Apparatus for preparative electrophoresis

• US 3,902,986 A
• Filed: 04/23/1973
• Issued: 09/02/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stephan Hubertus Anton Nees
• Original Assignee: Stephan Hubertus Anton Nees
• Inventors: Nees, Stephan Hubertus Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, John H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prescott, A. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/353,641
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 204/18G,299,301
• US Class Current: 204/615
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44756 Apparatus specially adapted therefor

Abstract

A continuous preparative electrophoresis device is described having, within a single housing, a separation chamber defined by a separating gel layer and a carrier gel layer, each gel layer in contact with its respective buffer solution. The device is preferably provided with cooling coils. The liquids eluted are passed between the two gel layers in a single stream or preferably in a plurality of streams, then exhausted from the devices. The apparatus is relatively simple to construct and operate yet provides efficient processing all without the need for diaphragms as previously used.

Claims

1. AN APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS PREPARATIVE ELECROPHORESIS DEVOID DIAPHRAGM SEPARATORS INCLUDING A HOUSING CONTAINING:

A FIRST BUFFER VESSEL FOR CONTAINING A FIRST BUFFER LIQUID, A SECOND BUFFER VESSEL FOR CONTAINING A SECOND BUFFER LIQUID, AN ELECTRODE MEANS IN SAID FIRST BUFFER VESSEL IN CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST BUFFER LIQUID, AN ELECTRODE MEANS IN SAID SECOND BUFFER VESSEL IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND BUFFER LIQUID, A SEPARARION CHAMBER EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF MIGRATION OF THE SUBSTANCES TO BE SEPARATED AND EXTENDED AT ONE END BY A FIRST EXTENSION SECTION AND BY A SECOND EXTENSION SECTION, AND HAVING SAID FIRST BUFFER VESSEL ADJACENT THE FREE, NON-EXTENDED END OF THE SEPARATION CHAMBER AND SAID SECOND BUFFER VESSEL ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID FREE END OF SEPARATION CHAMBER IN LIQUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FIRST BUFFER VVESSEL AND SAID FIRST BUFFER LIQUID, AND SAID SEPARATION CHAMBER COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE LAYER OF A SOLID SEPARATING GEL,

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including:

a second inlet means in said housing disposed in the plane of said first extension section and adjacent to the top surface of said second extension section;

a second outlet means in said housing disposed in the same plane and communicating with said second inlet means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein both of said outlet means are communicated to a mixing means for mixing together the liquids issuing therefrom.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 including:

cooling means contained within each of said buffer vessels and positioned in a spaced relationship adjacent said wide sides of said separation chamber and in contact with the buffer liquid contained within each buffer vessel, to cool said separation chamber and in turn said first extension section.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 including:

a valve means positioned between said second buffer vessel and said second extension section for controlling liquid communication therebetween.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first and second inlet and outlet means are disposed closely adjacent each other.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said closely spaced inlet and outlet means are relatively thin pairs of horizontal slits.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sides of said separation chamber and said first and said second extension sections are each made of continuous plates of glass.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second extension sections are individually and separately attachable to said separation chamber.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first extension section has a height in the order of a few millimeters.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said separation chamber is extended by several first and several section extension sections, all said several first extension sections being provided with inlet means and outlet means for flowing elution liquids into and out of said several first extension sections, the last one of said several second extension sections being in liquid communication with said second buffer vessel.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first extension section and said inlet means and said outlet means for said elution liquids are removably fastened in said housing.