US 4,059,501 AGranted

Automated electrophoresis unit

AssigneeBeckman Instruments, Inc.

InventorAllen Strickler

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Abstract

Apparatus is disclosed for accomplishing electrophoresis in an automated manner. A supported electrophoretic medium, having been implanted with sample to be analyzed, is moved through a chamber wherein the electrophoresis takes place. The apparatus comprises an electrophoresis separation chamber containing a pair of elongated electrolyte wells, electrolyte contained within the wells, electrodes disposed within the electrolyte and connectable to an appropriate source of power, and a wicking arrangement communicating with each of the electrolyte wells to provide a continuous electrical contact zone. A moving belt arrangement is provided capable of moving support strips having the electrophoretic medium disposed thereon from one end of the separation chamber to the other while keeping one end of the strips in electrical contact with one wick and the opposite end in electrical contact with the second wick whereby a continuous electrical field is applied across the strips and electrophoretic medium as they move through the separation chamber and the electrophoresis separation is caused to take place. In the preferred embodiment, the strips containing the electrophoretic medium are releasably carried by a flexible backing material so that the strips can be moved into and through the separation chamber individually or in groups.

Claims5

Dependent claims

Automated electrophoresis apparatus comprising:

a. an elongated electrophoretic separation chamber having an inlet and an outlet and including a pair of electrolyte wells;
b. electrolyte contained within said wells;
c. means for moving a strip of electrophoretic medium through said separation chamber from said inlet to said outlet;
d. electrode means disposed in electrical contact with said electrolyte in said wells and adapted to be connected to a source of d.c. power;
e. a pair of wicks disposed one to each of said wells to provide constant electrical contact between said electrolyte in said wells and the electrophoretic medium as it moves through said chamber whereby an unchanging electrical field will be established in a portion of the electrophoretic medium while it is moving through said chamber;
f. a flexible backing material releasably carrying strips of electrophoretic medium;
g. an input plate in parallel relationship with said moving means and having an edge adjacent the input of said chamber whereby said flexible backing material can be moved across said plate carrying said strips of electrophoretic medium toward said inlet and said moving means then bend around said edge to a new direction substantially normal to said moving means to cause said strips of electrophoretic medium to be released from said flexible backing material and continue into said inlet of said electrophoretic separation chamber to engage said moving means;
and,
h. means for moving said flexible backing material across said input plate in the manner described.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.