METHOD OF SUSPENDING IMMOBILIZED BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS IN A TRANSPARENT GEL IN A TRANSPARENT CONTAINER

• US 3,638,709 A
• Filed: 12/11/1969
• Issued: 02/01/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bobby L. Atkins, John H. Brown Jr
• Original Assignee: Bobby L. Atkins, John H. Brown Jr
• Inventors: Brown, John H. Jr., Atkins, Bobby L.
• Application Number:
  US04/884,344
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• US Class Current: 156/57
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/00 Preservation of bodies of humans or animals, or parts thereof

Abstract

A visible immobilized specimen suspended in a stable, continuous gel where the gel is a transparent adduct of a cross-linked vinyl polymer and a water-soluble aldehyde. Such immobilized specimen is prepared by providing an optically transparent container, introducing into the container a liquid phase containing a watersoluble vinyl monomer, a water-soluble aldehyde, a cross-linking agent and a free radical producing catalyst. A specimen is positioned in the liquid phase and held in position until the polymerization of the liquid phase produces sufficient gel strength to immobilize the specimen. The container is then sealed to prevent evaporation.

Claims

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vinyl monomer is acrylamide.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the aldehyde is formaldehyde.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cross-linking agent is an alkylidene bisacrylamide.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution contains from about 5 to about 20 weight percent water-soluble glycol based on the total weight of the gel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the aldehyde is formaldehyde and wherein such formaldehyde is present in a proportion of from about 0.5 to about 50 weight percent based on the vinyl monomer present.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is K2S2O8 and Na2S2O5 activated with FeSO4.