The development of an automated cell electrophoresis analyzer

Abstract

An automated cell-electrophoresis apparatus is described which appears suitable for clinical laboratory applications. A solid state laser is employed; however, the instrument departs from the usual Doppler systems in that coherence is not required and stationary transmission grating optics are used. A dedicated microprocessor performs fast Fourier transforms (FFT), curve fitting for pedestal and low frequency (LF) noise removal, and digital filtering to suppress FFT artifacts. Unique features include fully automated sample handling, and measurements are made at the center of the migration tube in lieu of the "stationary layer" for enhanced signal quality. Experiments show high resolution of spectra from individual and mixed populations of sheep and rabbit erythrocytes. The sample-to-report cycle of 5 or 7.5 min (switchable), high cost/performance ratio and elimination of potential operator errors make the instrument a candidate for clinical use.