BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a systems, devices, and methods for performing multi-capillary electrophoresis or similar assays, tests, or experiments, and more specifically to optical systems, devices, and methods for performing multi-capillary capillary electrophoresis or similar assays, test, or experiments.

Description of the Related Art

Capillary electrophoresis devices generally provide certain major components that include, for example, a capillary channel or array of channels, a separation medium source for providing a medium that may flow through the capillaries (e.g., a polymer fluid), a sample injection mechanism, an optical detector system or component, electrodes for producing an electric field, an anode buffer source on one end of the capillaries, and a cathode buffer source on the other end of the capillaries. Capillary electrophoresis devices generally also provide various heating components and zones to regulate the temperature of many of the aforementioned components. Regulating the temperature of many of these components can improve quality of results.

Current capillary electrophoresis devices use multiple structures to house these components and connect or couple these structures together to provide a working capillary electrophoresis device. Using multiple structures has disadvantages. It is therefore desirable to provide a capillary electrophoresis apparatus with a reduced number of interconnected structures to reduce the number of necessary heating zones, reduce user handling of the structures, reduce likelihood of component failure, and reduce introduction of bubbles and other artifacts into the apparatus.

