Patent Publication Number: US-2021164936-A1

Title: Electrophoresis gel cassette

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrophoresis gel cassette, in particular, to an electrophoresis gel cassette with the ability to prevent from deformation of the electrophoresis gel. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Electrophoresis is a commonly used method for identifying and isolating biological macromolecules in the field of molecular biology. The principle is to utilize the differences in the speed these molecules will travel within a medium under the influence of an electric field because of a difference in molecular weight and charge value between different biomacromolecules. The result of this process is a separation and isolation of biological macromolecules. 
     The medium commonly used in electrophoresis to separate biomacromolecules is an electrophoretic gel, which is generally flat and has regularly-spaced wells to hold the macromolecules to be tested. In general, electrophoretic gels are divided into two major types: agarose gels and polyacrylamide gels. Agarose gels are relatively easy to manufacture and their main ingredients are derived from polysaccharide polymers in seaweed. Although the pore sizes of agarose gels are less uniform, the separation effect on the DNA fragment and proteins larger than 200 kDa is better. Polyacrylamide gels have relatively smaller and more uniform pore sizes compared to agarose gels and are therefore commonly used to separate proteins. In addition, polyacrylamide gels generally have better resolution and are therefore more expensive than agarose gels. However, it should be noted that polyacrylamide gel powder is toxic and should be used with care. 
     In the past, most laboratories used their own electrophoresis gels. However, the benefits of using pre-formed electrophoretic gel were quickly discovered: they saved time and were easier to produce accurate, consistent results with. 
     At present, a precast gel cassette comprises a pair of two flat plates capable of combining convex and concave edges, and the cover has a space for accommodating the electrophoresis gel. However, the precast electrophoresis gel cassette with aforementioned structure may distort during storage. To prevent from losing moisture, electrophoresis gel is submerged in a buffer solution. Yet, the electrophoresis matrices will absorb the buffer and may possibly result in inflation the electrophoresis gels, hence interfering with the results of electrophoresis. Also, the precast electrophoresis gel cassette may distort during transportation. If the precast electrophoresis gel cassette is squeezed by an external force, all the force is taken up by the two plates composing the electrophoresis gel cassette, which will cause the gel to be squeezed and deformed. Therefore, today&#39;s the precast electrophoresis gel cassette needs to be further improved to prevent from deformation of the precast electrophoretic gel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides an electrophoresis gel cassette, comprising a first plate, a second plate, a plurality of spacers and at least one first protrusion, wherein the first plate and the second plate respectively includes a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, a first surface and a second surface, the second plate is substantially parallel to the first plate so that the first surface of the first plate and the first surface of the second plate are parallel to each other, and the plurality of spacers are disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate, and the first plate, the second plate, and the plurality of spacers are assembled together to form a gel accommodating space. And the at least one first protrusion is disposed at an appropriate position on a bottom portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate for connecting the first plate and the second plate so as to maintain the electrophoresis gel accommodating space and to prevent from deformation of the electrophoresis gel. 
     According to the invention, the electrophoresis gel cassette further comprises at least one second protrusion disposed at an appropriate position on a top portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate. 
     The invention also provides an electrophoresis gel cassette, comprising a first plate, a second plate, a plurality of spacers and at least one first protrusion, wherein the first plate and the second plate respectively includes a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, a first surface and a second surface, the second plate is substantially parallel to the first plate so that the first surface of the first plate and the first surface of the second plate are parallel to each other, and the plurality of spacers are disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate, and the first plate, the second plate, and the plurality of spacers are assembled together to form a gel accommodating space. And the at least one first protrusion is disposed at an appropriate position on a top portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate for connecting the first plate and the second plate so as to maintain the electrophoresis gel accommodating space and to prevent from deformation of the electrophoresis gel. 
     According to the invention, the electrophoresis gel cassette further comprises at least one second protrusion disposed at an appropriate position on a bottom portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows structures of the first plate and the second plate according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows the combination diagram according to the invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows the electrophoresis gel cassette comprises at least one first protrusion disposed at an appropriate position on a bottom portion of the first surface of the first plate. 
         FIG. 4  shows the electrophoresis gel cassette comprises a comb and at least one first protrusion disposed at an appropriate position on a bottom portion of the first surface of the first plate. 
         FIG. 5  shows the electrophoresis gel cassette comprises at least one first protrusion disposed at an appropriate position on a top portion of the first surface of the first plate. 
         FIG. 6  shows the electrophoresis gel cassette comprises a comb and at least one first protrusion disposed at an appropriate position on a top portion of the first surface of the first plate. 
         FIG. 7  shows the electrophoresis gel cassette comprises a comb, at least one first protrusion disposed at an appropriate position on a bottom portion of the first surface of the first plate and at least one second protrusion disposed at an appropriate position on a top portion of the first surface of the first plate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides an electrophoresis gel cassette, comprising a first plate, a second plate, a plurality of spacers and at least one first protrusion, wherein the first plate and the second plate respectively includes a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, a first surface and a second surface, the second plate is substantially parallel to the first plate so that the first surface of the first plate and the first surface of the second plate are parallel to each other, and the plurality of spacers are disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate, and the first plate, the second plate, and the plurality of spacers are assembled together to form a gel accommodating space. And the at least one first protrusion is disposed at an appropriate position on a bottom portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate for connecting the first plate and the second plate so as to maintain the electrophoresis gel accommodating space and to prevent from deformation of the electrophoresis gel. 
     According to the invention, the at least one first protrusion may be a plurality of first protrusions. Preferably, the plurality of first protrusions are equidistantly disposed from each other at an appropriate position on the bottom portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate. 
     According to the invention, the electrophoresis gel cassette further comprises at least one second protrusion being disposed at an appropriate position on a top portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate. 
     The invention also provides an electrophoresis gel cassette, comprising a first plate, a second plate, a plurality of spacers and at least one first protrusion, wherein the first plate and the second plate respectively includes a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, a first surface and a second surface, the second plate is substantially parallel to the first plate so that the first surface of the first plate and the first surface of the second plate are parallel to each other, and the plurality of spacers are disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate, and the first plate, the second plate, and the plurality of spacers are assembled together to form a gel accommodating space. And the at least one first protrusion is disposed at an appropriate position on a top portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate for connecting the first plate and the second plate so as to maintain the electrophoresis gel accommodating space and to prevent from deformation of the electrophoresis gel. 
     Preferably, the at least one first protrusion is a plurality of first protrusions, and the plurality of first protrusions are equidistantly disposed from each other at an appropriate position on the top portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate. 
     According to the invention, the electrophoresis gel cassette further comprises at least one second protrusion being disposed at an appropriate position on a bottom portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate. 
     To prevent from affecting the analysis of electrophoretic samples, the appropriate position of the said at least one first protrusion or at least one second protrusion is a position at which an electrophoresis sample does not flow through during an electrophoresis processing. 
     The said term “integrally formed” herein indicates “an object is formed by assembling two parts into one piece” or “an object is formed in one-piece during manufacture”. 
     In one embodiment, the at least one first protrusion is integrally formed with the first plate or the second plate; preferably, the at least one first protrusion and the at least one second protrusion are integrally formed with the first plate or the second plate. 
     The plurality of spacers according to the invention, in one embodiment, are disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surface of the first plate or the second plate. In another embodiment, the plurality of spacers are disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surfaces of the first plate and the second plate. Preferably, the plurality of spacers are integrally formed with the first plate or the second plate. Most preferred, the plurality of spacers are integrally formed with the first plate and the second plate. 
     According to the invention, the corresponding plurality of spacers and the at least one first protrusion or the at least one second protrusion are bonded to the first plate or the second plate by using an adhesive or ultrasonic oscillation. 
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The examples below are non-limiting and are merely representative of various aspects and features of the present invention. 
     The invention recites an electrophoresis gel cassette. During the storage, the electrophoresis gel usually submerged in a buffer solution. However, the electrophoresis matrices will absorb the buffer and may possibly result in inflation the electrophoresis gels, hence interfering with the results of electrophoresis. Similarly, the precast electrophoresis gel cassette may distort by extruding during transportation. If the precast electrophoresis gel cassette is squeezed by an external force, all the force is taken up by the two plates composing the electrophoresis gel cassette, which will cause the gel to be squeezed and deformed. Therefore, in the prior art plastic shell technology, the present invention designs a protrusion which can maintain the rubber shell structure of the electrophoresis gel to prevent from the electrophoresis gel matrix from being expanded or deformed by absorbing the buffer or being pressed by an external force. Therefore, the invention provides a protrusion on the electrophoresis gel cassette to maintain the structure of the gel accommodating space, so as to prevent from the electrophoresis gel matrix from expanding or deforming due to absorption buffer solution or being squeezed by an external force. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the invention provided an electrophoresis gel cassette  1  which comprised two parallelly disposed plate, a first plate  10  and a second plate  20 , a plurality of spacers  50  and at least one first protrusion, wherein the first plate  10  comprised a top side  101 , a bottom side  102 , a right side  103 , a left side  104 , a first surface  105 , and a second surface  106 ; also, the second plate  20  comprised a top side  201 , a bottom side  202 , a right side  203 , a left side  204 , a second surface  205 , and a first surface  206 ; the second plate  20  is substantially parallel to the first plate  10  so that the first surface  105  of the first plate  10  and the first surface  206  of the second plate  20  are parallel to each other, and the plurality of spacers  50  are disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surface of the first plate  10  or the second plate  20 , wherein the plurality of spacers  50  meant convex edges  501  respectively disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surface  105  of the first plate  10  and concave edges  502  respectively disposed on a left portion and a right portion of the first surface  206  of the second plate  20 ; and the at least one first protrusion was a plurality of bottom protrusions  30  disposed on a bottom portion of the first surface  105  of the first plate  10 ; or the at least one first protrusion was a plurality of top protrusions  40  disposed on a top portion of the first surface  105  of the first plate  10 . 
     When the first surfaces of the first plate  10  and the second plate  20  were assembled in parallel as shown in  FIG. 2 , the convex edges  501  and the concave edges  502  were connected correspondingly to form an electrophoresis gel accommodating space, and the plurality of bottom protrusions  30  or the plurality of top protrusions  40  were provided to bond the first plate  10  and the second plate  20  together to maintain the electrophoresis gel accommodating space so as to prevent from the deformation of the electrophoresis gel. 
     Preferably, the invention further comprised at least one second protrusion, as shown in  FIG. 1 , if the at least one first protrusion was a plurality of bottom protrusions  30 , the at least one second protrusion was a plurality of top protrusions  40 ; if the at least one first protrusion was a plurality of top protrusions  40 , the at least one second protrusion was a plurality of bottom protrusions  30 . 
     In an embodiment, the plurality of protrusions were equidistantly disposed from each other; In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of protrusions were integrally formed with the first plate  10  or the second plate  20 . 
     In a further preferred embodiment, the first plate  10  simultaneously comprised a plurality of bottom protrusions  30  and a plurality of top protrusions  40 . 
     According to the invention, the plurality of spacers  50  and the at least one first protrusion or the at least one second protrusion were bonded to the first plate  10  or the second plate  20  by using an adhesive or ultrasonic oscillation. 
     The embodiment of the electrophoresis gel cassette comprised a plurality of bottom protrusions is shown in  FIG. 3 , in which  FIG. 3  indicates that the plurality of bottom protrusions  30  were equidistantly disposed from each other at an appropriate position on a bottom portion of the first surface  105  of the first plate  10  and were bonded with the second plate  20  by using ultrasonic oscillation to form an electrophoresis gel accommodating space  60 , and the electrophoresis gel accommodating space  60  was maintained via the plurality of spacers  50  and the plurality of bottom protrusions  30 . 
     In order to prevented the position of the plurality of bottom protrusions from affecting the analysis of electrophoretic samples, the plurality of bottom protrusions were disposed at the position at which an electrophoresis sample did not flow through during an electrophoresis processing. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the plurality of bottom protrusions  30  were disposed at the position corresponding to the intervals  71  of the sample loading wells formed by a comb  70  and did not affect the analysis of the electrophoretic samples. 
     The embodiment of the electrophoresis gel cassette comprised a plurality of top protrusions is shown in  FIG. 5 , in which  FIG. 5  indicates that the plurality of top protrusions  40  were equidistantly disposed from each other at an appropriate position on a top portion of the first surface  105  of the first plate  10  and were bonded with the second plate  20  by using ultrasonic oscillation to form an electrophoresis gel accommodating space  60 , and the electrophoresis gel accommodating space  60  was maintained via the plurality of spacers  50  and the plurality of top protrusions  40 . 
     Similarly, in order to prevented the position of the plurality of top protrusions from affecting the analysis of electrophoretic samples, the plurality of top side protrusions were also disposed at the position at which an electrophoresis sample did not flow through during an electrophoresis processing. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the plurality of top protrusions  40  were disposed at the position corresponding to the interval  71  of the sample loading wells NO. 4 and No. 5 and the interval  71  of the sample loading wells NO. 8 and No. 9 formed by a comb  70  and did not affect the analysis of the electrophoretic samples. 
     Combing with the embodiments shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , the most preferred embodiment according to the invention is shown in  FIG. 7 . The electrophoresis gel cassette  1  might also comprise both the plurality of bottom protrusions  30  and the plurality of top protrusions  40  so as to provide a more stable electrophoresis gel accommodation space. 
     The electrophoresis gel deformation according to the invention means that the electrophoresis gel is swollen and distort by absorption of a buffer solution during storage, or the electrophoresis gel is atrophied by losing moisture during storage, or the electrophoresis gel is swollen and distort by the increasing working temperature or by absorption of a buffer solution during electrophoresis, or the electrophoresis gel is deformed by squeezing during the preparation process or transport. 
     While the invention has been described and exemplified in sufficient detail for those skilled in this art to make and use it, various alternatives, modifications, and improvements should be apparent without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     One skilled in the art readily appreciates that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments are representative of preferred embodiments, are exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Modifications therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art. These modifications are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the claims.