Hitachi Software Engineering Company, Ltd.

Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd.

Hitoshi Fujimiya

Hisanori Nasu

Kenji Yamamoto

Noriko Yurino

Toshitsugu Okayama

Toshiaki Ito

Toshimasa Watanabe

Yoshitaka Nakamura

Takehiko Nishida

Toshitaka Ishikawa

Hiromichi Mishima

Kouji Yuda

Norio Maru

Shinichiro Yamamoto

Yuuji Tsukamoto

Shigeo Nakajima

Tateo Kondou

An apparatus and a method for reading a gel electrophoresis pattern can read the gel electrophoresis pattern of a sample, such as a nucleic acid and a protein, with high sensitivity and without requiring the use of an expensive device structure such as a laser light source of unique type. The gel electrophoresis apparatus is structured by a sample supplying section for supplying a sample labeled with a fluorescent substance from an inlet side of an electrophoresis gel unit; an electrophoresis unit for subjecting the sample to electrophoresis by applying an electrophoresis voltage to the electrophoresis gel unit; a carrying section for withdrawing the electrophoresed sample continually from an outlet side of the electrophoresis gel unit into a carrying fluid and carrying the fluid a predetermined distance; a mixing unit for mixing the carrying fluid with a luminous liquid; and a light receiving section for receiving fluorescence emitted from the sample in the luminous liquid at a position to which the carrying fluid has been carried the predetermined distance.

Apparatus and method for reading gel electrophoresis pattern

A method is disclosed which is capable of increasing a S/N ratio without subjecting a sample to any treatment to thereby detect hybridization with high sensitivity. A fragmentarily divided probe is used which is prepared by dividing a single probe 12 into a plurality of fragmentary probes 12a, 12b, and labeling the fragmentary probes with different fluorescent materials 14a, 14b, respectively. When the probe is hybridized with a sample 11, the fragmentary probes 12a,12b reconstitute the single probe. An intermittent light beam is used as excitation light 19. The fluorescent material 14a is excited therewith, and fluorescence 18 emitted from the fluorescent material 14b through multistep excitation is detected while irradiation with the excitation light is intermitted.

Fluorescent material labeled-probe and method for detecting hybridization

The apparatus for reading a luminescence pattern is equipped with a stage on which the sample to be read is mounted. A photoreceptor disk is installed in the lower part of the stage and scans and condenses light from the luminescent pattern of the sample at positions determined by the rotation of a rotary plate. A transport mechanism causes the stage and the photoreceptor disk to undergo relative motion. An optical guide part guides the light from the luminescent pattern to a photoelectric converter. The optical guide part may include mirrors or one or more optical fibers. The photoelectric converter converts the light into an electrical signal. A controller controls how scanning is performed by the photoreceptor disk and transport mechanism and generates a read scanning position signal. A data processor performs data processing by converting the electrical signal into a digital signal and obtains a scanning position signal from the controller. Additionally, a laser light source may be used to shine laser light onto an electrophoresis gel of the sample.

Apparatus for reading a luminescence pattern of a sample

A scanning apparatus for scanning and reading a luminescent pattern of a sample in a flat-plate shape, having a placing member for placing the sample as an object for reading; a light condensing member for condensing light emitted from the luminescent pattern of the sample; a movement member for moving the light condensing member relative to the placing member; a light receiving member for dividing the light of the luminescent pattern of the sample condensed by the light condensing member into predetermined segments and receiving the light by scanning the light from the segments in a one-dimensional way; a photoelectrical conversion member for converting optical signals of the light received by the light receiving member into electrical signals; a control member for controlling a scan by the light receiving member in accordance with the electrical signals from the photoelectrical conversion member; and a data processing member for converting the electrical signals from the photoelectrical conversion member into digital signals and reconfiguring an image from the optical signals of the light from the segment received selectively in a one-dimensional way. The scanning apparatus can likewise scan and read a non-luminous or less luminous pattern of a sample by allowing light from a plane light source to transmit through the pattern of the sample.

Scanning apparatus

The gene database retrieval system, for making a retrieval for a gene sequence having a sequence similar to a sequence data from a gene database, contains a gene database for storing the sequence data of genes whose structures or sequences have already been analyzed and identified, a dynamic programming operation unit for determining the degree of similarity between target data and key data by utilizing the sequence data of the bases of the gene from the gene database as the target data and the sequence data of the bases as the key for retrieval, and a central processing device unit for executing the access process to make access to the gene database, in parallel to the operation process for determining the degree of similarity by transmitting the sequence data of the bases from the gene database continually one after another into the dynamic programming operation unit as the target data, by controlling the gene database and the dynamic programming operation unit.

Gene database retrieval system where a key sequence is compared to

The electrophoresis apparatus has a capillary filled with gel for use in electrophoresis. A first buffer solution container is provided for storing a buffer solution and introducing a sample labelled with a fluorescent substance into an inlet of said capillary for electrophoresis. A second buffer solution container is provided for storing a buffer solution containing a luminous solution, into which said sample is continually introduced from an outlet of said capillary after electrophoresis. Electrophoresis means is provided for subjecting said sample to electrophoresis by applying a predetermined value of voltage to said gel through which said sample is being transferred while being electrophoresed. Light receiving means is disposed underneath the outlet of said capillary to read fluorescence emitted from said sample from bottom in a direction in which said sample is approaching closer. This electrophoresis apparatus has benefits in that it can read an electrophoresis pattern of a sample of a nucleic acid or a protein obtained by subjecting the sample to electrophoresis with a high sensitivity without requiring any expensive device structure such as a laser beam source system. Thus, it is cheaper than conventional systems requiring such a laser beam system and is easier to handle.

Capillary electrophoresis apparatus for detecting emitted fluorescence

A DNA sequence transcribing method involves labeling a DNA fragment with a fluorescent substance, subjecting the labeled fragments to electrophoresis, exposing a gel containing the DNA fragment to light during electrophoresis, and detecting fluorescence generated upon exposure. An image corresponding to a fluorescent image on the gel is transcribed on a recording medium by entering a detecting signal in synchronization with operation of detecting fluorescence on the gel containing the DNA fragment after electrophoresis. This arrangement enables a crude fluorescent image on the gel containing the DNA fragment to be recorded as an intact image of the DNA sequencing on the basis of the fluorescent method, and the image can be retained.

Method for transcription of a DNA sequence

A fluorescence pattern reading apparatus for reading a fluorescence pattern by exciting a fluorescence substance labeled on a sample developed into an electrophoresis pattern by electrophoresis of the sample has optical scanning mechanisms, a light-receiving unit, a photoelectric converting unit, and amplifiers. The mechanisms are to irradiate the gel in the direction of thickness of the gel by scanning the irradiation light for exciting the fluorescent substance of the fluorescence patter. The light-receiving unit is to receive the fluorescence by separating the fluorescence from the light scattered on the reading surface of the gel due to a spatial position relationship of a light-receiving path in which the light-receiving surface is set to exist in the direction different from the axis of the irradiation light. The photoelectric converting unit is to generate electric signals by converting light signals received by the light-receiving unit. The amplifiers are to generate electric signals of the fluorescence patter in order by amplifying the electric signals from the converting unit by the integral operation in synchronization with the scanning of the irradiation light.

Fluorescent pattern reading apparatus

A multi-colored electrophoresis pattern reading apparatus is capable of labelling each of plural samples separately with each of plural fluorescent substances having different fluorescence wavelengths, by electrophoresing the plural samples to develop a pattern, exciting the fluorescent substances labelled on the samples to emit fluorescence, and reading a fluorescent pattern emitting the fluorescence. The apparatus contains a source for the light for exciting the fluorescent substances; a light scanning mechanism for scanning the light to irradiate a gel in the direction of its thickness with the light; a light receiving section for receiving fluorescence resulting from the light source separated from the scattered light resulting from a reading surface on the basis of a spatial position relationship of a light receiving path by setting a light receiving surface in a direction different from an optical axis of the irradiating light; an optical filter section for separating the resulting optical signals section into plural wavelengths; an optoelectric conversion section for converting optical signals into electrical signals; and an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signals by an integrating operation corresponding to scanning of the irradiating light, and for generating electrical signals indicative of fluorescence from the pattern one after another.

Multi-colored electrophoresis pattern reading apparatus

The multi-colored electrophoresis pattern reading system compares the patterns of electrophoresis without a warp to be caused upon electrophoresis by reading the patterns of electrophoresis which is carried out concurrently for plural samples and by labelling the samples with fluorescent substances having different fluorescent wavelengths. The patterns of electrophoresis are read by allowing fluorescence to emit from the plural samples. In reading the fluorescent patterns, optical signals are received by the light receiving section and then the fluorescence having a predetermined wavelength is separated by the fluorescent-wavelength separating section from the optical signals with the aid of an optical filter capable of controlling an angle of incidence relative to the optical axis of the optical filter. The optical signals passed through the fluorescent-wavelength separating section is then subjected to optoelectrical conversion into electric signals which in turn are subjected to signal processing, thereby converting the electric signals into a desired form of data representation.

Multi-colored electrophoresis pattern reading system

An electrophoresis pattern reading system of fluorescent type is comprised of a detachable migration unit comprising a gel functioning as a base for electrophoresis and a gel-supporting body for supporting the gel; an electrophoresis unit, to which the migration unit is mounted, for performing electrophoresis by applying migrating voltage to the gel to which a sample labeled with a fluorescent substance is added; and a reading unit including an instrumentation subunit for reading an electrophoresis pattern, to which the migration unit is mounted after electrophoresis and which receives fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance of the sample on the gel upon application of light to the gel. For example, a plurality of the migration units and the electrophoresis units are provided, and each of the plural migration units are mounted to one reading unit in order after electrophoresis has been performed with the respective electrophoresis units for a long period of time, thereby reading the electrophoresis pattern in a short period of time.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Hitoshi Fujimiya