Patents by Inventor Seiichi Ugai

Seiichi Ugai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8246806
    Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus includes a multi-capillary array having a liquid or solid disposed between the capillaries of the array. The liquid or solid exhibits a refractive index higher than that of air and less than that of water and reduces the amount of laser beams scattered by the capillaries. Also provided are methods of adjusting refracted and reflected excitation light beams passing through capillaries of a multi-capillary array, to reduce loss of intensity of the laser beams and increase irradiation of respective samples disposed in the capillaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignees: Applera Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoji Inaba, Tomohiro Shoji, Shozo Kasai, Masaya Kojima, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai, Eric S. Nordman
  • Patent number: 8043493
    Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus includes a multi-capillary array having a liquid or solid disposed between the capillaries of the array. The liquid or solid exhibits a refractive index higher than that of air and less than that of water and reduces the amount of laser beams scattered by the capillaries. Also provided are methods of adjusting refracted and reflected excitation light beams passing through capillaries of a multi-capillary array, to reduce loss of intensity of the laser beams and increase irradiation of respective samples disposed in the capillaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Applera Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Inaba, Tomohiro Shoji, Shozo Kasai, Masaya Kojima, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai
  • Patent number: 7883613
    Abstract: The present invention provides a capillary electrophoresis apparatus in which a capillary is easily attached to and detached from a migration medium filling unit without mixing impurities into the capillary. Mixture of impurities such as dust is also prevented when a capillary negative-electrode end is brought into contact with a sample stored in a vessel. Furthermore, temperature control is efficiently performed in the capillary. In the capillary electrophoresis apparatus, the whole of capillary array can be supported by grasping a grip portion by hand. A migration medium filling mechanism includes a slide mechanism which moves a polymer block with respect to a capillary head. The capillary electrophoresis apparatus includes a vessel in which a sample and a buffer can simultaneously be stored. Temperatures of the capillary and an irradiation and detection unit are controlled by a temperature control function provided in a thermostatic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Gomi, Ryoji Inaba, Motohiro Yamazaki, Hidenori Namba, Jin Matsumura, Hiromi Yamashita, Seiichi Ugai, Kazumichi Imai
  • Patent number: 7658830
    Abstract: A capillary array capable of being easily mounted on an electrophoresis apparatus without damaging the capillaries. The capillary array can include a plurality of capillaries that can be fixed via hollow electrodes on a load header in a matrix arrangement. The load header can be disposed on the electrophoresis apparatus. The capillary array can include a capillary frame onto which a capillary head and a detection portion can be detachably mounted. The structure allows the load header, the capillary head, the detection unit and other portions of the capillary array to be handled as a unit, thereby making it easier to mount the capillary array on the electrophoresis apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takayasu Furukawa, Nobuhiko Sato, Syozo Kasai, Seiichi Ugai, Motohiro Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yuki Nonaka, Yoshio Onodera, Noriyuki Shimoda
  • Patent number: 7473342
    Abstract: In a case where the temperature of capillaries cannot be controlled rapidly in accordance with the change of the amount of heat generated from the capillaries, the phoretic speed of the sample is not controlled constant to lower the analyzing performance for the sample. This invention intends to stabilize the electrophoretic speed. The surface of a substrate on which a plurality of capillaries are arranged is in contact with a member capable of temperature control thereby controlling the temperature of the capillaries. Since a member capable of controlling the temperature and the capillaries are in direct contact with each other according to the invention, the temperature of the capillary can be controlled rapidly at a high accuracy, so that electrophoretic speed is stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Ugai, Tomonari Morioka, Ryoji Inaba, Akihiro Suzuki, Yoshinori Ookoshi, Yoshiyuki Okishima, Tsukasa Ohira, Motohiro Yamazaki, Takashi Gomi
  • Patent number: 7445701
    Abstract: A capillary array includes multiple capillaries and two holding substrates for arranging the aforementioned multiple capillaries in a substantially plane surface by sandwiching at least some of these capillaries mutually. One of the holding substrates has a detection window for transmitting the detected light emitted by a test sample by irradiation of light. Especially, this detection window includes multiple light transmission areas provided to correspond to each capillary to transmit the detected light, and light cut-off areas provided between these light transmission areas to cut off the detected light. These light cut-off areas cut off light reflected from the surface of capillaries and hence improve the SN ratio, thereby ensuring high-precision detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonari Morioka, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai, Toshiaki Kita, Kiyoshi Tsukada
  • Publication number: 20070278101
    Abstract: The present invention provides a capillary electrophoresis apparatus in which a capillary is easily attached to and detached from a migration medium filling unit without mixing impurities into the capillary. Mixture of impurities such as dust is also prevented when a capillary negative-electrode end is brought into contact with a sample stored in a vessel. Furthermore, temperature control is efficiently performed in the capillary. In the capillary electrophoresis apparatus, the whole of capillary array can be supported by grasping a grip portion by hand. A migration medium filling mechanism includes a slide mechanism which moves a polymer block with respect to a capillary head. The capillary electrophoresis apparatus includes a vessel in which a sample and a buffer can simultaneously be stored. Temperatures of the capillary and an irradiation and detection unit are controlled by a temperature control function provided in a thermostatic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Takashi Gomi, Ryoji Inaba, Motohiro Yamazaki, Hidenori Namba, Jin Matsumura, Hiromi Yamashita, Seiichi Ugai, Kazumichi Imai
  • Patent number: 7250098
    Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus includes a multi-capillary array having a liquid or solid disposed between the capillaries of the array. The liquid or solid exhibits a refractive index higher than that of air and less than that of water and reduces the amount of laser beams scattered by the capillaries. Also provided are methods of adjusting refracted and reflected excitation light beams passing through capillaries of a multi-capillary array, to reduce loss of intensity of the laser beams and increase irradiation of respective samples disposed in the capillaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignees: Applera Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoji Inaba, Tomohiro Shoji, Shozo Kasai, Masaya Kojima, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai
  • Publication number: 20070158195
    Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus includes a multi-capillary array having a liquid or solid disposed between the capillaries of the array. The liquid or solid exhibits a refractive index higher than that of air and less than that of water and reduces the amount of laser beams scattered by the capillaries. Also provided are methods of adjusting refracted and reflected excitation light beams passing through capillaries of a multi-capillary array, to reduce loss of intensity of the laser beams and increase irradiation of respective samples disposed in the capillaries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Inventors: Ryoji Inaba, Tomohiro Shoji, Shozo Kasai, Masaya Kojima, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai, Eric Nordman
  • Publication number: 20070062814
    Abstract: A capillary array capable of being easily mounted on an electrophoresis apparatus without damaging the capillaries. The capillary array can include a plurality of capillaries that can be fixed via hollow electrodes on a load header in a matrix arrangement. The load header can be disposed on the electrophoresis apparatus. The capillary array can include a capillary frame onto which a capillary head and a detection portion can be detachably mounted. The structure allows the load header, the capillary head, the detection unit and other portions of the capillary array to be handled as a unit, thereby making it easier to mount the capillary array on the electrophoresis apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Takayasu Furukawa, Nobuhiko Sato, Syozo Kasai, Seiichi Ugai, Motohiro Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yuki Nonaka, Yoshio Onodera, Noriyuki Shimoda
  • Patent number: 7156971
    Abstract: A capillary array capable of being easily mounted on an electrophoresis apparatus without damaging the capillaries. The capillary array can include a plurality of capillaries that can be fixed via hollow electrodes on a load header in a matrix arrangement. The load header can be disposed on the electrophoresis apparatus. The capillary array can include a capillary frame onto which a capillary head and a detection portion can be detachably mounted. The structure allows the load header, the capillary head, the detection unit and other portions of the capillary array to be handled as a unit, thereby making it easier to mount the capillary array on the electrophoresis apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takayasu Furukawa, Nobuhiko Sato, Syozo Kasai, Seiichi Ugai, Motohiro Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yuki Nonaka, Yoshio Onodera, Noriyuki Shimoda
  • Publication number: 20060219559
    Abstract: In a case where the temperature of capillaries cannot be controlled rapidly in accordance with the change of the amount of heat generated from the capillaries, the phoretic speed of the sample is not controlled constant to lower the analyzing performance for the sample. This invention intends to stabilize the electrophoretic speed. The surface of a substrate on which a plurality of capillaries are arranged is in contact with a member capable of temperature control thereby controlling the temperature of the capillaries. Since a member capable of controlling the temperature and the capillaries are in direct contact with each other according to the invention, the temperature of the capillary can be controlled rapidly at a high accuracy, so that electrophoretic speed is stabilized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Seiichi Ugai, Tomonari Morioka, Ryoji Inaba, Akihiro Suzuki, Yoshinori Ookoshi, Yoshiyuki Okishima, Tsukasa Ohira, Motohiro Yamazaki, Takashi Gomi
  • Publication number: 20060076239
    Abstract: In an electrophoresis apparatus comprising capillaries for containing therein fluorescence-labeled substances, and a sensor for irradiating the capillaries with exciting light and detecting fluorescences, the sensor has a substrate including a datum surface for holding thereon the capillaries, and a groove sinking from the datum surface, and the groove has a plurality of reflecting surfaces for reflecting thereon the fluorescences emitted from the capillaries by a plurality of times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Ryoji Inaba, Motohiro Yamazaki, Akihiro Suzuki, Miho Ozawa, Daizo Tokinaga, Tomonari Morioka, Seiichi Ugai
  • Publication number: 20060049053
    Abstract: A capillary array includes multiple capillaries and two holding substrates for arranging the aforementioned multiple capillaries in a substantially plane surface by sandwiching at least some of these capillaries mutually. One of the holding substrates has a detection window for transmitting the detected light emitted by a test sample by irradiation of light. Especially, this detection window includes multiple light transmission areas provided to correspond to each capillary to transmit the detected light, and light cut-off areas provided between these light transmission areas to cut off the detected light. These light cut-off areas cut off light reflected from the surface of capillaries and hence improve the SN ratio, thereby ensuring high-precision detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Tomonari Morioka, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai, Toshiaki Kita, Kiyoshi Tsukada
  • Patent number: 6977034
    Abstract: A capillary array comprising multiple capillaries and two holding substrates for arranging the aforementioned multiple capillaries in a substantially plane surface by sandwiching at least some of these capillaries mutually. One of the holding substrates has a detection window for transmitting the detected light emitted by a test sample by irradiation of light. Especially, this detection window comprises multiple light transmission areas provided to correspond to each capillary to transmit the detected light, and light cut-off areas provided between these light transmission areas to cut off the detected light. These light cut-off areas cut off light reflected from the surface of capillaries and hence improve the SN ratio, thereby ensuring high-precision detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonari Morioka, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai, Toshiaki Kita, Kiyoshi Tsukada
  • Patent number: 6881316
    Abstract: The present invention easies a connection between electrodes of a capillary array device and a connection plate for supplying a high voltage to the electrodes. According to the present invention, a connection plate 23 and hollow electrodes 20 are connected without solder but via a spring force. Alternatively, the hollow electrodes 20 can be connected to the connection plate 23 by utilizing volume elasticity of the connection plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Syouzou Kasai, Yoshiyuki Okishima, Tomonari Morioka, Yasushi Shimizu, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Takayasu Furukawa, Noriyuki Shimoda, Seiichi Ugai
  • Patent number: 6878256
    Abstract: The present invention easies a connection between electrodes of a capillary array device and a connection plate for supplying a high voltage to the electrodes. According to the present invention, a connection plate 23 and hollow electrodes 20 are connected without solder but via a spring force. Alternatively, the hollow electrodes 20 can be connected to the connection plate 23 by utilizing volume elasticity of the connection plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Syouzou Kasai, Yoshiyuki Okishima, Tomonari Morioka, Yasushi Shimizu, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Takayasu Furukawa, Noriyuki Shimoda, Seiichi Ugai
  • Publication number: 20030226756
    Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus includes a multi-capillary array having a liquid or solid disposed between the capillaries of the array. The liquid or solid exhibits a refractive index higher than that of air and less than that of water and reduces the amount of laser beams scattered by the capillaries. Also provided are methods of adjusting refracted and reflected excitation light beams passing through capillaries of a multi-capillary array, to reduce loss of intensity of the laser beams and increase irradiation of respective samples disposed in the capillaries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Ryoji Inaba, Tomohiro Shoji, Shozo Kasai, Masaya Kojima, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai, Eric S. Nordman
  • Publication number: 20030201180
    Abstract: A capillary array capable of being easily mounted on an electrophoresis apparatus without damaging the capillaries. The capillary array can include a plurality of capillaries that can be fixed via hollow electrodes on a load header in a matrix arrangement. The load header can be disposed on the electrophoresis apparatus. The capillary array can include a capillary frame onto which a capillary head and a detection portion can be detachably mounted. The structure allows the load header, the capillary head, the detection unit and other portions of the capillary array to be handled as a unit, thereby making it easier to mount the capillary array on the electrophoresis apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: Takayasu Furukawa, Nobuhiko Sato, Syozo Kasai, Seiichi Ugai, Motohiro Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yuki Nonaka, Yoshio Onodera, Noriyuki Shimoda
  • Publication number: 20030155245
    Abstract: A capillary array comprising multiple capillaries and two holding substrates for arranging the aforementioned multiple capillaries in a substantially plane surface by sandwiching at least some of these capillaries mutually. One of the holding substrates has a detection window for transmitting the detected light emitted by a test sample by irradiation of light. Especially, this detection window comprises multiple light transmission areas provided to correspond to each capillary to transmit the detected light, and light cut-off areas provided between these light transmission areas to cut off the detected light. These light cut-off areas cut off light reflected from the surface of capillaries and hence improve the SN ratio, thereby ensuring high-precision detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Tomonari Morioka, Yasushi Shimizu, Seiichi Ugai, Toshiaki Kita, Kiyoshi Tsukada