Multi-purpose electrophoresis apparatus
First Claim
1. A multi-purpose apparatus for separation, transfer, visualization and recording of molecular samples in a gel, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) an open topped container having a planar floor;
(b) a substantially rectangular planar gel casting platform mounted on a similarly sized porous spacer so that an upper surface of said platform resides horizontally within said container at a selected distance above said floor;
(c) means positioned adjacent said platform in a manner to be moveable between a liquid retaining position for retaining a liquid on said platform which will harden to a gel and a retracted position;
(d) a comb mountable within said container so as to reside proximately above said platform and adapted for forming a plurality of sample receiving wells into an upper surface of said gel;
(e) means mounted within said container to establish a first electric field oriented parallel to and straddling said gel for separating said molecular samples into discrete bands;
(f) a membrane superimposed upon said cast gel for reception of said bands transferred from said gel;
(g) a porous net superimposed upon said membrane;
(h) means mounted within said container so as to establish an alternate electric field vertically straddling said gel so as to cause the molecular sample to migrate vertically;
(i) an UV radiation source mounted within said container in a position below said platform; and
(j) a power source connectable to said electric field establishing means through a normally open switch mounted to said container.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention disclosed herein comprises a laboratory electrophoresis apparatus which overcomes many drawbacks of the previously known apparatus by combining a number of operations in the same unit, thereby eliminating the need for moving a gel between analytic jobs. The apparatus of the invention has a gel casting platform permanently mounted in a buffer container with retractable dams on two opposite sides to retain the gel casting liquid prior to solidification. The gel remains in place on the platform and the dams are retracted for filling the buffer container and a vertical electric field is applied to compact the sample placed in the sample wells to the bottom. The electrophoresis in a horizontal direction is performed and may be observed by means of an included UV radiation source capable of causing the ethidium bromide treated molecular samples to emit visible light, which is observable through a UV opaque safety cover. A viewing hood including a UV cross-linking source may be substituted for viewing, especially during blotting or eluting operations, for which the gel is not moved from its casting platform. To do blotting, either a complete transfer membrane or a partial, single band membrane with a novel holder is used. A further operation is performed by the replacement of the viewing hood with a photography hood for the placement of a camera, capable of either UV or visible light photography. By this combination of features, the multi-purpose apparatus of the invention permits all necessary molecular analytic operations without the movement of the gel, thus improving the efficiency and reliability of results.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A multi-purpose apparatus for separation, transfer, visualization and recording of molecular samples in a gel, said apparatus comprising:
-
(a) an open topped container having a planar floor; (b) a substantially rectangular planar gel casting platform mounted on a similarly sized porous spacer so that an upper surface of said platform resides horizontally within said container at a selected distance above said floor; (c) means positioned adjacent said platform in a manner to be moveable between a liquid retaining position for retaining a liquid on said platform which will harden to a gel and a retracted position; (d) a comb mountable within said container so as to reside proximately above said platform and adapted for forming a plurality of sample receiving wells into an upper surface of said gel; (e) means mounted within said container to establish a first electric field oriented parallel to and straddling said gel for separating said molecular samples into discrete bands; (f) a membrane superimposed upon said cast gel for reception of said bands transferred from said gel; (g) a porous net superimposed upon said membrane; (h) means mounted within said container so as to establish an alternate electric field vertically straddling said gel so as to cause the molecular sample to migrate vertically; (i) an UV radiation source mounted within said container in a position below said platform; and (j) a power source connectable to said electric field establishing means through a normally open switch mounted to said container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A multi-purpose apparatus for separation, transfer, visualization and recording of molecular samples in a gel, said apparatus comprising:
-
(a) an open topped container having a planar floor; (b) a substantially rectangular planar gel ,casting platform mounted on a similarly sized porous spacer so that an upper surface of said platform resides horizontally within said container at a selected distance above said floor; (c) means positioned adjacent said platform for retaining a liquid on said platform which will harden to a gel; (d) a comb mountable within said container so as to reside proximately above said platform and adapted for forming a plurality of sample receiving wells into an upper surface of said gel; (e) means mounted within said container to establish a first electric field oriented parallel to and straddling said gel for separating said molecular samples into discrete bands; (f) a membrane superimposed upon said cast gel for reception of said bands transferred from said gel; (g) a porous net superimposed upon said membrane; (h) means mounted within said container so as to establish an alternate electric field vertically straddling said gel so as to cause the molecular sample to migrate vertically; (i) an UV radiation source mounted within said container in a position below said platform; and (j) a power source connectable to said electric field establishing means through a normally open switch mounted to said container.
-
-
24. A multi-purpose apparatus for separation, transfer, visualization and recording of molecular samples in a gel, said apparatus comprising:
-
(a) an open topped container having a planar floor; (b) a substantially rectangular planar gel ,casting platform mounted on a similarly sized porous spacer so that an upper surface of said platform resides horizontally within said container at a selected distance above said floor; (c) means positioned adjacent said platform in a manner to be moveable between a liquid retaining position for retaining a liquid on said platform which will harden to a gel; (d) a comb mountable within said container so as to reside proximately above said platform and adapted for forming a plurality of sample receiving wells into an upper surface of said gel; (e) means mounted within said container to establish a first electric field oriented parallel to and straddling said gel for separating said molecular samples into discrete bands; (f) a membrane superimposed upon said cast gel for reception of said bands transferred from said gel; (g) a porous net superimposed upon said membrane; (h) means mounted within said container so as to establish an alternate electric field vertically straddling said gel so as to cause the molecular sample to migrate vertically; (i) a power source connectable to said electric field establishing means through a normally open switch mounted to said container; and (j) a viewing hood removeably mountable on said container in a position over said open top, said hood being formed of UV and visible light blocking material and having a UV blocking, visible light transparent window formed therethrough for viewing of said gel during UV irradiation and including means to generate UV radiation for viewing said molecular samples and for cross-linking said molecular samples.
-
Specification