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US4737251A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Field-inversion gel electrophoresis

Assignee: Washington University in St. Louis
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Filing: 1985-09-27
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Granted: 1988-04-12
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Expires: 2005-09-27
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Abstract

Abstract Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for gel electrophoresis which employs periodic inversion of the electric field essentially in one dimension. According to this system, which is defined herein as field-inversion gel electrophoresis, net migration is achieved by using a longer time or higher voltage in one direction than in the other direction.

Inventors

  • 👤 Georges F. Carle
  • 👤 Maynard V. Olson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 19:33
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D57/00; B01D57/02; G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/416; G01N27/447; G01N27/44756; G01N27/44773

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 148 words
An electrophoresis method to effect differential net migration, the extent of said migration being dependent on molecular size, of electrically charged macromolecular substances through a gel support in a single dimension, which method comprises: subjecting electrically charged macromolecular substances selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, and detergent-protein complexes applied to a gel support to the repeated inversion of an electrical field along a single dimension, wherein the repeated inversion comprises cycles each consisting essentially of a first voltage in one direction of polarity for a first time interval, and a second voltage in the opposite direction of polarity for a second time interval, wherein the migration effected by the total first voltages and first time intervals over all cycles does not equal the migration effected by the second voltages and second time intervals over all cycles, thus resulting in a net differential migration of said substances.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 148 words
An electrophoresis method to effect differential net migration, the extent of said migration being dependent on molecular size, of electrically charged macromolecular substances through a gel support in a single dimension, which method comprises: subjecting electrically charged macromolecular substances selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, and detergent-protein complexes applied to a gel support to the repeated inversion of an electrical field along a single dimension, wherein the repeated inversion comprises cycles each consisting essentially of a first voltage in one direction of polarity for a first time interval, and a second voltage in the opposite direction of polarity for a second time interval, wherein the migration effected by the total first voltages and first time intervals over all cycles does not equal the migration effected by the second voltages and second time intervals over all cycles, thus resulting in a net differential migration of said substances.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each first voltage is equal to each second voltage and the total of the first time intervals is different from the total of the second time intervals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each first time interval is equal to each second time interval and each first voltage is different from each second voltage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 52 words
The method of claim 1 wherein for each successive cycle the first voltage bears the same ratio to the second voltage and the first time interval is equal to the second time interval, and wherein the magnitudes of said first and second voltages are monitonically greater or less in each successive cycle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 50 words
The method of claim 1 wherein for each successive cycle, the first time interval bears the same ratio to the second time interval, and the first voltage is equal to the second voltage, and wherein the first and second time intervals are monitonically greater or less in each succesive cycle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the electrophoresis gel support is an agarose gel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substances are DNA molecules of about 15 kb or greater.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substances are applied at the same position in the gel support with respect to said single dimension.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the substances form a mixture and said method results in a separation of the substances.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the substances are applied next to each other at said position so as to migrate in parallel lines in the gel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 117 words
In a gel electrophoresis method to effect differential net migration of electrically charged marcomolecular substances through a gel support in a single dimension, wherein the net migration for each of said substances is a function of the size of said substance, the improvement which comprises subjecting substances selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, and detergent-protein complexes, which have been applied to an electrophoresis gel support, to the repeated inversion of an electrical field along a single dimension, wherein the repeated inversion comprises cycles each consisting essentially of a first voltage in one direction of polarity for a first time interval and a second voltage in the opposite direction of polarity for a second time interval.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 117 words
In a gel electrophoresis method to effect differential net migration of electrically charged marcomolecular substances through a gel support in a single dimension, wherein the net migration for each of said substances is a function of the size of said substance, the improvement which comprises subjecting substances selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, and detergent-protein complexes, which have been applied to an electrophoresis gel support, to the repeated inversion of an electrical field along a single dimension, wherein the repeated inversion comprises cycles each consisting essentially of a first voltage in one direction of polarity for a first time interval and a second voltage in the opposite direction of polarity for a second time interval.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 11 wherein each first voltage is equal to each second voltage and the total of the first time intervals is different from the total of the second time intervals.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 11 wherein wherein each first time interval is equal to each second time interval and each first voltage is different from each second voltage.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 52 words
The method of claim 11 wherein for each successive cycle the first voltage bears the same ratio to the second voltage and the first time interval is equal to the second time interval, and wherein the magnitudes of said first and second voltages are monitonically greater or less in each successive cycle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 50 words
The method of claim 11 wherein for each successive cycle, the first time interval bears the same ratio to the second time interval, and the first voltage is equal to the second voltage, and wherein the first and second time intervals are monitonically greater or less in each successive cycle.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the electrophoresis gel support is an agarose gel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the substances are DNA molecules of about 15 kb or greater.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the substances are applied at the same position in the gel support with respect to said single dimension.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the substances form a mixture and said method results in a separation of the substances.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the substances are applied next to each other at said position so as to migrate in parallel lines in the gel.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE1046370B Cited
US3506554A Cited
US3870612A Cited
US4312727A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-04-12 1991-10-12 1992-04-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-04-12 1995-10-12 1996-04-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-04-12 1999-10-12 2000-04-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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