Automatic electrophoresis apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Electrophoresis apparatus comprisinga base,a support medium including an electrically non-conductive backing having an electrophoresis media thereon and having a reservoir strip of electrically conductive material in communication with said media at each of its longitudinal ends and having at least one sample well on said media between said reservoir strips,an application plate horizontally disposed on said base and having means for removably securing said support medium to said plate,a first pair of electrode posts disposed on opposite lateral sides of said support medium and laterally aligned with one of said reservoir strips of said support medium,a second pair of electrode posts disposed on opposite lateral sides of said microporous support medium and laterally aligned with the other of said reservoir strips of said support medium,a first electrode bar disposed laterally across said support medium in electrical contact with said first pair of electrode posts and with said one of said reservoir strips,a second electrode bar disposed laterally across said support medium in electrical contact with said second pair of electrode posts and with said other of said reservoir strips of said support medium,means for applying a voltage source between said first pair of electrode posts and said second pair of electrode posts, whereby electrical current is passed longitudinally through said support medium substantially uniformly across its lateral extent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrophoresis machine is disclosed in which after a microporous support strip and a sample plate are placed in the machine, all electrophoresis processing, scanning and densitometer functions are automatically performed under computer control. The machine includes apparatus for automatic pipetting of liquid samples from the sample plate to the surface of the support strip, apparatus for applying electrophoresis current ot the strip while simultaneously cooling it, apparatus for applying and spreading flourescent staining reagent to the strip, and apparatus for incubating the strip and subsequently drying it. A T.V. camera, mounted to a flourescent scanning box enclosing the application plate, in cooperation with digital processing equipment, electronically scans electrophoresically longitudinally displaced components of the samples for determining relative component densities. An alternative scanning apparatus including a collimator and photomultiplier is also disclosed.
67 Citations
40 Claims
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1. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising
a base, a support medium including an electrically non-conductive backing having an electrophoresis media thereon and having a reservoir strip of electrically conductive material in communication with said media at each of its longitudinal ends and having at least one sample well on said media between said reservoir strips, an application plate horizontally disposed on said base and having means for removably securing said support medium to said plate, a first pair of electrode posts disposed on opposite lateral sides of said support medium and laterally aligned with one of said reservoir strips of said support medium, a second pair of electrode posts disposed on opposite lateral sides of said microporous support medium and laterally aligned with the other of said reservoir strips of said support medium, a first electrode bar disposed laterally across said support medium in electrical contact with said first pair of electrode posts and with said one of said reservoir strips, a second electrode bar disposed laterally across said support medium in electrical contact with said second pair of electrode posts and with said other of said reservoir strips of said support medium, means for applying a voltage source between said first pair of electrode posts and said second pair of electrode posts, whereby electrical current is passed longitudinally through said support medium substantially uniformly across its lateral extent.
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2. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising
a base, an application plate longitudinally disposed on said base, an electrophoresis support medium removably disposed on said application plate having longitudinal and lateral dimensions, said support medium including an electrically non-conductive backing having electrophoresis media placed thereon and having first and second electrically conducting reservoir strips disposed laterally at each of the longitudinal ends of the support medium, said electrophoresis media being of substantially uniform thickness forming a planar surface atop said backing and said laterally disposed reservoir strips extending vertically above said planar surface, and first and second electrodes adapted for connection to opposite polarities of a source of electric potential and adapted for lateral placement across said support medium respectively in electrical contact with said first reservoir strip and with said second reservoir strip.
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3. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising
a base, an application plate longitudinally disposed on said base, an electrophoresis support medium removably disposed on said application plate having longitudinal and lateral dimensions with raised first and second lateral reservoir strips of electrically conductive material at each longitudinal end of said medium, first and second electrode means adapted for connection to opposite polarities of a source of electric potential and adapted for lateral placement across said support medium respectively in electrical contact with said first reservoir strip and with said second reservoir strip, wherein each of said first and second electrode means respectively includes, an electrode pair disposed on opposite lateral sides of said reservoir strips, and an electrode bar adapted for lateral removable placement across said support medium in electrical contact with said reservoir strip and said electrode pair.
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21. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising
a base, an application plate longitudinally disposed on said base, an electrophoresis support medium removably disposed on said application plate having longitudinal and lateral dimensions with raised first and second lateral reservoir strips of electrically conductive material at each longitudinal end of said medium, first and second electrode means adapted for connection to opposite polarities of a source of electric potential and adapted for lateral placement across said support medium respectively in electrical contact with said first reservoir strip and with said second reservoir strip, wherein said first and second electrode means include respectively a first pair and a second pair of magnetized posts extending vertically above said application plate, and first and second electrode bars having end portions fabricated of ferro-magnetic material, said first bar being held in electrical contact at its ends with said pair of magnetized posts by the force of magnetism of said second pair of posts with said ferro-magnetic material of said first bar, said second bar being held in electrical contact at its ends with said second pair of magnetized posts by the force of magnetism of said second pair of posts with said ferro-magnetic material of said second bar.
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28. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising,
a base, an application plate longitudinally disposed on said base and having top and bottom surfaces, an electrophoresis support medium removably secured to said top surface of said application plate and adapted to accept a liquid sample, said support medium including an application well on its surface, said support medium having longitudinal and lateral dimensions, robotic means for applying a liquid sample to said well of said support means including, a sample plate having at least one liquid sample well, said sample plate being longitudinally disposed on said base and separated from said application plate, track means secured to said base, robotic frame means supported by said track means for longitudinally moving between said sample plate and said application plate, pipette assembly means secured to said robotic frame means and disposed above said sample plate and said application plate for withdrawing a liquid sample from said liquid sample well when said frame means is longitudinally positioned at said application plate and for applying said liquid sample to said support means when said frame means is longitudinally positioned at said application plate, and means for longitudinally applying an electrophoresis current to said support medium substantially uniformly across its lateral extent operably creating an electrophoretically longitudinally displaced pattern of components of said liquid sample.
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30. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising,
a base, an application plate longitudinally disposed on said base, an electrophoresis support medium removably secured to said application plate and adapted to accept a liquid sample, said support medium including an application well on its surface, said support medium having longitudinal and lateral dimensions, robotic means for applying a liquid sample to said application well on said support medium in situ, means for longitudinally applying an electrophoresis current to said support medium substantially uniformly across its lateral extent operably creating an electrophoretically longitudinally displaced pattern of components of said liquid sample, and robotic means for applying staining reagent to said support medium in situ after electrophoresis current has been applied to said medium.
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35. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising,
a base, an application plate longitudinally disposed on said base and having top and bottom surface, an electrophoresis support medium removably secured to said top surface of said application plate and adapted to accept a liquid sample, said support medium including an application well on its surface, said support medium having longitudinal and lateral dimensions, robotic means for applying a liquid sample to said application well on said support medium in situ, means for longitudinally applying an electrophoresis current to said support medium substantially uniformly across its lateral extent operably creating an electrophoretically longitudinally displaced pattern of components of said liquid sample, means for staining, incubating and drying said support medium in situ, means for generating an electronic image of the top surface of said support medium in situ, and processing means for creating an electronic template about said electronic image of said longitudinally displaced pattern of components of said liquid sample.
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37. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising
a base, an application plate longitudinally disposed on said base, an electrophoresis support medium removably disposed on said application plate, a sample plate having at least one liquid sample well, said sample plate being longitudinally disposed on said base and separated from said application plate, track means secured to said base and extending longitudinally between said application plate and said sample plate, a robotic frame longitudinally disposed on said track means for movement along a longitudinal path between said sample plate and said application plate, said frame having a lateral profile, robotic pipetting means disposed on said robotic frame for applying a liquid sample from said liquid sample well of said sample plate to said electrophoresis support medium, means for applying an electrophoresis current longitudinally along said support medium, operably longitudinally separating components of said sample, automatic means for flourescent staining said longitudinally separated components of said sample, a scanning box supported by said frame and disposed about said application plate, said box having a back wall, a side wall, an entry wall, a top wall and a front opening, said front opening including closing means having an open position for allowing placement of said support medium on said application plate and having a closed position for substantially blocking external light from said scanning box, said entry wall having a opening defining an opening profile, said opening allowing translation of said pipetting means between said sample plate and said application plate, said opening profile being slightly larger than said robotic frame lateral frame profile whereby when said frame is in said opening, light from outside said scanning box is substantially blocked from entry into said box, flourescent light means secured within said scanning box for flourescently lighting said support medium, and scanning means secured to said scanning box for determining characteristics of the longitudinal separation of said components of said liquid sample.
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39. Electrophoresis apparatus comprising
a base, an application plate longitudinally disposed on said base, an electrophoresis support medium removably disposed on said application plate, a sample plate having at least one liquid sample well, said sample plate being longitudinally disposed on said base and separated from said application plate, track means secured to said base and extending longitudinally between said application plate and said sample plate, a robotic frame longitudinally disposed on said track means for movement along a longitudinal path between said sample plate and said application plate, robotic pipetting means disposed on said robotic frame for applying a liquid sample from said liquid sample well of said sample plate to said electrophoresis support medium, means for applying an electrophoresis current longitudinally along said support medium, operably longitudinally separating components of said sample, automatic means for flourescent staining said longitudinally separated components of said sample, scanning means disposed on said robotic frame for generating electrical signals representative of the intensity of longitudinally separated components of said sample, and processing means responsive to said electrical signals for determining the lateral separation and corresponding density of said longitudinally separated components.
Specification