Gel extraction device
OwnerJeremy Caldwell, Dale Caldwell +1inventors
InventorsJeremy Caldwell, Dale Caldwell, Leon Clouser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gel extraction device comprising a hollow cutting member having a cutting edge at one end and a squeeze bulb at the other end. In a further embodiment, the air passage between the cutting edge and the bulb has a constriction zone to prevent any extracted gel from being drawn too deeply into the extractor. In a further embodiment, a blow-hole in the hollow cutting member or in the squeeze bulb provides for the passage of air displaced by gel through the extractor. The blow-hole may be covered to secure the gel in the receptacle for transfer from the matrix to a sample container.
Claims20
A vacuumless method of extracting a gel sample from an electrophoresis gel matrix with a gel extraction device comprising a hollow cutting member having a connector end and an opposing cutting end defining two ends of a lumen, wherein the lumen in the cutting end defines a sample receptacle terminating in a sharp perimeter cutting edge and a squeeze bulb is attached at the connector end, the method comprising the steps of:
- pressing the perimeter cutting edge against the gel matrix to cut the gel sample and force the sample into the sample receptacle;
- pulling the gel extraction device from the gel matrix to extract the gel sample in the sample receptacle;
- and
- squeezing the bulb to force the gel sample from the sample receptacle, wherein friction is sufficient to retain the sample in the sample receptacle.
A method of extracting a gel sample from an electrophoresis gel matrix with a gel extraction device comprising a hollow cutting member having a connector end and an opposing cutting end defining two ends of a lumen, wherein the lumen in the cutting end defines a sample receptacle terminating in a sharp perimeter cutting edge and an ejector selected from the group consisting of a plunger and a squeeze bulb is attached at the connector end, the method comprising the steps of:
- pressing the perimeter cutting edge against the gel matrix to cut the gel sample and force the sample into the sample receptacle;
- pulling the gel extraction device from the gel matrix to extract the gel sample in the sample receptacle;
- and
- ejecting the gel sample from the sample receptacle by the operation selected from the group consisting of squeezing the bulb and pressing the plunger through the lumen, wherein friction is sufficient to retain the sample in the sample receptacle.
A vacuumless method of extracting a gel sample from an electrophoresis gel matrix with a gel extraction device comprising a hollow cutting member having a connector end and an opposing cutting end defining two ends of a lumen, wherein the lumen in the cutting end defines a rectangular sample receptacle terminating in a perimeter cutting edge of 0.005 inches to 0.030 inches in thickness, and an ejector selected from the group consisting of a plunger and a squeeze bulb is attached at the connector end comprises the steps of:
- pressing the perimeter cutting edge against the gel matrix to cut the gel sample and force the sample into the sample receptacle;
- pulling gel extraction device from the gel matrix to extract the gel sample in the sample receptacle;
- and
- ejecting the gel sample from the sample receptacle by the operation selected from the group consisting of squeezing the bulb and pressing the plunger through the lumen,
- wherein the extraction is capable one-handed, manual operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.