has been described, but the capillary cartridge can also be supplied to the user as a replaceable component. In this case, the user does not need to position the capillary relative to the heater, and thus the disassembly and assembly of the capillary become easier.

[0050] Figures 4A to 4D It is a diagram showing an example of the installation method of the capillary cartridge 102 of Embodiment 1. As described above, in this embodiment, as long as at least one of the first structure 106 and the second structure 107 is movable. Here, the installation sequence of the capillary cartridge 102 in the case where only the second structure 107 is movable in the x direction will be described.

[0051] First, the state in which the first structure 106 and the second structure 107 are arranged on the substrate inside the device as shown in Figure 4A or the state when the capillary cartridge is removed is shown. The second structure 107 is movable within a predetermined range, and the second structure 107 moves in such a manner that the connection portion of the capillary heads of the first structure and the second structure is located at a position farther from the capillary head than the distance from the capillary head located in the capillary cartridge 102. That is, the first structure 106 and the second structure 107 are arranged at positions where they do not interfere with the capillary when the capillary cartridge is installed.

[0052] After that, as shown in Figure 4BThe capillary box 102 is moved in the x-direction to be connected to the first structure 106. As described above, in a state where the first structure 106 is connected to the first capillary head 108, by fastening the first capillary head presser 110, the first structure 106 and the first capillary head 108 are fixed, and the flow path provided in the first structure 106 is connected to the capillary 101.

[0053] Next, as Figure 4C the second structure 107 is moved in the x-direction to be connected to the second capillary head 109.

[0054] Finally, as Figure 4D shown, for the second structure 107, the flow path is connected by fastening the second capillary head presser 111 as described above.

[0055] When the first structure 106 and the second structure 107 are fixed and immovable, it is necessary to flex the capillary to connect it to the first structure or the second structure, or at least remove either the first structure or the second structure.

[0056] When either the first structure 106 or the second structure 107 is movable, when the capillary is integrated as a capillary box, it can be disassembled and assembled even in a state where the capillary is not flexed, the temperature adjustment area of the capillary can be expanded, and the analysis performance can be stabilized. When the first structure 106 and the second structure 107 are fixed, if the capillary box 102 is shortened and the area where the capillary 101 extends from the capillary box 102 is extended, the capillary box 102 can be replaced by flexing the capillary 101 without disassembling both structures. However, in this case, the temperature adjustment area of the capillary 101 is reduced, so the analysis performance is lowered. In addition, when the structure is removed and the capillary box is installed, the replacement operation becomes complicated. In this embodiment, by making the structure movable, while maximizing the temperature adjustment area, the replacement of the capillary box 102 is made easy.

[0057] Next, the installation sequence in the case where both the first structure and the second structure are movable will be described. In this case, as Figure 5As shown, first install the capillary box 102 at a predetermined position on the substrate, and then move and connect the two structures to the capillary head respectively. The capillary box 102 is arranged at the position where the structure is connected to the capillary head when the structure is moved. In this drawing, the connector 114 of the internal heater positions the capillary box. In this drawing, the connector 114 is used for positioning, but it can also be a guide, a mark, etc. The fixing method based on the capillary head presser is the same. In this method, a mechanism for making the two structures movable is required, but it is not necessary to move the capillary box 102 in the x direction. Therefore, the connector 114 of the heater inside the capillary box 102 can be arranged Figure 5 right below the capillary box 102 as shown, so that the replacement of the capillary box 102 becomes easier.

[0058] Although not shown in FIG. 4, when the structure is movable only on one side, in order to move the capillary box 102 in the x direction, it is necessary to extend the wire harness from the capillary box 102 to connect with the connector.

[0059] In addition, when the capillary 101 is not positioned by the capillary box 102, the capillary 101 needs to be aligned with the first structure 106, the second structure 107, and the heater unit respectively, so the installation of the capillary becomes very complicated. According to the structure of the capillary box of this embodiment, the capillary and the heater become an integral body in the positioned state, so the disassembly and assembly of the capillary become easy. Moreover, by making the structure movable, the replacement can be carried out while ensuring the temperature adjustment area.

[0060] Figure 6 is an example of a schematic diagram of a mechanism for making the structure with the flow path of this embodiment movable. For example, as Figure 6 shown, it can be achieved by setting two of the four threaded holes for fixing the second structure 107 with the flow path as cutout holes 117 and the other two as normal threaded holes 118. The cutout holes 117 serve as guides and can make the structure move within a predetermined range.

[0061] When moving the second structure, first, if the screws of the normal threaded holes 118 are removed and the screws of the cutout holes 117 are loosened, the cutout holes 117 restrict the movement in the y direction and the z direction. Therefore, it is only movable in the x direction of the capillary 101. The shapes of the cutout holes 117 and the normal threaded holes 118 are not limited to the above structure. All four can be cutout holes 117, or they can be oblong holes instead of cutout holes. Figure 6 The structure of the cutout holes 117 and the normal threaded holes 118 as shown has normal threaded holes 118, so the positioning accuracy is excellent. On the other hand, the structure with all four cutout holes does not require completely removing the screws, so the replacement of the capillary is easier.

[0062] Therefore, when installing or removing the capillary cartridge 102, it is only necessary to release the connection between the first capillary head presser 110 and the second capillary head 111 and move at least one of the first structure 106 and the second structure 107. In this embodiment, screws and cutout holes are used as guides, but any other structure can be used as long as it can limit movement only in the x direction.

[0063] Example 2

[0064] Example 2 describes an example of a capillary electrophoresis device in the electrophoresis device of Example 1, in which at least one of the first structure 106 and the second structure 107 can rotate about the shaft portion, that is, be movable within a predetermined range in the θ direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the structures other than the structure portion are the same as those in Example 1.

[0065] Figure 7 is an example of a schematic diagram of a structure in which the structure is movable in the θ direction. As Figure 7 shown, two structures 301 and 302 are configured to be rotatable along the θ direction. Specifically, the structures are mounted on the device through structure fixing portions fixed to the substrate of the device. The structure fixing portion has a shaft portion 305 that engages with the structure, and the structure can rotate about the shaft portion 305, that is, be movable in the θ direction. By arranging the capillary cartridge, the structures are moved in the θ direction to connect the structures and the capillary head. Further, the connection between the structure and the capillary head is fixed by a capillary head presser in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0066] The first structure 301 movable in the θ direction and the second structure 302 movable in the θ direction in this embodiment can rotate through the shaft portion 305 as Figure 7 shown, and therefore, compared with the structure of Example 1 in which the screws fixing the structure must be loosened, the capillary cartridge 102 can be replaced more easily.

[0067] To remove the capillary cartridge 102, it is only necessary to release the connection between the first capillary head presser 110 and the first structure 301 movable in the θ direction, move the first structure 301 movable in the θ direction in the θ direction, and perform the same operation on the side of the second structure 302 movable in the θ direction. After that, the new capillary cartridge 101 can be replaced by connecting it in the reverse order.

[0068] Example 3

[0069] Example 3 is an example of a capillary electrophoresis device having the following structure: the first structure that can rotate about the shaft portion, that is, be movable within a predetermined range in the θ direction, further has a convex portion, and the capillary cartridge has a concave portion that engages with the convex portion. In addition, in this embodiment, the structures other than the convex portion and the concave portion are the same as those in Example 1.

[0070] In this embodiment, similar to Embodiment 1, the capillary head and the first structure are fixed by the capillary head presser. According to this embodiment, the connection between the first structure and the capillary head can be made more stable. In particular, when the gel is delivered through the gel filling unit 103, the gel has a high viscosity, and a strong delivery pressure is applied for delivery. Therefore, when the force generated in the structure due to the pressure during delivery deviates from the rotation axis of the structure, the force acts in the direction of the rotation of the structure due to the delivery pressure. As a result, the structure may rotate in the direction of detaching from the capillary head. When the connection between the first structure and the second structure and the capillary head based on the capillary head presser is weak, the connection between the capillary head and the structure may be detached during delivery, and the liquid may leak. In addition, if the structure rotates in the direction of detaching from the capillary head while the capillary head and the structure are fixed, the capillary may be damaged.

[0071] Therefore, in this embodiment, as Figure 8 shown, a convex portion 303 is provided on the first structure 301 that can rotate about the shaft portion, that is, is movable in the θ direction, and a concave portion 304 that engages with the convex portion 303 is provided in the capillary cartridge 102, whereby the rotation of the first structure 301 can be restricted. Thereby, the connection between the capillary head and the structure can be made more stable, or the breakage of the capillary 101 can be prevented.

[0072] When the first structure 301 is moved in the θ direction to connect the first structure 301 with the capillary head, the convex portion 303 engages with the concave portion 304. By the engagement of the convex portion 303 and the concave portion 304, the rotation of the first structure 301 after the connection of the first structure 301 and the capillary head can be restricted.

[0073] In this embodiment, the convex portion is provided on the structure and the concave portion is provided in the capillary cartridge 102, but the convex portion may be provided in the capillary cartridge 102 and the concave portion may be provided on the structure, as long as they have a structure that engages with each other and can restrict the rotation of the structure when engaged.

[0074] In addition to the structure in which the structure and the capillary cartridge engage, as a method for restricting the rotation of the structure, as Figure 9 shown, a holding member 306 may also be provided. By rotating the structure 301 in the θ direction and arranging the holding member 306 after connecting with the capillary head, the rotation of the structure 301 in the direction of detaching from the capillary head can be restricted, and it can be stably held in the state where the first structure 301 is connected to the capillary head.

[0075] In addition, in this embodiment, the first structure 301 is taken as an example for description, but the same applies to the case where the second structure 302 is movable.

[0076] Embodiment 4

[0077] Example 4 is an alternative to the above capillary head presser, and the capillary head is fixed to the structure by a buckle. It can be used when the first structure 106 or the second structure 107 is movable in the x direction. In addition, in Example 1, a cutout hole and screws were used, but this example has a guiding structure 403, and the structure has a recess that engages with the guiding structure. Through the guiding structure 403, the movement of the structure in the z direction and the y direction is restricted, and it can be moved within a predetermined range.

[0078] Figure 10 An example of a schematic diagram of this embodiment showing that the capillary cartridge can be disassembled and assembled by a buckle is shown. As shown in this figure, there is a buckle 401 for fixing the capillary cartridge and a structure 402 for hooking the buckle 401. In addition, a rubber plug 404 is fixed to the capillary cartridge 102 in this embodiment. In addition, other structures are the same as those in Example 1.

[0079] The first structure 106 movable in the horizontal direction has a buckle 401 for connecting the first capillary head 108 to the flow path, and has a guiding structure 403 of the structure for restricting the movement of the capillary 101 other than the direction parallel to the axis.

[0080] The structure 402 engaged with the buckle 401 has a slit through which the capillary 101 passes. Due to the elastic force of the rubber plug 404 located behind the first capillary head 108, the capillary 101 does not bend and is parallel to the flow path of the first structure 106. If the buckle 401 is tightened in this state, the first structure 106 is pressed against the first capillary head 108 to connect the flow path. Therefore, a capillary head presser is not required. This embodiment is different from other embodiments in which the capillary head presser is screwed, and the capillary 101 is connected to the flow path only by pulling the buckle 401, so the replacement becomes easier.

[0081] In addition, when the first structure 106 and the second structure 107 are movable and both are fixed by the buckle 401, they can be fixed in any order. However, when either one is fixed by a capillary head presser, the structure on the side fixed by the capillary head presser is connected to the capillary head. After fixing with the capillary head presser, the structure fixed by the buckle 401 is connected to and fixed to the capillary head. In addition, when either the first structure or the second structure is movable and the movable structure is fixed by a buckle, similarly, after fixing the connection between the fixed structure and the capillary head with the capillary head presser, the movable structure is fixed to the capillary head by the buckle.

[0082] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above embodiments are examples described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention and are not necessarily limited to having all the structures described. In addition, a part of the structure of a certain embodiment can be replaced with the structure of another embodiment, and also, the structure of another embodiment can be added to the structure of a certain embodiment. In addition, with respect to a part of the structure of each embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement of other structures can be performed.

[0083] Symbol Explanation

[0084] 101 - Capillary; 102 - Capillary cartridge; 103 - Gel filling unit; 104 - High-voltage power supply; 105

[0085] - Detection window; 106 - First structure; 107 - Second structure; 108 - First capillary head; 109

[0086] - Second capillary head; 110 - First capillary head presser; 111 - Second capillary head presser; 112

[0087] - Anode; 113 - Cathode; 114 - Connector of heater; 115 - Gel supply unit; 116 - Waste liquid container; 117 - Cutout hole; 118 - Ordinary threaded hole; 201 - Heat insulation material housing; 202 - Heat insulation material; 203 - Heater housing; 204 - Heater unit; 205 - Guide structure; 206 - Surface heater; 207 - Metal plate; 208 - Insulating sheet; 209 - Heat sink; 301 - First structure movable in the θ direction; 302 - Second structure movable in the θ direction; 303 - Protrusion for fixing the capillary cartridge 102; 304 - Structure engaging with the protrusion; 401 - Buckle; 402 - Structure for hooking the buckle; 403 - Guide structure of the structure; 404 - Rubber plug.

Claims

1. A capillary electrophoresis device, characterized in that, Comprising: A capillary cartridge in which capillaries are positioned; A first structure in which a flow path connecting one end of the capillary is formed; and A second structure in which a flow path connecting the other end of the capillary is formed, At least one of the first structure and the second structure is movable within a predetermined range.

2. The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein At least one of the first structure and the second structure is rotatable about a shaft portion.

3. The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 2, wherein At least one of the first structure and the second structure that is rotatable about a shaft portion has a convex portion for fixing the capillary cartridge, The capillary cartridge has a concave portion that engages with the convex portion.

4. The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein At least one of the first structure and the second structure is movable within a predetermined range in the horizontal direction, At least one of the first structure and the second structure that is movable within a predetermined range in the horizontal direction has a buckle for fixing the capillary cartridge.

5. The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein The capillary cartridge is composed of a heat insulating material housing having a heat insulating material and a heater housing having a heater unit, The heat insulating material housing has a guiding structure for positioning the capillary, The heater unit of the heater housing has a groove for engaging with the guiding structure.

6. The capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 5, wherein The heater unit has a multi-layer structure of a heater, a metal plate, an insulating sheet, and a heat sink.

7. A capillary box, which is a capillary box for positioning capillaries, is characterized in that, Comprising: A heat insulating material housing having a heat insulating material; and A heater housing having a heater unit, The heat insulating material housing has a guiding structure for positioning the capillary, and the heater unit has a groove for engaging with the guiding structure.

8. The capillary cartridge according to claim 7, wherein The guiding structure has a cutout for arranging the capillary.

9. The capillary cartridge according to claim 7, wherein The heater unit has a multi-layer structure of a heater, a metal plate, an insulating sheet, and a heat sink.

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