摘要:
A comb to be used for holding samples and defining sample lanes in an ultra-thin slab gel in vertical slab gel electrophoresis is constructed with to form tapered or wedged-shaped sample wells, with the narrowest edge of the wedge opening into the upper edge of the gel. In one embodiment, the comb has a wedge-shaped profile along the contact edge to provide an expanded well at each sample location. Notches alternating with grooves are cut into the wedge shape to form teeth which taper along orthogonal axes, the wells being defined by the space between each adjacent pair of teeth. The gel enclosure which holds the slab gel is formed by plates which are shaped along one edge to provide a complementary wedge-shaped opening leading into the gel space. The comb fits snugly into the opening with the teeth of the comb touching or extending a short distance into the upper exposed surface of the gel. In another embodiment, the comb has a rectangular profile, with grooves cut to a varying depth to form the wedge shape.
摘要:
Rapid and uniform temperature changes in the wells of a microplate or any thin-walled plate that contains an array of reaction wells or sample receptacles are achieved by the use of heating and cooling elements with a vapor chamber interposed between such elements and the microplate. The upper surface of the vapor chamber and the underside of the sample plate in certain embodiments are complementary in shape, i.e., they have identical but oppositely directed contours in the areas around each of the sample receptacles, to provide continuous surface contact along the surface of each receptacle. In other embodiments, an intermediary plate is placed between the vapor chamber and the well plate, with the top surface of the intermediary plate being complementary in shape to the underside of the well plate.
摘要:
Biological cells in a liquid suspension are counted in an automated cell counter that focuses an image of the suspension on a digital imaging sensor that contains at least 4,000,000 pixels each having an area of 2×2 μm or less and that images a field of view of at least 3 mm2. The sensor enables the counter to compress the optical components into an optical path of less than 20 cm in height when arranged vertically with no changes in direction of the optical path as a whole, and the entire instrument has a footprint of less than 300 cm2. Activation of the light source, automated focusing of the sensor image, and digital cell counting are all initiated by the simple insertion of the sample holder into the instrument. The suspension is placed in a sample chamber in the form of a slide that is shaped to ensure proper orientation of the slide in the cell counter.
摘要:
Horizontal electrophoresis is performed in a cell that includes a tank and a pair of electrodes, each mounted on an electrode support that is easily inserted into and removed from the tank, and once inserted, is secured in position by one or more spring-loaded, manual-release locking features.
摘要:
A multi-well plate with wells having ultra-thin walls and yet with sufficient structural rigidity to allow reliable use of the plate in automated instrumentation is formed by first forming a plate blank by injection molding, the blank being of a thickness that provides the desired rigidity, and then subjecting the blank to vacuum forming to stretch designated areas in the blank to form wells or to extend wells already formed, the stretching resulting in a reduction in thickness of the molded resin at the walls of the wells only.
摘要:
Gradient gels are formed in a slab gel enclosure by introducing gel solution through a channel in one of the two or more spacers which set the thickness of the gel. The channel opens into the gel space through an aperture in the inner longitudinal edge of the spacer at approximately mid-length along the edge, and filling of the gel space with the solution is performed with the enclosure rotated onto its side. In certain embodiments of the invention, the opposing spacer contains an aperture as well, plus a channel leading from the aperture to the exterior of the enclosure, for venting of air from the gel space as the space is being filled with the gel-forming liquid.
摘要:
Gradient gels for electrophoresis are produced by an apparatus in which a pair of syringes are mounted on a support rack together with cams arranged for synchronous rotation. Cam followers engaged by the cams are linked to the syringe barrels, with each cam defining a distinct spiral path translated by one of the cam followers into a preselected rate or rate profile of volumetric discharge from one of the syringes as the cam rotates. With the rate or rate profile established by one cam being distinct from the rate or rate profile established by the other, a gradient or other variation in composition is obtained when the syringe discharges are combined into a common stream and directed to the gel enclosure for solidification into a gel. The gradient or variation in composition is determined by the cam profiles alone, and is independent of the rate at which the cams are rotated, and of whether or not the rotation is performed in a steady manner. The apparatus can be readily designed for manual operation with highly accurate and reproducible results.
摘要:
Individual temperature control in multiple reactions performed simultaneously in a spatial array such as a multi-well plate is achieved by thermoelectric modules with individual control, with each module supplying heat to or drawing heat from a single region within the array, the region containing either a single reaction vessel or a group of reaction vessels.
摘要:
Horizontal electrophoresis is performed in a cell that includes a tank and a pair of electrodes, each mounted on an electrode support that is easily inserted into and removed from the tank, and once inserted, is secured in position by one or more spring-loaded, manual-release locking features.
摘要:
A multi-well plate with wells having ultra-thin walls and yet with sufficient structural rigidity to allow reliable use of the plate in automated instrumentation is formed by first forming a plate blank by injection molding, the blank being of a thickness that provides the desired rigidity, and then subjecting the blank to vacuum forming to stretch designated areas in the blank to form wells or to extend wells already formed, the stretching resulting in a reduction in thickness of the molded resin at the walls of the wells only.