Programmable electrophoresis with integrated and multiplexed control
First Claim
1. An apparatus for programmably controlling an electrophoretic device, comprising:
- a planar rotatable disk for supporting a horizontal gel containing at least on DNA particle;
programmable rotating means connected to said disk for rotating said disk;
at least two buffer holding tanks horizontally displaced from said rotatable gel bed, said tanks open at the top to provide electrically conductive buffer solution between said tanks and over said gel;
programmable controlling means connected to said holding tanks for controlling the magnitude and polarity of the electric field placed between said tanks; and
programmable Peltier means connected to said holding tanks for regulating the temperature of said buffer solution within said tanks and over said gel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A user programmable device for horizontal gel eletrophoresis is provided. This device can both accurately and programmably control: (a) the angle between electrical field and gel by use of a rotatable gel bed, (b) magnitude of the electrical field, and (c) temperature. The present invention is programmable by a microprocessor-based contol board which sends control signals to: (a) a motor attached to the rotatable gel (b) the source of elecrical potential and (c) Peltier devices attached to the sides of buffer chambers horizontally displaced from the rotatable gel bed. The present invention is particularly appropriate for lowering cost, lowering footprint, reducing heat dissipated, maintaining close tolerances of electric field gradients and temperature, and exploring and using thus far untried modes of electrical field variation. It is thereby suitable for analyzing large linear DNA, open circular DNA and/or DNA-protein complexes. Control of several disks, power supplies and temperature cells by one control board (multiplexing) is an option.
91 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus for programmably controlling an electrophoretic device, comprising:
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a planar rotatable disk for supporting a horizontal gel containing at least on DNA particle; programmable rotating means connected to said disk for rotating said disk; at least two buffer holding tanks horizontally displaced from said rotatable gel bed, said tanks open at the top to provide electrically conductive buffer solution between said tanks and over said gel; programmable controlling means connected to said holding tanks for controlling the magnitude and polarity of the electric field placed between said tanks; and programmable Peltier means connected to said holding tanks for regulating the temperature of said buffer solution within said tanks and over said gel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for multiplexing control of both electrical field and temperature during electrophoresis, comprising the steps of:
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placing particles onto a rotatable gel bed; containing a buffer solution over said bed in communication with said particles; applying a variable electric field to said bed at varying angles of incidence in response to programmed input; and drawing thermal energy from said solution in response to programmed electrical input. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for programmably controlling electrophoresis, comprising:
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a substantially planar rotatable support member for supporting a medium adapted to hold at least one sample to be electrophoresis separated; means for containing a buffer solution upon an upper surface of said rotatable support; first programmable means for controlling an orientation of said rotatable support and for controlling a magnitude and polarity of an electric field acting upon said medium; a thermoelectric chilling device for controllably chilling said buffer solution; and control means for controlling said programmable means and said thermoelectric chilling device, independent of one another.
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15. An apparatus for programmably controlling electrophoresis comprising:
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a substantially planar rotatable support member for supporting a medium adapted to hold at least one sample to be electrophoresis separated; means for containing a buffer solution upon an upper surface of said rotatable support; programmable means for controlling a magnitude and polarity of an electric field acting upon said medium; a controllable stepping motor for controllably rotating said rotatable support member; a Peltier device for controllably chilling said buffer solution; and control means for controlling said programmable means said Peltier device and said stepping motor, independent of one another.
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Specification