Claims
- 1. A system for preparing an electrophoresis gel, wherein said system comprises a computer and a software, and said computer and software control a plurality of electromechanical means for preparing said gel and for removing said gel from a mold.
- 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system further loads a sample onto said gel, wherein said sample comprises a plurality of components.
- 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said system further effects an electrophoretic separation of said components within said electrophoresis gel.
- 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said system further detects said components after electrophoresis and staining of said gel.
- 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said system performs a two-dimensional protocol by preparing a first gel and a second gel, loading said sample onto said first gel, effecting a first separation of said components in said first gel, transferring said first gel to said second gel, effecting a second separation of said components in said second gel, and detecting said components.
- 6. A method for preparing an electrophoresis gel, said method comprises steps of:
a) casting said gel in a mold; and b) removing said gel from said mold by a plurality of electromechanical means, wherein each of said electromechanical means is controlled by a computer and a software.
- 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said computer and said software further control loading of a sample onto said gel, wherein said sample comprises a plurality of components.
- 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said computer and said software further control an electrophoretic separation of said components within said gel.
- 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said computer and said software further control detection of said components within said gel.
- 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said computer and said software control: 1) preparation of a first gel and a second gel, 2) loading of said sample onto said first gel, 3) a first separation of said components in said first gel, 4) transferring of said first gel to said second gel, 5) a second separation of said components in said second gel, and 6) detection of said components within said gel.
- 11. The system according to claim 3, wherein said system further comprises means for excising portions of said gel after staining of said gel.
- 12. The system according to claim 11 wherein said means is a computer-controlled movable punch device.
- 13. The system of claim 12 wherein said movable punch device comprises a tube-like cutter and a central piston within said cutter, said cutter and said piston being moved coaxially by a computer-controlled means to cut, retrieve and expel a plug of said gel.
- 14. The system according to claim 11 wherein said means is moved on the basis of coordinates supplied by an image processor.
- 15. The system according to claim 4, wherein said system further comprises means for excising portions of said gel after staining of said gel.
- 16. The system according to claim 15 wherein said means is a computer-controlled movable punch device.
- 17. The system of claim 16 wherein said movable punch device comprises a tube-like cutter and a central piston within said cutter, said cutter and said piston being moved coaxially by a computer-controlled means to cut, retrieve and expel a plug of said gel.
- 18. The system according to claim 15 wherein said means is moved on the basis of coordinates supplied by an image processor.
- 19. The method according to claim 6 wherein said gel is removed from said mold prior to electrophoretic separation of a sample on said gel.
- 20. The method according to claim 6 wherein a second gel comprising a sample is incorporated into said electrophoresis gel after casting of said electrophoresis gel.
- 21. The method of claim 20 wherein said sample was separated on said second gel by isoelectric focusing prior to incorporation of said second gel into said electrophoresis gel.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation application of Ser. No. 09/809,143filed Mar. 16, 2001, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/339,164, filed Jun. 24, 1999, which is a division of Ser. No. 08/881,761, filed Jun. 24, 1997, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,627 on Nov. 30, 1999, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Divisions (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09339164 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Child |
09680443 |
Oct 2000 |
US |
Parent |
08881761 |
Jun 1997 |
US |
Child |
09339164 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09680443 |
Oct 2000 |
US |
Child |
10095427 |
Mar 2002 |
US |