US2006254917A1PendingUtilityA1

Gel cassette adaptor

34
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Apr 15, 2005Filed: Apr 14, 2006Published: Nov 16, 2006
Est. expiryApr 15, 2025(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Adam S. HenryTom Jackson
B33Y 80/00G01N 27/44704C07K 1/26Y10T156/10
34
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

A gel cassette adaptor for use with an electrophoresis system gel cassette is disclosed herein. The gel cassette adaptor allows a single gel cassette to be compatible with more than one electrophoresis system. In one example embodiment, the gel cassette adaptor includes an open sided trough having an attachment perimeter and an attachment flange coupled to the attachment perimeter. The attachment flange is designed to be compatible for mating with a gel cassette that is compatible with a first electrophoresis system. After attachment of the gel cassette adaptor, the resulting gel cassette assembly is compatible with a second electrophoresis system. Also provided is a gel cassette that includes a stabilizer post that connects the cassette plates to maintain a constant gap width between the plates during electrophoresis. In reducing deformation of the gap space between plates during gel runs, the stabilizer post can improve electrophoresis results for wide format gels.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A gel cassette adaptor comprising: 
 an open sided trough having an attachment perimeter; and    an attachment flange coupled to the attachment perimeter, the attachment flange being configured for compatible mating with a gel cassette.    
   
   
       2 . The gel cassette adaptor of  claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive positioned on the attachment flange, the adhesive being configured to facilitate attachment of the gel cassette adaptor to the gel cassette.  
   
   
       3 . The gel cassette adaptor of  claim 2 , wherein the adhesive is pressure sensitive tape.  
   
   
       4 . The gel cassette adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the open sided trough and the attachment flange are made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of styrene acrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polystyrene, acrylic based polymers, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, Acetel and copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The gel cassette adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment flange is integral with the open sided trough, creating a unitary structure.  
   
   
       6 . The gel cassette adaptor of  claim 5 , wherein the unitary structure is made of plastic.  
   
   
       7 . The gel cassette adaptor of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more alignment elements that interact with one or more corresponding features on the gel cassette to facilitate proper positioning of the gel cassette adaptor relative to the gel cassette.  
   
   
       8 . The gel cassette adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the trough is between 4 to 8 inches wide×0.75 to 2.0 inches in height×0.75 and 2.0 inches in depth.  
   
   
       9 . The gel cassette adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the trough has a volume capacity between 10 and 250 mL.  
   
   
       10 . A method of using a gel cassette adaptor comprising: 
 obtaining a gel cassette;    attaching the gel cassette adaptor to the gel cassette to form a gel cassette assembly; and    installing the gel cassette assembly in an electrophoresis system.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the gel cassette adaptor is removed from packaging prior to attachment to the gel cassette.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the gel cassette is compatible for use with a first electrophoresis system and is incompatible for use with a second electrophoresis system and attachment of the gel cassette adaptor to the gel cassette creates a gel cassette assembly that is compatible for use with the second electrophoresis system.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the gel cassette adaptor comprises an open sided trough having an attachment perimeter and an attachment flange coupled to the attachment perimeter, the attachment flange being configured for compatible mating with the gel cassette.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein attaching the gel cassette adaptor to the gel cassette forms an upper buffer chamber for the gel cassette assembly.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the gel cassette adaptor comprises one or more alignment elements that interact with one or more corresponding features on the gel cassette to facilitate proper positioning of the gel cassette adaptor relative to the gel cassette.  
   
   
       16 - 21 . (canceled)  
   
   
       22 . A method for performing electrophoresis, comprising 
 separating biomolecules using a gel electrophoresis system comprising a gel in electrical.communication with a buffer in an upper buffer chamber and a buffer in a lower buffer chamber, wherein the gel is in a gel cassette;    removing the gel from the gel cassette; and optionally    disposing of the upper buffer chamber.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the upper buffer chamber is a gel cassette adaptor configured for compatible mating with the gel cassette, and wherein 
 i) the buffer in the upper buffer chamber is a cathode buffer, and the buffer in the lower buffer chamber is an anode buffer; or    ii) the buffer in the upper buffer chamber is an anode buffer, and the buffer in the lower buffer chamber is a cathode buffer.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the gel cassette adaptor comprises: 
 an open sided trough having an attachment perimeter; and    an attachment flange coupled to the attachment perimeter, the attachment flange being configured for compatible mating with the gel cassette.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the open sided trough and the attachment flange are made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of styrene acrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polystyrene, acrylic based polymers, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, Acetel and copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the gel cassette adaptor further comprises one or more alignment elements that interact with one or more corresponding features on the gel cassette to facilitate proper positioning of the gel cassette adaptor relative to the gel cassette.  
   
   
       27 . A method for generating revenue, comprising selling a single-use gel electrophoresis upper buffer chamber.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the single-use gel electrophoresis upper buffer chamber includes an open sided trough having an attachment perimeter.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the trough is between 4 to 8 inches wide×0.75 to 2.0 inches in height×0.75 and 2.0 inches in depth.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the wherein the trough has a volume capacity between 10 and 250 mL.  
   
   
       31 . A kit comprising a plurality of gel cassette adaptors comprising: 
 an open sided trough having an attachment perimeter; and    an attachment flange coupled to the attachment perimeter, the attachment flange being configured for compatible mating with a gel cassette.    
   
   
       32 . The kit of  claim 31 , further comprising one or more gel cassettes.  
   
   
       33 . The kit of  claim 31 , wherein the gel cassette adaptors further comprise an adhesive positioned on the attachment flange, the adhesive being configured to facilitate attachment of the gel cassette adaptor to the gel cassette.  
   
   
       33 . The kit of  claim 31 , wherein the open sided trough and the attachment flange are made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of styrene acrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polystyrene, acrylic based polymers, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, Acetel and copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       34 . The kit of  claim 31 , wherein the gel cassette adaptors further comprise one or more alignment elements that interact with one or more corresponding features on the gel cassette to facilitate proper positioning of the gel cassette adaptor relative to the gel cassette.  
   
   
       35 . The kit of  claim 31 , wherein the trough is between 4 to 8 inches wide×0.75 to 2.0 inches in height×0.75 to 2.0 inches in depth.  
   
   
       36 . The kit of  claim 31 , wherein the trough has a volume capacity between 10 and 250 mL.  
   
   
       37 .- 41 . (canceled)  
   
   
       42 . A method of using a gel cassette adaptor comprising: 
 attaching the gel cassette adaptor to a gel cassette to form a gel cassette assembly comprising a gel and an upper buffer chamber; and    installing the gel cassette assembly in an electrophoresis system.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the gel cassette adaptor comprises: 
 an open sided trough having an attachment perimeter; and    an attachment flange coupled to the attachment perimeter, the attachment flange being configured for compatible mating with the gel cassette.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the open sided trough and the attachment flange are made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of styrene acrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polystyrene, acrylic based polymers, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, Acetel and copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the gel cassette adaptor further comprises one or more alignment elements that interact with one or more corresponding features on the gel cassette to facilitate proper positioning of the gel cassette adaptor relative to the gel cassette.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the gel cassette adaptor is between 4 to 8 inches wide×0.75 to 2.0 inches in height×0.75 and 2.0 inches in depth.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the wherein the gel cassette adaptor has a volume capacity between 10 and 250 mL.  
   
   
       48 .- 79 . (canceled)

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