Apparatus for breaking bacterial cells
AssigneeVPI Educational Foundation
InventorsW. Edward C. Moore, James A. Blanks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multiple tube holder is suspended at the upper end on a frame so that the lower end can pivot through a small arc about a horizontal axis adjacent the upper end of the holder. A motor is connected to the lower end of the holder for pivoting the lower end of the holder through said small arc at a rate of approximately 1800 cycles per minute. A tray means is positioned below the holder for supporting a cooling liquid at a controlled temperature so that the lower end of the tubes on the holder will be immersed in the liquid to prevent destruction of proteins and enzymes released during cell breakage.
Claims9
A method of breaking bacterial cells within upright tubes having a tapered closed end comprising harvesting a culture containing bacterial cells in tubes, placing beads in the tubes containing bacterial cells to be broken, oscillating the tubes about a horizontal axis adjacent their upper ends at a rate of approximately 1725 to 1800 cycles per minute, and preventing destruction of proteins and enzymes released during cell breakage by immersing the closed ends of the tubes in a bath of cool liquid during said oscillating step.
Apparatus for breaking bacterial cells within upright tubes comprising a frame having spaced pivots, a multiple tube holder for supporting upright tubes, means suspending the upper end of said holder on said frame pivots so that the lower end of the holder can oscillate through a small arc about a horizontal axis defined by said frame pivots, a motor connected to the lower end of said holder for oscillating the lower end of said holder through said small arc at a rate of approximately 1800 cycles per minute, said holder including first and second parallel rows of rings whose axes are vertically disposed, said holder including third and fourth rows of rings whose axes are vertically disposed, each ring of the third and fourth row being at an elevation below the elevation of the rings of the first and second rows, the hole of each ring of said third and fourth rows being aligned with the hole of one of the rings of the first and second rows, said first and second rows of rings being disposed at the approximate elevation of said horizontal axis, said third and fourth rows being at the approximate elevation where said motor is connected to said holder, said rings being adapted to support a plurality of upright tubes containing cells to be broken and beads of glass or sand which are introducable through the upper end of the tubes with the lower end of the tubes below the elevation of said third and fourth rows.
Apparatus for breaking bacterial cells within a vessel with beads or equivalent granular material, comprising a frame, a multiple vessel holder for supporting upright vessels, means suspending the upper end of said holder on said frame so that the lower end of said holder can pivot through a small arc about a horizontal axis adjacent the upper end of the holder, a motor means connected to the lower end of said holder for pivoting the lower end of the holder through said small arc at a rate of approximately 1725 to 1800 cycles per minute, and tray means below said holder for supporting a cooling liquid at a controlled temperature so that the lower end of the vessel supported by the holder will be immersed in the liquid to prevent destruction of proteins and enzymes released during cell breakage.
Apparatus for breaking bacterial cells within upright tubes comprising a frame having spaced pivots, a multiple tube holder, means suspending the upper end of said holder on said frame pivots so that the lower end of the holder can oscillate through a small arc about a horizontal axis defined by said pivots, a motor connected to the lower end of said holder for oscillating the lower end of said holder through said small arc at a rate of approximately 1800 cycles per minute, said holder being adapted to support a plurality of tubes containing cells to be broken and beads of glass or sand which are introducable through the upper end of the tubes, and tray means below said holder for supporting a cooling liquid at a controlled cool temperature so that the lower end of the tubes on the holder will be immersed in the liquid to prevent destruction of proteins and enzymes released during cell breakage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.