CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS DEVICE AND CAPILLARY CARTRIDGE

Abstract

A capillary electrophoresis device capable of convenient capillary replacement is provided. The capillary electrophoresis device includes: a capillary cartridge 102 in which a capillary 101 is disposed; a first structural body 106 in which a flow path to which one end of the capillary is connected is formed; and a second structural body 107 in which a flow path to which the other end of the capillary is connected is formed. The capillary electrophoresis device is configured such that at least one of the first structural body and the second structural body is movable within a predetermined range.

Description

Technical field

[0001] This invention relates to a capillary electrophoresis device and a capillary cartridge. Background of the invention

[0002] Regarding a capillary used in a capillary electrophoresis device, when electrophoresis is performed repeatedly, a sample residue will accumulate in the capillary, or a coating in the capillary will deteriorate, thus reducing the separation performance. Therefore, when electrophoresis is performed a predetermined number of times, it is necessary to replace a capillary.

[0003] In view of the background of such a technical field, a technique described in Patent Literature 1 has been proposed. The abstract of this publication provides the following description.In order to provide a small capillary electrophoresis device that facilitates a capillary exchange process, a capillary electrophoresis device is provided that includes: an electrophoresis unit 3 in which electrodes are arranged at both end portions of the capillary 2; a sample liquid transport unit 7 that transports sample liquids to both end portions of the capillary 2; a capillary holding portion 4 formed of two plates configured to clamp the capillary 2 and configured to be detached from the device; a sample liquid detection unit 5 that acquires information about the electrophoresis from a through-hole provided at a portion of the capillary holding portion 4; and a temperature control unit 6 that controls a temperature of the capillary holding portion 4.Since a cover of a casing 1 constituting an upper portion of the capillary holding portion 4 can be opened and closed, the capillary 2 can be easily removed. Citation listPatent literature

[0004] Patent Literature 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-008808 Overview of the inventionTechnical problem

[0005] In the above-mentioned Patent Literature 1, in a case of replacing the capillary, the following operation is necessary. The cover of the openable and closable housing can be opened, the parts that clamp the capillary are removed, and then the capillary is placed in a groove formed on the temperature control unit, and both ends of the capillary are connected to a flow path. As a result, the assembly operation of the capillary becomes difficult.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a capillary electrophoresis device capable of convenient replacement of a capillary. Solution to the problem

[0007] To overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, the present invention adopts, for example, the configurations claimed in the claims. The present invention includes several means for solving the above problems, and one example thereof is a capillary electrophoresis device. The capillary electrophoresis device includes: a capillary cartridge in which a capillary is arranged; a first structural body in which a flow path to which one end of the capillary is connected is formed; and a second structural body in which a flow path to which the other end of the capillary is connected is formed. At least one of the first structural body and the second structural body is movable within a predetermined range. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a capillary electrophoresis device capable of convenient capillary replacement. Objects, configurations, and effects other than the above will become apparent from the description of the following embodiments. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a sketch of a capillary electrophoresis device according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the capillary cartridge according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the capillary cartridge according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4A is a schematic view of a method of assembling the capillary cartridge according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4B is a schematic view of a method of assembling the capillary cartridge according to the first embodiment. Fig. is a schematic view of a method of assembling the capillary cartridge according to the first embodiment. Fig. is a schematic view of a method of assembling the capillary cartridge according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a method of assembling the capillary cartridge when both structural bodies are movable according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a mechanism that allows the structural body according to the first embodiment to move in an axial direction of a capillary. Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the configuration in which a structural body according to a second embodiment is movable in a θ direction. Fig. 8 is a schematic view of the configuration in which a structural body includes a protruding portion that fixes a capillary cartridge according to a third embodiment. Fig. 9 is a schematic view of the configuration including a holding device that limits the rotation of the structural body according to the third embodiment. Fig. 10 is a schematic view of the configuration enabling mounting and removal of a capillary cartridge according to a fourth embodiment by a snap lock. Description of the embodiments

[0009] Hereinafter, the mode for carrying out the present invention will be described sequentially with reference to the drawings. First embodiment

[0010] In the first embodiment, an embodiment of a capillary electrophoresis device having the following configuration is described. That is, the capillary electrophoresis device includes: a capillary cartridge in which a capillary is disposed; a first structural body in which a flow path to which one end of the capillary is connected is formed; and a second structural body in which a flow path to which the other end of the capillary is connected is formed. At least one of the first structural body and the second structural body is movable, that is, it can be moved within a predetermined range.

[0011] Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a capillary electrophoresis device according to this embodiment. The capillary electrophoresis device according to this embodiment includes: one or more capillaries 101; a capillary cartridge 102 that performs holding of the capillary 101 and temperature control of the capillary 101; a first structural body 106 and a second structural body 107 having flow paths connected to the capillary 101; a gel supply unit 103 for filling a gel into the capillary through the first structural body or the second structural body; and a high-voltage power supply 104 for applying a high voltage to the capillary. The capillary cartridge 102, the first structural body 106, and the second structural body 107 are mounted on a predetermined board.

[0012] The capillary 101 is a glass tube whose surface is protected by a polyimide coating. The capillary 101 has an inner diameter of several tens of µm and an outer diameter of several hundred µm. The capillary 101 is an integral body formed by a first capillary head 108, a second capillary head 109, a first capillary head pressure element 110, a second capillary head pressure element 111, and a detection window 105.

[0013] The first capillary head 108 is connected to the first structural body 106, and the second capillary head 109 is connected to the second structural body 107. In such a configuration, the connection between the first structural body and the first capillary head and the connection between the second capillary head 109 and the second structural body are fixed by the first capillary head pressure element 110 and the second capillary head pressure element 111, respectively.

[0014] A method for fixing the first structural body and the first capillary head by the first capillary head pressing member will be described. Threads are formed on an inner side of the first capillary head pressing member 110, and threads are formed on an outer side of the first structural body 106 to enable the first structural body 106 to be connected to the first capillary head pressing member 110. When the threads are tightened together, the first capillary head 108 is pressed against the first structural body 106. Furthermore, at least a portion of an insertion portion of the first capillary head 108 and an insertion opening of the capillary head of the first structural body are formed into a tapered structure and brought into contact with each other, thereby preventing gel leakage at the time of gel filling. The description has been made by taking the first capillary head pressing member as an example.However, a method of fixing by the second capillary head pressing member is essentially the same. By tightening the threads formed on the second capillary head pressing member 111 and the threads formed on the second structural body together, the second capillary head is pressed against the second structural body, thus fixing the second capillary head and the second structural body.

[0015] Furthermore, the first capillary head pressing member 110 and the second capillary head pressing member 111 also play a role as handles at the time of connecting the capillary head to the structural body. At the time of replacing the capillary 101, it is not necessary for an operator to touch a distal end of the capillary 101, and thereby a risk of contamination of the capillary 101 can be reduced. In this embodiment, the description has been made with respect to the example in which the threads are formed on the inside of the capillary head pressing member and the outside of the structural body. However, it is sufficient that the threads are formed to engage with each other with threads, and the threads may be formed on the outside of the capillary head pressing member and the inside of the structural body.

[0016] Furthermore, the second structural body 107 is connected to a gel filling unit 103 and a gel supply unit. A gel is supplied to the interior of the second structural body 107 by a gel supply unit 115, and then the gel supplied to the second structural body by the gel filling unit 103 is supplied to the capillary 101 and the first structural body. The first structural body and the second structural body are connected to a waste liquid tank 116. For example, a used gel passes through the first structural body due to the supply of a new gel, so that the used gel is supplied to the waste liquid tank. Although in Fig. 1, the illustration is omitted, a sample and a reagent are supplied to the first structural body or the second structural body, and the used sample and the used reagent are supplied to the waste liquid tank 116 and accommodated in the waste liquid tank 116.

[0017] Furthermore, the first structural body 106 is connected to a cathode 113, and the second structural body 107 is connected to an anode 112. The anode 112 and the cathode 113 are connected to a high-voltage power supply. Accordingly, when a voltage is applied to the cathode and the anode in a state where a gel is filled in the capillary, the first structural body and the second structural body, the gels in the flow paths of the first structural body and the second structural body, and the gel in the capillary are electrically connected to each other. When a negatively charged sample is supplied to the first structural body 108 in a state where the gel is filled in the first structural body 108, and a voltage is applied to the anode 112 and the cathode 113 by the high-voltage power supply, electrophoresis of the sample toward the anode 108 is generated.When the sample passes through the capillary 101 and reaches a detection window 105, the sample is detected by a detection unit not shown in the drawing.

[0018] In this embodiment, the capillary 101 is maintained in a state where the capillary 101 is arranged in a capillary cartridge 102. Furthermore, the capillary cartridge 102 includes a heater, and the heater controls a temperature of the capillary 101 to a predetermined temperature.

[0019] In the capillary electrophoresis device, the Joule heat effect is reduced by utilizing the high heat radiation performance of the capillary, thereby improving separation performance. Generally, as a technique for performing temperature control, a technique using a flat heater whose temperature is controlled on a surface of the capillary and a technique that circulates air whose temperature is controlled at a fixed temperature in a space where the capillary is arranged are mentioned. In this embodiment, the former flat heater is used.

[0020] Fig. 2 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 thermal insulation material cover 201, a thermal insulation material 202, the capillary 101, a heater cover 203, and a heater unit 204. The thermal insulation material cover refers to a cover on one side of the thermal insulation material, and the heater cover refers to a cover on one side of the heater.

[0021] The thermal insulation material cover 201 is a housing of the capillary cartridge 102 and has a guide structure 205 for positioning and holding the capillary 101. The guide structure 205 is a columnar structural body with a cutaway portion. The guide structure 205 holds the capillary by disposing the capillary within the cutaway portion. The thermal insulation material 202 and the heater unit 204 each have a hole and a recessed portion for inserting the guide structure 205. By inserting the guide structure 205 into the holes in a state where the capillary 101 is positioned in the cutaway portion formed on the guide structure 205, the capillary 101 is mounted on the heater.In a case where there is temperature irregularity or a difference in the influence of outside air depending on the position of the flat heater, the capillary may not be arranged in the same position at the time of capillary replacement. In such a case, irregularities occur in the accuracy of temperature control of the capillary, which may lead to a possibility of irregularities occurring in analysis performance. In this embodiment, due to the provision of the guide structure 205, the capillary can be arranged in the same position in the heater even when the capillary 101 is mounted or removed, and therefore, temperature irregularities due to the position of the capillary arranged in the heater can be reduced.As a result, irregularities in the behavior between capillary cartridges before and after capillary replacement can be reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve stable analysis behavior.

[0022] As a method for disposing the capillary on the heater surface with favorable reproducibility, as described in Patent Literature 1, for example, a method that forms a groove on a path where the capillary is to be disposed on the heat radiation plate and a method that laminates the capillary onto a heat radiation plate using a gasket or the like are considered. However, in the former method, it is difficult to dispose the capillary on a curved line as in Fig. 1. This is because the elasticity of the capillary is high, and therefore, the shallow groove cannot hold the capillary. On the other hand, if the groove is formed from a deep groove, it is difficult to bring the capillary into contact with the heater, which may lead to a possibility of temperature irregularities occurring. In this embodiment, the guide structure is inserted into the flat heater in a state where a portion of the capillary 101 is held by the guide structure 205, and therefore, it is possible to bring the capillary 101 into contact with the heater in a stable manner, thereby reducing temperature irregularities.

[0023] Furthermore, in the latter method, in a case where the capillary is positioned by laminating the gasket, a special jig or the like is required to laminate the gasket at a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the capillary 101 can be positioned by the guide structure 205 mounted on the above-described heat insulation material sheath. Accordingly, the capillary can be easily fixed on a desired curved line with favorable reproducibility. Moreover, a portion of the capillary held by the guide structure is extremely narrow, that is, several mm, and therefore, a risk affecting an analysis result can be suppressed compared to a case where the capillary is fixed by the gasket.

[0024] The thermal insulation material 202 prevents heat from escaping from the heater unit 204 to the outside, reducing the effect of the temperature in the capillary cartridge 102 being influenced by the outside temperature. Furthermore, the thermal insulation material 202 is formed of a soft material. Accordingly, when the thermal insulation material shell 201 and the heater shell 203 are closed, the thermal insulation material 202 is compressed, thus pressing the capillary 101 against the heater unit 204. As a result, the capillary 101 can efficiently perform heat exchange with the heater unit 204.

[0025] The heater shell 203 is a housing of the capillary cartridge 101. Unlike the thermal insulation material shell 201, the heater shell 203 does not have the guide structure 205. A width of a space in the shell formed by closing the thermal insulation material shell 201 and the heater shell 203 is smaller than a sum of a thickness of the thermal insulation material 202 and a thickness of the heater unit 204. This is because heat exchange efficiency can be improved by strongly pressing the above-described capillary 101 against the heater unit 204.

[0026] The heater unit 204 has a temperature sensor on a surface thereof on one side of the capillary 101, and a surface of the heater unit 204 with which the capillary 101 is brought into contact can be controlled to a predetermined temperature by the temperature sensor.

[0027] Fig. 3 shows an example of the cross-sectional view of the capillary cartridge according to this embodiment. The heat insulation material shell 201 is shown on a left side of the drawing, and the heater shell 203 is shown on a right side of the drawing. The heater unit 204 arranged in the heater shell 203 has a multi-layer structure consisting of a flat heater 206, a metal plate 207, an insulation plate 208, and a heat radiation plate 209. The heater unit 204 has a groove into which the guide structure 205 is engaged.

[0028] The flat heater 206 is controlled by a temperature sensor (not shown in the drawing) arranged on the heat radiation plate 209, and performs temperature control of the heat radiation plate 209 to a predetermined temperature. The metal plate 207 distributes heat from the flat heater in-plane, thus ensuring that a temperature on the surface is uniform. Furthermore, a material of the metal plate 207 is a metal with a large heat capacity, and therefore, the metal plate 207 is minimally affected by noise. The insulation plate 208 is a plate made of a material having high electrical resistance, and therefore, the insulation plate 208 prevents the discharge of electricity from the capillary 101, to which a high voltage is applied to the metal plate 207.

[0029] The heat radiation plate 209 is a plate made of a material with high thermal conductivity and improves heat exchange efficiency between the capillary 104 and the heater unit 204. The capillary electrophoresis device reduces the effect of Joule heat by utilizing the high heat radiation property of the capillary, thus improving separation performance. Generally, as a technique for performing temperature control, a technique using a flat heater whose temperature is controlled on a surface of the capillary and a technique that circulates air whose temperature is controlled at a fixed temperature in a space where the capillary is arranged are mentioned. In this embodiment, the description has been made using a flat heater as an example.However, it is sufficient that temperature control can be carried out, and therefore air circulation type temperature control can be chosen.

[0030] In this embodiment, the description was made with respect to the positioning of the capillary on the capillary cartridge. However, the capillary cartridge can also be provided to a user as a replacement element. In this case, the user is not required to perform the positioning of the capillary relative to the heater, and therefore, the installation and removal of the capillary can be performed more easily.

[0031] Fig. 4A to Fig. 4D are views showing an example of a method for assembling the capillary cartridge 102 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, as described above, it is sufficient that at least one of the first structural body 106 or the second structural body 107 is movable. The following describes the assembly steps of the capillary cartridge 102 when only the second structural body 107 is movable in the x-direction.

[0032] First, Fig. 4A shows a state in which the first structural body 106 and the second structural body 107 are arranged on the plate in the device, or a state in which the capillary cartridge is removed. The second structural body 107 is movable within a predetermined range, and the second structural body 107 is moved so that connecting portions of the first structural body and the second structural body with the capillary heads are arranged at positions away from the capillary heads positioned on the capillary cartridge 102 by a distance of the capillary head. That is, the first structural body 106 and the second structural body 107 are arranged at positions where the first structural body 106 and the second structural body 107 do not interfere with the capillary at the time of mounting the capillary cartridge.

[0033] Then the capillary cartridge 102 is inserted as shown in Fig. 4B, is moved in the x-direction and is connected to the first structural body 106. As described above, by fastening the first capillary head pressing member 110 in a state where the first structural body 106 and the first capillary head 108 are connected to each other, the first structural body 106 and the first capillary head 108 are fixed so as to connect a flow path formed in the first structural body 106 and the capillary 101 to each other.

[0034] Next, the second structural body 107, as shown in Fig. 4C, is moved in the x-direction to connect the second structural body 107 to the second capillary head 109.

[0035] Finally, a flow path is created with the Fig. 4D by securing the second capillary head pressure element 111 as described above.

[0036] In a case where the first structural body 106 and the second structural body 107 are fixed and are not movable, it is necessary to connect the capillary to any one of the first structural body or the second structural body by displacing the capillary, or it is necessary to remove at least one of the first structural body or the second structural body.

[0037] In a case where either of the first structural body 106 or the second structural body 107 is movable, when the capillary is integrally formed as the capillary cartridge, the capillary can be mounted or removed even in a state where the capillary is not displaced, and therefore, a temperature control range of the capillary can be expanded, and therefore, stable analysis performance can be acquired. In a case where the first structural body 106 and the second structural body 107 are fixed, the capillary cartridge 102 can be replaced by shortening the capillary cartridge 102, thereby increasing lengths of regions of the capillary 101 protruding from the capillary cartridge 102, without removing both structural bodies by displacing the capillary 101. However, in this case, a temperature control range of the capillary 101 is reduced, and thus, analysis performance is degraded.Furthermore, in a case where the structural bodies are removed and the capillary cartridge is mounted, a replacement operation becomes cumbersome. In this embodiment, by making the structural body movable, replacement of the capillary cartridge 102 can be easily performed while ensuring the maximum temperature control range.

[0038] Next, the description will be made regarding steps for assembling in a case where both the first structural body and the second structural body are movable. In this case, as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, first, the capillary cartridge 102 may be mounted at a predetermined position on the plate, and then both structural bodies may be moved toward the capillary head, respectively, and may be connected to the capillary head. When the structural bodies are moved, the capillary cartridge 102 is positioned at the position where the structural bodies and the capillary head are connected to each other. In the drawing, a connector 114 of a heater disposed in the capillary cartridge 102 performs the positioning of the capillary cartridge. In the drawing, the connector 114 is used for positioning the capillary cartridge. However, for such positioning of the capillary cartridge, a guide, a marker, or the like may also be used. A method for fixing the capillary head pressure member is substantially the same as the method described above.In this method, a mechanism capable of moving both structural bodies is required. However, it is not necessary to move the capillary cartridge 102 in the x-direction. Accordingly, the connector 114 of the heater disposed in the capillary cartridge 102 can be connected as shown in FIG. Fig. 5, can be mounted directly below the capillary cartridge 102, and therefore the capillary cartridge 102 can be replaced more easily.

[0039] Although in Fig. 4, in a case where only the structural body is movable on one side, it is necessary to connect the capillary cartridge 102 to the connector by extending a wire harness from the capillary cartridge 102 to move the capillary cartridge 102 in the x-direction.

[0040] Furthermore, in a case where the capillary 101 is not positioned by the capillary cartridge 102, it is necessary to perform positioning with the first structural body 106, the second structural body 107, and the heater unit, respectively, and thus, mounting the capillary becomes extremely cumbersome. Regarding the configuration of the capillary cartridge according to this embodiment, the capillary and the heater are integrally formed in a positioned state, and thereby mounting and removing the capillary can be easily performed. Furthermore, by providing the movable structural body, it is possible to perform replacement of the capillary cartridge in a state where the temperature control range is secured.

[0041] Fig. Fig. 6 is an example of a schematic view of a mechanism that enables the movement of the flow path-provided structural body according to this embodiment. For example, such a mechanism may be configured in a manner such as shown in Fig. 6, wherein, of the threaded holes formed at four corners for fixing the second structural body 107 provided with the flow path, two threaded holes are formed into cutout holes 117, and the remaining two threaded holes are formed into normal threaded holes 118. In this case, the cutout holes 117 function as guides, and therefore the structural body can be moved within a predetermined range.

[0042] When moving the second structural body, if screws in the normal threaded holes 118 are removed and screws in the cutout holes 117 are loosened, the cutout holes 117 initially restrict the movement of the second structural body in a y-direction and a z-direction, and therefore the second structural body is only movable in the x-direction of the capillary 101. The shape of the cutout hole 117 and the shape of the normal threaded hole 118 are not limited to the above-mentioned configurations. All four threaded holes can be formed into cutout holes 117. Alternatively, elongated round holes can be formed instead of the cutout holes. In the Fig. 6, which is formed by the cutout holes 117 and the normal threaded holes 118, the configuration uses the normal threaded holes 118, and therefore the second structural body has excellent positioning accuracy. On the other hand, in the configuration in which all four threaded holes are formed into cutout holes, it is not necessary to completely remove the screws, and therefore, capillary replacement can be performed more easily.

[0043] Accordingly, when mounting or removing the capillary cartridge 102, the connection between the first capillary head pressing member 110 and the second capillary head 111 is released, and at least one of the first structural body 106 and the second structural body 107 can be moved. In this embodiment, the screws and the cutout holes are used as guides. However, it is sufficient to limit the movement of the second structural body only in the x-direction, and therefore, other configurations can also be adopted. Second embodiment

[0044] In the second embodiment, an embodiment of a capillary electrophoresis device will be described in which, in the electrophoresis device according to the first embodiment, at least one of the first structural body 106 and the second structural body 107 is rotatable about a shaft portion, that is, movable in a θ direction within a predetermined range. In this embodiment, the configuration other than a structural body portion is substantially the same as the corresponding configuration of the first embodiment.

[0045] Fig. 7 is an example of a schematic view illustrating the configuration in which a structural body is movable in a θ direction. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, the configuration is adopted in which both structural bodies 301, 302 are rotatable in the θ direction. More specifically, the structural bodies are mounted on a device by structural body fixing portions fixed to a plate of a device. The structural body fixing portion has a shaft portion 305 engaged with the structural body, and the structural body is rotatable about the shaft portion 305 movable in the θ direction. A capillary cartridge is arranged, and the structural bodies and a capillary head are connected to each other by moving the structural bodies in the θ direction. Furthermore, the connection between the structural bodies and the capillary head is fixed by the capillary head pressing members in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0046] The first structural body 301, which is movable in the θ direction in the embodiment, and the second structural body 302, which is movable in the θ direction in the embodiment, are arranged around the shaft portions 305, as shown in Fig. 7. Accordingly, the capillary cartridge 102 can be replaced more easily compared to the configuration of the first embodiment, which requires loosening the screws that fix the structural bodies.

[0047] To remove the capillary cartridge 102, the connection between the first capillary head pressing member 110 and the first structural body 301 movable in the θ direction is released, the first structural body 301 movable in the θ direction is moved in the θ direction, and then the same operation is performed on a side where the second structural body 302 is movable in the θ direction. After that, the capillary cartridge 101 can be replaced with a new capillary cartridge 101 by performing the reverse steps. Third embodiment

[0048] The third embodiment is an embodiment of a capillary electrophoresis device having the configuration in which the first structural body, which is rotatable about a shaft portion, that is, movable within a predetermined range in the θ direction, further includes a protruding portion, and the capillary cartridge has a recessed portion engaged with the protruding portion. The configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the protruding portion and the recessed portion.

[0049] In this embodiment, the capillary head and the first structural body are fixed by the capillary head pressing member in the same manner as in the first embodiment. According to this embodiment, the connection between the first structural body and the capillary head can be made more stable. In particular, when supplying a gel through a gel filling unit 103, the gel has a high viscosity, and therefore, a strong supply pressure of the gel is applied for supplying. Accordingly, in a case where a force generated in the structural body due to pressure at the time of supplying the gel is shifted from a rotation axis of the structural body, such a force acts in the direction in which the structural body rotates due to a supply pressure. As a result, there is a possibility that the structural body rotates in the direction away from the capillary head.In a case where the connection between the first structural body and the second structural body and the capillary head by the capillary head pressure element is weak, the connection between the capillary head and the structural body is broken at the time of liquid supply, and therefore, there is a possibility of liquid leakage. Furthermore, if the structural body rotates in the direction away from the capillary head in a state where the capillary head and the structural body are fixed to each other, there is a possibility of capillary breakage.

[0050] In view of the above, in this embodiment, as in Fig. 8, a protruding portion 303 rotatable about a shaft portion, that is, movable in the θ direction, is formed on the first structural body 301, and a recess 304 engaging with the protruding portion 303 is formed on the capillary cartridge 102. With such a configuration, it is possible to limit the rotation of the first structural body 301. Accordingly, the connection between the capillary head and the structural body can be made more stable, or it is possible to prevent breakage of the capillary 101.

[0051] When connecting the first structural body 301 to the capillary head by moving the first structural body 301 in the θ direction, the protruding portion 303 and the recessed portion 304 engage with each other. Due to the engagement between the protruding portion 303 and the recessed portion 304, it is possible to limit the rotation of the first structural body 301 after the first structural body 301 and the capillary head are connected to each other.

[0052] In this embodiment, the protruding portion is formed on the structural body, and the recessed portion is formed on the capillary cartridge 102. However, the protruding portion may be formed on the capillary cartridge 102, and the recessed portion may be formed on the structural body. That is, it is sufficient that the structural body and the capillary cartridge 102 have a structure in which these elements are interlocked, and the rotation of the structural body can be restricted when these elements are interlocked.

[0053] As a method for limiting the rotation of the structural body, except for the structure where the structural body and the capillary cartridge are engaged, as shown in Fig. 9, a holding device 306 may be provided. By rotating the structural body 301 in the θ direction and by arranging the holding device 306 after the connection of the structural body 301 to the capillary head, the rotation of the structural body 301 in the direction away from the capillary head is limited, and thus it is possible to hold the first structural body 301 in a state in which the first structural body 301 is connected to the capillary head in a stable manner.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the description will be made using the first structural body 301 as an example. However, the same applies to the second structural body 302 in a case where the second structural body 302 is movable. Fourth embodiment

[0055] The fourth embodiment is an embodiment in which an alternative member is used instead of the above-mentioned capillary head pressing member. That is, the connection between the capillary head and the structural body is fixed by a snap lock. The snap lock can be used in a case where the first structural body 106 or the second structural body 107 is movable in the x-direction. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the cutout holes and the screws are used. In this embodiment, a guide structure 403 is provided, and the structural body has a recessed portion that engages with the guide structure. With the provision of the guide structure 403, the movement of the structural body in the z-direction and the y-direction is limited, and the structural body is movable within a predetermined range.

[0056] Fig.10 is an example of a schematic view of this embodiment in which the capillary cartridge can be mounted or removed using the snap lock. As shown in the drawing, this embodiment includes: a snap lock 401 for fixing the capillary cartridge; and a structural body 402 for hooking the snap lock 401. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a rubber plug 404 is fixed to the capillary cartridge 102. Other configurations of this embodiment are the same as the corresponding configurations of the first embodiment.

[0057] A first structural body 106, which is movable in the horizontal direction, includes the snap lock 401 for connecting the first capillary head 108 to a flow path and has the structural body guide structure 403 for limiting the movement of the capillary 101 in directions other than those parallel to an axis of the capillary 101.

[0058] The structural body 402, which engages the snap lock 401, has a slit through which the capillary 101 passes, and the capillary 101 is parallel to the flow path in the first structural body 106 without being displaced due to an elastic force of the rubber plug 404 arranged behind the first capillary head 108. When the snap lock 401 is fastened in such a state, the first structural body 106 is pressed against the first capillary head 108 and is connected to the flow path. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide the capillary head pressing member. Unlike other embodiments in which the screws of the capillary head pressing member are tightened, in this embodiment the capillary 101 is connected to the flow path simply by pulling the snap lock 401, and therefore, replacement of the capillary cartridge can be performed more easily.

[0059] Furthermore, the first structural body 106 and the second structural body 107 are movable. In a case of fixing both structural bodies 106 and 107 using the snap lock 401, these structural bodies 106 and 107 can be fixed in a desired order. However, in a case where one of these structural bodies 106 or 107 is fixed by the capillary head pressing member, the structural body on a side where the structural body is fixed by the capillary head pressing member and the capillary head are connected to each other. After the structural body is fixed by the capillary head pressing member, the structural body fixed by the snap lock 401 and the capillary head are connected to each other and fixed to each other.Furthermore, in a case where one of the first structural body and the second structural body is movable and the movable structural body is fixed by the snap lock, in the same way, the connection between the fixed structural body and the capillary head is fastened by the capillary head pressing member, and thereafter, the movable structural body and the capillary head are fixed to each other by the snap lock.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and further includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above have been described in detail in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Moreover, part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configurations of other embodiments, and furthermore, the configuration of one embodiment may also be supplemented with the configurations of other embodiments. Furthermore, part of the configuration of each of the embodiments may be subject to addition, deletion, and replacement with respect to other configurations. List of reference symbols 101 capillary 102 Capillary cartridge 103 Gel filling unit 104 High-voltage power supply 105 detection windows 106 first structural body 107 second structural body 108 first capillary head 109 second capillary head 110 first capillary head pressure element 111 second capillary head pressure element 112 Anode 113 Cathode 114 Heater connector 115 Gel supply unit 116 Waste liquid tank 117 cutout hole 118 normal threaded hole 201 Thermal insulation material cover 202 Thermal insulation material 203 Heater cover 204 Heater unit 205 Management structure 206 flat heaters 207 Metal plate 208 Insulation plate 209 Heat radiation plate 301 first structural body movable in θ-direction 302 second structural body movable in θ-direction 303 protruding section for fixing the capillary cartridge 102 304 Structure intervening in the preceding section 401 snap lock 402 Structural body for hooking the snap lock 403 Guide structure of the structural body 404 rubber plugs QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2008-008808

[0004]

Claims

[1] Capillary electrophoresis device comprising: a capillary cartridge in which a capillary is arranged; a first structural body in which a flow path to which one end of the capillary is connected is formed; and a second structural body in which a flow path to which the other end of the capillary is connected is formed, wherein at least one of the first structural body or the second structural body is movable within a predetermined range. [2] Capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first structural body or the second structural body is rotatable about an axis section. [3] Capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first structural body or the second structural body, which is rotatable about an axis section, has a projecting section for fixing the capillary cartridge, and the capillary cartridge has a recessed portion that engages with the protruding portion. [4] Capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first structural body or the second structural body is movable in a horizontal direction within a predetermined range, and at least one of the first structural body or the second structural body, which is movable in the horizontal direction within the predetermined range, has a snap lock for fixing the capillary cartridge. [5] Capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the capillary cartridge comprises: a thermal insulation material shell with a thermal insulation material; and a heater shell with a heater unit, the thermal insulation material sheath has a guide structure for positioning the capillary, and a heater unit of the heater shell has a groove into which the guide structure engages. [6] Capillary electrophoresis device according to claim 5, wherein the heater unit has a multi-layer structure formed of a heater, a metal plate, an insulation plate and a heat radiation plate. [7] Capillary cartridge for positioning a capillary, comprising: a thermal insulation material cover comprising a thermal insulation material; and a heater shell with a heater unit, wherein the thermal insulation material sheath has a guide structure for positioning the capillary, and the heater unit has a groove into which the guide structure engages. [8] Capillary cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the guide structure has a cut-away portion in which the capillary is arranged. [9] The capillary cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the heater unit has a multi-layer structure formed of a heater, a metal plate, an insulation plate, and a heat radiation plate.

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