Patent US5387853A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3914168A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3914168A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electrophoresis method
Assignee: Instrumentation Specialties Co
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Filing: 1973-10-30
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Granted: 1975-10-21
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Expires: 1993-10-30
Abstract
Abstract To prepare electrophoresis apparatus for operation, a wire mesh and an expandable plug are inserted into a first of two sections of a housing for two different anti-convection media and an unpolymerized gel is pipetted above the expandable plug into the first section, with the first section being inverted and the wire mesh being above the plug. When the unpolymerized gel reaches a level slightly above the mesh, it is polymerized with another plug or a layer of water above it to cause it to have a smooth surface extending beyond the wire mesh. The first and second housings are then fastened together with the gel in the first section above the second section and a density gradient column is formed in the second section in contact with the gel. After the different molecular species have been electrophoresed from the gel into the density gradient column, the second section is removed and the liquid in the density gradient column is moved by bulk flow past a scanning device which may scan it with different frequencies during successive motions of the liquid, the liquid being returned and the second section refastened to the first section for further electrophoresis if the scanning indicates the desirability of further electrophoresis.
Inventors
- 👤 William B Allington
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 07:31
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/416; G01N27/447; G01N27/44756; G01N27/44773; G01N27/4476; G01N27/44782
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
A METHOD OF PREPARING ELECTROPHORESIS APPARATUS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: INSERTING A STRUCTURE THAT IS SUFFICIENTLY REIGID TO BE AT LEAST SELF SUPPORTING INTO A TUBE IN SUCH POSITION AS TO DIVIDE THE TUBE INTO TWO PORTIONS AND TO ENABLE COMMUNICATION OF THE TWO PORTIONS WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH THE STRUCTRUE WITH THE STRUCTURE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY ORTHOGONAL TO THE INTERNAL WALLS OF THE TUBE AT LEAST AT SOME PORTIONS OF THE STRUCTURE, CLOSING THE TUBE AT A FRIST LOCATION: INSERTING A FRIST MEDIUM WHICH IS MOBILE FROM AN END OF THE TUBE UNTIL IT FILLS THE AREA BETWEEN THE FIRST LOCATION AND A SECOND LOCATION A SHORT DISTANCE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STRUCTURE FROM THE FIRST LOCATION: INCREASING THE RIGIDITY OF THE MEDIUM UNTIL IT IS SUFFICIENTLY RIGID TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE STRUCTURE, THEREBY SAID FRIST MEDIUM SERVES AS A FRIST ANTICONVECTION MEDIUM, AND ASSEMBLING SAID TUBE INTO AN ELECTROPHORESIS APPARATUS CONTAINING A SECOND MEDIUM HAVING BETTER BULK FLOW CHARACTERISTICS THAN THE FIRST MEDIUM FOR SERIES ELECTROPHORESIS OF A SAMPLE IN THE FRIST AND SECOND MEDIUM.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
179 words
A METHOD OF PREPARING ELECTROPHORESIS APPARATUS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: INSERTING A STRUCTURE THAT IS SUFFICIENTLY REIGID TO BE AT LEAST SELF SUPPORTING INTO A TUBE IN SUCH POSITION AS TO DIVIDE THE TUBE INTO TWO PORTIONS AND TO ENABLE COMMUNICATION OF THE TWO PORTIONS WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH THE STRUCTRUE WITH THE STRUCTURE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY ORTHOGONAL TO THE INTERNAL WALLS OF THE TUBE AT LEAST AT SOME PORTIONS OF THE STRUCTURE, CLOSING THE TUBE AT A FRIST LOCATION: INSERTING A FRIST MEDIUM WHICH IS MOBILE FROM AN END OF THE TUBE UNTIL IT FILLS THE AREA BETWEEN THE FIRST LOCATION AND A SECOND LOCATION A SHORT DISTANCE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STRUCTURE FROM THE FIRST LOCATION: INCREASING THE RIGIDITY OF THE MEDIUM UNTIL IT IS SUFFICIENTLY RIGID TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE STRUCTURE, THEREBY SAID FRIST MEDIUM SERVES AS A FRIST ANTICONVECTION MEDIUM, AND ASSEMBLING SAID TUBE INTO AN ELECTROPHORESIS APPARATUS CONTAINING A SECOND MEDIUM HAVING BETTER BULK FLOW CHARACTERISTICS THAN THE FIRST MEDIUM FOR SERIES ELECTROPHORESIS OF A SAMPLE IN THE FRIST AND SECOND MEDIUM.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
180 words
A method of preparing electrophoresis apparatus comprising the steps of: inserting a structure that is sufficiently rigid to be at least self supporting into a tube in such a position as to divide the tube into two portions and to enable communication of the two portions with each other through the structure, with the structure being substantially orthogonal to the internal walls of the tube at least at some portions of the structure; closing the tube at a first location; inserting a first medium which is mobile from an end of the tube until it fills the area between the first location and a second location a short distance on the opposite side of the structure from the first location; increasing the rigidity of the medium until it is sufficiently rigid to be supported by the structure, whereby said first medium serves as a first anticonvection medium; and assembling said tube into an electrophoresis apparatus containing a second medium having better bulk flow characteristics than the first medium for series electrophoresis of a sample in the first and second medium.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
180 words
A method of preparing electrophoresis apparatus comprising the steps of: inserting a structure that is sufficiently rigid to be at least self supporting into a tube in such a position as to divide the tube into two portions and to enable communication of the two portions with each other through the structure, with the structure being substantially orthogonal to the internal walls of the tube at least at some portions of the structure; closing the tube at a first location; inserting a first medium which is mobile from an end of the tube until it fills the area between the first location and a second location a short distance on the opposite side of the structure from the first location; increasing the rigidity of the medium until it is sufficiently rigid to be supported by the structure, whereby said first medium serves as a first anticonvection medium; and assembling said tube into an electrophoresis apparatus containing a second medium having better bulk flow characteristics than the first medium for series electrophoresis of a sample in the first and second medium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 2 in which: the step of inserting a structure includes the step of inserting a mesh within the tube; the step of inserting a first medium includes the step of inserting an unpolymerized acrylamide; and the step of increasing the viscosity of the first medium includes the step of polymerizing the acrylamide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 3 in which the step of closing the tube at a first location includes the step of inserting an expandable plug into the tube and expanding the plug with its top surface at said first location.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method according to claim 4 in which the step of inserting a mesh includes the step of inserting a mesh in an annular groove in the internal walls of said tube and the step of inserting a plug includes the step of inverting said tube over an expandable plug, whereby the expanded plug closes the tube with the top surface of the plug being adjacent to said first location.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 5 in which the step of inserting a first medium includes the step of forming a smooth top surface on said medium prior to increasing the rigidity of tHe medium.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 6 in which the step of inserting a medium includes the step of inserting the medium on a smooth surface of an expanding plug, whereby a smooth bottom surface is formed in said medium upon polymerizing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 7 in which the step of forming a smooth top surface includes the step of applying water over the top surface of the medium prior to increasing the rigidity of said medium.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 7 in which the step of forming a smooth top surface on said medium includes the step of pressing against the top surface with an acrylic plug prior to increasing the viscosity of said medium.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method according to claim 8 in which the step of assembling includes the steps of: threading a second tube onto one end of said first-mentioned tube, whereby one end of said second tube is adjacent to said second location; preparing the second anticonvection medium in said second tube; assembling electrodes and a buffer solution to the electrophoresis apparatus; and applying a sample to said first medium for electrophoresis in the electrophoresis apparatus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method according to claim 9 in which the step of assembling includes the steps of: threading a second tube onto said first-mentioned tube, whereby one end of the second tube is adjacent to said second location; preparing the second anticonvection medium in the second tube; assembling a buffer solution and electrodes to said electrophoresis apparatus; and applying a sample to said first medium for electrophoresis thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 2 in which the step of inserting a first medium includes the step of smoothing the surface of said first medium nearest said structure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 12 in which said step of inserting said medium includes the step of inserting unpolymerized acrylamide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
74 words
A method according to claim 13 in which the step of inserting a structure includes the step of inserting a mesh in an annular groove in the internal walls of said tube and the step of closing the tube at a first location includes the step of inverting said tube over an expandible plug, whereby the expanded plug closes said tube with the top surface of the plug being adjacent to said first location.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 14 in which the steps of smoothing said top surface includes the step of applying water to said top surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 14 in which the step of smoothing said top surface includes the step of applying an acrylic plug against said surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method according to claim 15 in which the step of assembling includes steps of: threading a second tube onto said first-mentioned tube with the end of said second tube being close to said mesh; inserting a second medium into said second tube; assembling electrodes and a buffer solution to said electrophoresis apparatus; and inserting a sample containing different molecular species to be separated on the surface of said first-mentioned medium.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method according to claim 16 in which the steps of assembling includes the steps of: threading a second tube onto said first tube with the end of the second tube being adjacent to said mesh; inserting a second medium in a second tube; assembling a buffer solution and electrodes to said electrophoresis apparatus; and inserting a sample containing different molecular species to be separated on top of the top surface of said first-mentioned medium.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 12 in which the step of smoothing said top surface includes the step of applying water to said surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 12 in which the step of smoothing said top surface includes the step of depressing said surface with an acrylic plug.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
162 words
A method of preparing electrophoresis apparatus comprising the steps of inserting a structure that is sufficiently rigid to be aT least self-supporting into a container in such a position as to divide the container into two portions and to enable communication of the two portions through the structure with the structure being substantially orthogonal to the internal walls of the container at least at some portions of the structure; inserting a first medium which is mobile from an end of the container until it surrounds the structure; increasing the rigidity of the first medium until it is sufficiently rigid to be supported by the structure, whereby said first medium serves as an anticonvection medium; and assembling said first medium and a second medium into an electrophoresis apparatus, with the step of assembling including the step of introducing a second medium that has different characteristics than the first medidum for sequential electrophoresis of a sample in the first medium and the second medium.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
162 words
A method of preparing electrophoresis apparatus comprising the steps of inserting a structure that is sufficiently rigid to be aT least self-supporting into a container in such a position as to divide the container into two portions and to enable communication of the two portions through the structure with the structure being substantially orthogonal to the internal walls of the container at least at some portions of the structure; inserting a first medium which is mobile from an end of the container until it surrounds the structure; increasing the rigidity of the first medium until it is sufficiently rigid to be supported by the structure, whereby said first medium serves as an anticonvection medium; and assembling said first medium and a second medium into an electrophoresis apparatus, with the step of assembling including the step of introducing a second medium that has different characteristics than the first medidum for sequential electrophoresis of a sample in the first medium and the second medium.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-10-20 | 1979-04-21 | 1979-10-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-20 | 1983-04-21 | 1983-10-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-20 | 1987-04-21 | 1987-10-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |