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  Automated electrophoresis gel manipulation apparatus and methodUSPTO Application #: 20060032747Title: Automated electrophoresis gel manipulation apparatus and method Abstract: An automated, computer controlled assembly is provided for continuously processing a large number of electrophoresis gels. The assembly includes a loading assembly for loading a gel onto a carrier, a gel staining assembly and a scanning and cutting assembly. The staining assembly and the scanning and cutting assembly each include a robotic arm that is able to capture a gel and transfer the gel to selected work stations and can transfer the gel between the respective robotic arms. (end of abstract) Agent: Large Scale Biology Corporation - Vacaville, CA, US Inventors: N. Leigh Anderson, Jack Goodman, L. Eric Wallgren USPTO Applicaton #: 20060032747 - Class: 204462000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Chemistry: Electrical And Wave Energy, Non-distilling Bottoms Treatment, Electrophoresis Or Electro-osmosis Processes And Electrolyte Compositions Therefor When Not Provided For Elsewhere, Gel Electrophoresis, With Posttreatment Of Gel To Purify Or Recover A Desired Component The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060032747. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) of Provisional Application No. 60/281,000, filed Apr. 4, 2001, for "Automated Electrophoresis Gel Staining, Imaging and Cutting Apparatus and Method", which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application is also a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/783,132, filed Feb. 15, 2001, for "Gel Manipulation Apparatus", which is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 09/504,494, filed Feb. 15, 2000, for "Electrophoresis Gel Clamp for Handling and Transport", and Ser. No. 09/504,493, filed Feb. 15, 2000, for "Slab Gel Processing Tank". This application is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 09/978,574, filed Oct. 18, 2001, for "Method and Apparatus for Relieving Stress in an Electrophoresis Gel Slab" and Ser. No. 09/859,664, filed May 18, 2001, for "Automated Apparatus for Separating a Biological Sample from a Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis Gel", which applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for manipulating an electrophoresis gel. The invention is also directed to an automated, computer controlled robotic assembly for transferring an electrophoresis gel between various work stations for treating the gels. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Isoelectric focusing (IEF) is an electrophoretic technique that is commonly used for the analysis, separation and purification of various biological materials, and particularly proteins. Since many of the complex molecules of biological interest are amphoteric in nature, they are typically amenable to IEF separation. Gel electrophoresis is a process that is commonly used for protein and DNA analysis. [0004] The separation of macromolecules, and particularly proteins, often is carried out by two-dimensional electrophoresis separation. The two-dimensional electrophoresis separation typically involves the sequential separation by isoelectric focusing of a sample in a gel tube followed by slab gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric focusing process in the gel tube is often referred to as first dimension separation. [0005] In the first dimension separation, an isoelectric focusing gel, such as acrylamide, is placed or polymerized in a tube. The open ends of the tube are positioned in a tank with a buffer solution at each end of the tube. One end of the tube is positioned in a bath of a buffer solution such as sodium hydroxide solution. The other end of the tube is positioned in a bath of a second buffer solution such as a phosphoric acid solution. An electric current is applied to the two buffer solutions. The current together with ampholytes incorporated into the gel composition or titratable gel monomers incorporated into the gel, provides a pH gradient through the gel along the length of the tube. The sample to be analyzed is applied to a one end of the gel in the tube and an electric current is applied to an electrode in each of the buffer solutions. The molecules in the sample migrate through the gel under the influence of the electric potential until they reach their respective isoelectric point. [0006] Slab gel electrophoresis, often referred to as second dimension separation, utilizes an electrophoresis gel molded between two glass plates. A gel strip or cylinder in which the protein sample has been resolved by the first dimension isoelectric focusing is placed along one edge of the slab gel. The ends of the gel slab are positioned in a buffer solution and an electric current is applied to each end of the gel. The proteins are then allowed to migrate through the gel slab under an applied voltage. [0007] Charged detergents, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, contained in the slab gel bind to the protein molecules. The detergents tend to unfold the protein molecules into rods having a length proportional to the length of the polypeptide chain and thus proportional to the molecular weight of the polypeptide. A protein complexed with a charged detergent is highly charged, which causes the protein-detergent complex to move in an applied electric field. When the slab gel, such as a polyacrylamide gel, functions as a sieve, the movement of the longer and higher molecular weight molecules is retarded compared to the shorter, lower molecular weight molecules. [0008] Electrophoresis separation is generally labor intensive since numerous samples are run simultaneously. Generally, the gel tubes are prepared and placed in a suitable tank of buffer solutions. The protein samples are then manually placed on the end of a gel tube. When hundreds of protein samples are prepared daily for isoelectric focusing, the manual steps significantly increase the time requirements for performing the first dimension separation. [0009] The resolution of the separation methods are sufficient to separate at least 150 proteins from a mixture. The first dimension isoelectric focusing separation followed by the second dimension SDS electrophoresis separation can result in the resolution of as many as 22,000 proteins from a single sample. A critical step in obtaining high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis is to coordinate the first dimension separation with the second dimension separation. [0010] The gel slab is removed from the glass plates and immersed in a series of baths containing various staining agents. Typically, the gel slabs are manually transferred from a stain bath to various fixing solutions and rinsing solutions. After the second dimension electrophoresis separation, the gel is developed to stain the proteins which appear as a spot on the gel. Thereafter, a gel spot can be identified, removed from the slab, and analyzed. [0011] Various automated devices are known for performing various analysis processes of proteins and DNA. One example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,975 to Bishop. The disclosed system uses an automated protein and DNA gene fragments analyzing machine where electrophoresis cells are robotically inserted into an electrophoresis housing for producing electrophoretic migration of the protein in one dimension. The robotic assembly rotates the cells 90.degree. to enable separation of the fragments vertically in a second dimension. [0012] The gel slabs are made of a flexible gel and care must be taken to prevent damaging or tearing the gel. During handling and manipulating, the gel slab adheres to surfaces that it contacts. As the gel is pulled from the surface, the gel can tear or stretch. Various devices have been proposed for handling and manipulating gel slabs. However, these devices have experienced only limited success. Accordingly, there is a continuing need in the industry for improved methods and devices for handling and processing electrophoresis gels. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for manipulating an electrophoresis gel. The invention is also directed to an automated, computer controlled system having a robotic assembly for transferring an electrophoresis gel between various work stations for treating and processing the gels. [0014] Accordingly a primary aspect of the invention is to provide an automated apparatus for manipulating an electrophoresis gel and transferring the gel from a storage tank to one or more gel processing tanks according to a preselected processing protocol for the gel. [0015] Another aspect of the invention is to provide an automated apparatus having a robotic arm that is controlled by a computer to selectively transfer an electrophoresis gel between selected work stations and to monitor the location of the gel within the apparatus. [0016] A further aspect of the invention is to provide a computer-controlled robotic apparatus for manipulating an electrophoresis gel along three coordinates so that the gel can be moved in three dimensions between selected work stations. [0017] Still another aspect of the invention is to provide a computer controlled articulated arm that is movable on a boom, where the boom can be moved in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction and where the articulated arm is movable along the length of the boom. [0018] A further aspect of the invention is to provide an automated computer controlled apparatus having an articulated robotic arm that is able to move into a selected position and capture an electrophoresis gel attached to a carrier, transfer the gel to a selected location, release the captured gel at the selected location and substantially retrieve the gel. [0019] Another aspect of the invention is to provide a carrier device for capturing an electrophoresis gel where the gel can be suspended from the carrier without damaging or tearing the gel while the gel is being transferred between selected locations. [0020] Still another aspect of the invention is to provide a clamp device that is able to capture an electrophoresis gel and suspend the gel without damaging the gel. Continue reading... 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