Agarose gel equipment convenient for sample adding
The pre-formed agarose gel device with a negative pressure system addresses the inefficiencies of manual gel preparation and sample addition in PCR electrophoresis, enhancing safety and efficiency by allowing bulk sample addition and reducing waste.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421493683.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-15
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-06-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing agarose gel electrophoresis requires on-site preparation and the sample loading operation is cumbersome, which leads to time-consuming and labor-consuming, and there is a risk of waste of gel and nucleic acid dyes and exposure to experimental personnel.
Design an agarose gel device that is easy to add samples. Automatically load samples by pre-made agarose gel and using negative pressure space to avoid manual preparation and contact with toxic substances. Use a sample loader to replace the pipette for efficient load samples.
It realizes that gels are prepared without on-site, saves materials and time, improves sample replenishment efficiency, reduces the exposure risk of harmful substances, and reduces waste.
Smart Images
Figure CN223107709U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of molecular biology experiments, and particularly relates to an agarose gel device convenient for sample loading. Background Art
[0002] Agarose gel electrophoresis is a routine operation in the laboratory, and generally is a necessary experimental detection process downstream of the PCR reaction. Laboratory personnel in PCR detection usually face a large number of cumbersome and time-consuming agarose gel electrophoresis tasks. Although PCR has achieved rapid automated operation, electrophoresis still requires manual operation, which is time-consuming and laborious. Usually, the gels prepared by fixed molds in the laboratory cause waste of gels and nucleic acid dyes, which overflow outside the electrophoresis lanes, and the rest of the gels are not actually used. At the same time, the experimenter uses a pipette to load samples, adding the reaction solution in the PCR tube into the sample loading holes of the agarose gel one by one, which is a cumbersome process. Summary of the Invention
[0003] In order to solve the problems that agarose gel needs to be prepared on-site during existing agarose gel electrophoresis and it is rather troublesome to load samples one by one with a pipette, the utility model provides an agarose gel device convenient for sample loading. By prefabricating the agarose gel, the trouble of preparation is eliminated and the contact between experimenters and agarose gel is effectively avoided. Through the provided sampler, the corresponding sampler can be selected according to the number of samples to be loaded, and the sample loading can be completed at one time, which saves time and effort and improves efficiency.
[0004] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution of the utility model is as follows:
[0005] An agarose gel device convenient for sample loading, comprising a plurality of glue boxes with open tops and samplers. Conductive holes are formed at both ends of each glue box. A support film is fixedly arranged in the glue box. A sample loading hole is formed between the support film and the inner wall of the glue box. The conductive holes are arranged corresponding to the sample loading holes. Glue strips are arranged in the glue box and outside the sample loading holes. A plastic sealing film is arranged above the glue box. The plastic sealing film is attached to the glue strips and the sample loading holes. A negative pressure space is formed in the sample loading hole. Glue stickers are arranged at both ends of the glue strip, and the glue stickers cover the corresponding conductive holes. The glue box, the plastic sealing film and the glue stickers wrap the whole glue strip. The glue strip and the sample loading hole are directly formed in the glue box to realize the prefabrication of the agarose gel. The formation of the negative pressure space in the sample loading hole is convenient for subsequent sample loading work.
[0006] Preferably, each sampler comprises a sample loading cover and a sample loading tube for loading samples into the agarose gel. The sample loading tube penetrates through the sample loading cover, and both ends of the sample loading tube are inserted into the sample loading hole and the PCR tube respectively, and the sample loading is directly completed by using the negative pressure space.
[0007] Preferably, the support film is made of a water-soluble material. After the sample loading is completed, the support film is hydrolyzed under the action of the reaction solution, and then electrophoresis can be carried out.
[0008] Preferably, the supporting film is a film made of PVA material.
[0009] Preferably, the sample loading covers of the plurality of sample loaders are fixedly connected by a connecting strip, and a corresponding number of connected sample loaders are selected according to the agarose gel to be loaded as required.
[0010] Preferably, the plurality of gel boxes are fixedly connected by a connecting strip, and a corresponding number of connected agarose gels are selected according to the number of agarose gels required for electrophoresis.
[0011] Preferably, the sample adding cover matches the tube opening of the PCR tube to ensure that the sample adding tube is fixed in position when inserted into the PCR tube.
[0012] Through the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the utility model are:
[0013] 1. The utility model can be directly used for agarose gel electrophoresis by prefabricating agarose gel, without the need for experimenters to spend time preparing gel and avoiding contact with toxic and harmful nucleic acid fuel.
[0014] 2. The utility model prefabricates agarose gel, and compared with the existing laboratory fixed mold preparation, it effectively saves agarose and nucleic acid dyes, reduces consumption, and reduces the emission of harmful and toxic substances.
[0015] 3. The utility model designs a special sample injector to replace the pipette for sample addition operation. According to the number of samples required to be added at a time, a corresponding number of sample injectors connected together can be selected to make the sample tubes correspond to the PCR tubes, and the reaction liquid can be directly sucked into the sample hole through the negative pressure space in the sample hole to complete the sample addition.
[0016] 4. The utility model uses a support film fixed in the glue box to directly form a sample loading hole in the preparation process of agarose gel, and as the glue strip (agarose gel) is cooled and formed, the gas in the sample loading hole expands and contracts due to heat and cold to form a negative pressure space, which is convenient for subsequent sample loading work.
[0017] 5. The support membrane of the utility model is made of a water-soluble material with a certain strength, such as PVA, etc. After assisting in forming the sample addition hole and ensuring the formation of a negative pressure space in the sample addition hole, hydrolysis when the sample addition work is completed does not affect the smooth progress of the electrophoresis experiment.
[0018] 6. The utility model covers the adhesive strips with the adhesive box, the plastic sealing film and the adhesive stickers. When conducting the experiment, the adhesive stickers can be peeled off, which effectively prevents the experimenters from contacting the toxic adhesive strips and ensures the safety of the experiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Figure 1Structural schematic of the agarose gel of the present utility model Figure 1 。
[0020] Figure 2 Structural schematic of the agarose gel of the present utility model Figure 2 。
[0021] Figure 3 Structural schematic diagram of the sampler of the present utility model.
[0022] The reference numerals in the drawings are: 1 is a gel box, 2 is a gel strip, 3 is a plastic sealing film, 4 is a support film, 6 is a sampling tube, 7 is a sampling hole, 8 is a gel sticker, and 9 is a sampling cover. Specific implementation mode
[0023] The present utility model will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and specific implementation modes:
[0024] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, this embodiment provides an agarose gel device convenient for sampling, including a plurality of gel boxes 1 with open tops and a sampler. Conductive holes are provided at both ends of each gel box 1. On the one hand, when preparing the precast agarose gel, the conductive holes are used to connect the glue filling tube to realize the preparation of the gel strip 2 by filling glue. On the other hand, during the electrophoresis experiment, the conductive holes are used to conduct electricity to the gel strip 2. A support film 4 is fixedly arranged in the gel box 1. The support film 4 is adhesively connected and fixedly arranged in the gel box 1. A sampling hole 7 is formed between the support film 4 and the inner wall of the gel box 1. The support film 4 is a film made of a water-soluble material. The support film 4 is a film made of PVA material. During the subsequent sampling work, the reaction solution hydrolyzes the support film 4, thereby not affecting the conductivity of the gel strip 2. The conductive holes cover the sampling holes 7. A gel strip 2 is arranged in the gel box 1 and outside the sampling holes 7. The gel strip 2 is the precast agarose gel, and the gel strip 2 is stored in the gel box 1 for use after being prepared in the gel box 1. The gel box 1 does not affect the progress of the electrophoresis experiment.
[0025] A plastic sealing film 3 is arranged above the gel box 1. The plastic sealing film 3 is attached to the gel strip 2 and the sampling hole 7. A negative pressure space is formed in the sampling hole 7. When filling glue in the gel box 1 to prepare the gel strip 2, under the action of the support film 4, the filled glue does not reach the position of the sampling hole 7, ensuring the formation of the sampling hole 7. At the same time, the inside of the sampling hole 7 is heated. When the glue filling is completed, a plastic sealing film 3 is covered on the gel strip 2. The plastic sealing film 3 seals the sampling hole 7. Under the action of the thermal expansion and contraction of the gas, as the gel strip 2 gradually cools and forms, a negative pressure space is formed in the sampling hole 7. Glue stickers 8 are arranged at both ends of the gel strip 2. The glue stickers 8 cover the corresponding conductive holes. When conducting electricity to the gel strip 2, just remove the glue stickers 8. The gel box 1, the plastic sealing film 3, and the glue stickers 8 wrap the entire gel strip 2, thereby effectively preventing the experimenter from contacting the toxic gel strip 2 and ensuring safety.
[0026] Each of the sample adders includes a sample loading cover 9 and a sample loading tube 6, which are used for loading the agarose gel. The sample loading tube 6 passes through the sample loading cover 9, and the sample loading cover 9 matches the tube opening of the PCR tube. When loading, one end of the sample loading tube 6 is longer and inserted into the bottom of the PCR tube, and the sample loading cover 9 is matched and set at the tube opening of the PCR tube. Then, the agarose gel is inverted, and the other end of the sample loading tube 6 passes through the plastic film 3 and extends into the sample loading hole 7. Under the action of the negative pressure in the sample loading hole 7, the reaction liquid in the PCR tube is sucked into the sample loading hole 7 through the sample loading tube 6 to complete the loading.
[0027] The sample loading caps 9 of the multiple sample loaders are fixedly connected by connecting strips, which are not shown in the figure. When loading samples, a corresponding number of sample loaders are selected according to the number of agarose gels to be loaded. Since the sample loaders are fixedly connected by connecting strips, and the spacing between the sample loading caps 9 is the same as the spacing between adjacent PCR tubes on the PCR tube strip, multiple agarose gels can be loaded at the same time.
[0028] The multiple gel boxes 1 are fixedly connected by connecting strips (not shown in the figure). When adding samples, a corresponding number of agarose gels are selected according to the number of samples to be added. Since two adjacent agarose gels are fixedly connected by connecting strips, and the spacing between the sample addition holes 7 of two adjacent agarose gels is the same as the spacing between adjacent PCR tubes on the PCR tube strip, multiple agarose gels can be added at the same time.
[0029] The connecting strip is made of PP or COC material in a strip structure, ensuring that it can be directly torn apart manually when needed.
[0030] The agarose gel of the utility model is prefabricated, and its preparation process is as follows: a glue filling tube is connected to the conductive hole positions at both ends of the glue box 1, and glue is filled into the glue box 1. When filling the glue, due to the obstruction of the support film 4, the poured glue cannot reach the sample loading hole 7 area, but the hot glue heats the sample loading hole 7 area. After the glue filling is completed, a layer of plastic sealing film 3 is covered on the uncooled and formed glue strip 2, and the plastic sealing film 3 seals the sample loading hole 7. Under the action of thermal expansion and contraction of gas, as the glue strip 2 gradually cools and forms, a negative pressure space is formed in the sample loading hole 7. After the glue strip 2 is cooled and formed, a glue sticker 8 is attached to the end of the glue strip 2 at the conductive hole position to prevent the staff from directly contacting the toxic glue strip 2, and the prefabrication of the agarose gel is completed.
[0031] It should be noted that, when preparing agarose gel, usually multiple agarose gels are prepared simultaneously, and different gel boxes 1 are connected by connecting strips. When using, the connecting strips at the corresponding positions can be torn off according to the required amount of agarose gel.
[0032] The sample loading process is as follows: Select the corresponding number of agarose gels, pipettes, and strip of PCR tubes with the corresponding number of PCR tubes according to the number of agarose gels required for the experiment. The distances between the sample loading holes 7 of adjacent agarose gels, the distances between the sample loading tubes 6 of adjacent pipettes, and the distances between the openings of adjacent PCR tubes are the same. Insert the longer end of the sample loading tube 6 of the pipette into the PCR tube. Subsequently, invert the corresponding number of gel cassettes 1 so that the positions of the sample loading holes 7 of the agarose gels correspond to the other ends of the sample loading tubes 6 of multiple pipettes and insert the sample loading tubes 6 into the sample loading holes 7, piercing the sealing film 3 and entering the corresponding sample loading holes 7. Due to the negative pressure in the sample loading holes 7, the reaction solution in the PCR tube is sucked into the corresponding sample loading holes 7 through the sample loading tubes 6. Under the action of the reaction solution, the support film 4 made of water-soluble material is hydrolyzed, without affecting the electrification of the gel strip 2.
[0033] After the sample loading work is completed, directly place the agarose gel including the gel cassette 1 into the electrophoresis tank and power on to conduct the electrophoresis experiment.
[0034] The above-described embodiments are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the structure, features, and principles described in the scope of the present invention patent shall be included in the scope of the patent application of the present invention.
Claims
1. An agarose gel device facilitating sample addition, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of upper-opening glue boxes (1) and pipettors. Each of the glue boxes (1) is provided with conductive holes at both ends. A support film (4) is fixedly arranged inside the glue box (1). A sample loading hole (7) is formed between the support film (4) and the inner wall of the glue box (1). The conductive holes are arranged corresponding to the sample loading hole (7). A glue strip (2) is arranged inside the glue box (1) and outside the sample loading hole (7). A plastic sealing film (3) is arranged above the glue box (1). The plastic sealing film (3) is attached to the glue strip (2) and the sample loading hole (7). A negative pressure space is formed inside the sample loading hole (7). Glue stickers (8) are arranged at both ends of the glue strip (2). The glue stickers (8) cover the corresponding conductive holes. The glue box (1), the plastic sealing film (3), and the glue stickers (8) wrap the entire glue strip (2).
2. The agarose gel device convenient for sample addition according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the pipettors includes a sample loading cap (9) and a sample loading tube (6) for loading agarose gel. The sample loading tube (6) penetrates through the sample loading cap (9).
3. The agarose gel device convenient for sample addition according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support film (4) is a film made of water-soluble material.
4. The agarose gel device convenient for sample addition according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support film (4) is a film made of PVA material.
5. The agarose gel device facilitating sample addition according to claim 1, wherein, The sample loading caps (9) of multiple pipettors are fixedly connected through a connecting strip.
6. The agarose gel device convenient for sample addition according to claim 2, wherein Multiple glue boxes (1) are fixedly connected through a connecting strip.
7. The agarose gel device convenient for sample addition according to claim 2, wherein The sample loading cap (9) matches the mouth of the PCR tube.