Patent ID: 7655125

Claim:
An electrophoresis apparatus for carrying out electrophoresis using an electrophoresis plate comprising: two platens on each of which the electrophoresis plate can be respectively placed, the two platens being able to control temperature of the placed electrophoresis plates, each of the electrophoresis plate including a substrate with a plurality of electrophoresis flow channels formed therein, and a pair of anode-side and cathode-side reservoirs disposed at both end parts of the electrophoresis flow channels, the reservoirs holding a loading buffer solution and electrically communicating at their bottom parts with the end parts of the electrophoresis flow channels via the loading buffer solution, wherein sample dispensing openings leading to first ends of the electrophoresis flow channels are disposed within the cathode-side reservoir, a loading medium charging groove leading to second ends of the electrophoresis flow channels is formed within the anode-side reservoir, and ports opening into the anode-side reservoir are formed on both ends of the loading medium charging groove; a loading medium charging unit for sending a loading medium under pressure; a loading medium charging nozzle mechanism having a pair of nozzles and supporting the nozzles movably between the ports of the electrophoresis plates placed on the two platens, the nozzles being inserted into the ports in a liquid-tight manner and being connected to the loading medium charging unit; a pipetter mechanism including a plurality of pipettes for dispensing samples to the sample dispensing openings of one of the electrophoresis plates placed on the platens, and a displacement mechanism that displaces the pipettes between positions of the sample dispensing openings of the electrophoresis plates placed on the platens and a sample aspirating position at which samples are aspirated from the sample plate; a stacker mechanism for storing sample plates holding samples, and sending out a selected one sample plate to the sample aspirating position; a loading buffer solution supplying mechanism for supplying a loading buffer solution; a loading buffer solution dispensing mechanism connected to the loading buffer solution supplying mechanism for applying the loading buffer solution to the reservoirs of the electrophoresis plates placed on the two platens: a power unit that applies voltage to the electrophoresis flow channels for each of the electrophoresis plates placed on the platens to cause electrophoresis separation; and a detector that optically detects components migrating along each electrophoresis flow channel at a detecting position set for the anode side of the electrophoresis plates placed on the two platens.