Film transferring clamp with high-hardness structure and capable of fixing sponge

Abstract

Aiming at the problem of unstable film transfer in the prior art, the utility model provides the film transfer clamp which has a high-hardness structure and can fix the sponge, the ceramic plate is used for replacing a traditional plastic plate, so that the film transfer clamp has very high rigidity and thermal conductivity, and the whole clamp plate is ensured not to be distorted; due to the design that the sponge is directly adhered to the ceramic plate, the operation is simplified, and more stable pressure is provided for a transfer film compound; the plastic shell enables the ceramic plate to be buffered and protected, and the color of the plastic shell prevents the film transfer clamp from being reversely placed; large holes and small holes are uniformly formed in the ceramic plate at intervals, so that the electric field intensity is more uniform, and the membrane transfer efficiency is higher; the annular magnet design at the top of the plastic shell provides a stable supporting structure for the ceramic plate; meanwhile, the annular magnet serves as a switch for installing and removing the ceramic plate into and out of the plastic shell, and the left end and the right end of the annular magnet are dispersedly designed, so that the film rotating clamp is easy to open and close.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of gel electrophoresis transfer equipment technology, and in particular to a transfer clamp with a high-rigidity structure that can fix a sponge. Background Technology

[0002] Western blotting is a fundamental technique in biological research. Western blotting requires transferring proteins from the gel to the membrane surface. Currently, wet transfer membrane clamps consist of two square, porous plastic plates of uniform thickness. Gel, membrane, filter paper, sponge, etc. are placed between the two plates to form a "sandwich" transfer structure. After being placed in a uniform electric field, the proteins in the gel will move out of the gel and be adsorbed onto the membrane surface.

[0003] Because the sandwich structure is composed of a mesh of non-metallic materials, and the transfer buffer is filled within it, the higher the pressure, the higher the non-metallic density, the smaller the pore size, and the greater the resistance. If the pressure in the sandwich structure is uneven, adjacent areas of high and low resistance will appear simultaneously within the sandwich structure. The current flows slowly in the high-resistance region and will redirect towards the nearby low-resistance region. The current velocity and direction determine the speed and direction of protein transfer. Therefore, during the transfer process, the clamps and sponge must continuously provide stable pressure to ensure the uniformity of the electric field within the high-resistance sandwich structure.

[0004] However, traditional transfer clamps have significant drawbacks, specifically:

[0005] Traditional transfer clamps use polycarbonate plastic sheets about 3mm thick. However, almost all plastics, including polycarbonate, are highly susceptible to heat deformation, and plastics are also poor conductors of heat. Therefore, with repeated use, users often encounter various problems with traditional transfer clamps. These seemingly occasional problems occur frequently, reflecting the unreliability of traditional transfer clamps. Furthermore, with the advancement of gene technology, the increased workload of protein research, and the increased workload of Western blotting, the traditional transfer method using plastic clamps and ice for 1-2 hours is increasingly being replaced by transfers that can be completed within 10 minutes without cooling. As a result, the shortcomings of plastic clamps in heat conduction and thermal deformation become increasingly apparent. High-temperature environments accelerate the softening of the plastic sheet and sponge, rapidly reducing their support for the sandwich.

[0006] Traditional transfer clamps use separate components for the sponge and clamping plate, which is not only cumbersome to operate but also increases the variability of the transfer process. Firstly, with repeated use, the sponge thins and increases in area, easily exceeding the size of the clamping plate. This causes the transfer clamp to be jammed by the protruding sponge pillars on both sides when placed into the transfer tank, preventing insertion. However, this step requires preventing excessive loss of buffer solution from the sandwich. Therefore, users often forcefully resist the resistance, but the plastic plate itself is not very rigid, and under greater force, more buffer solution is easily squeezed out. Furthermore, the sponge becomes thinner with each use, resulting in inconsistent elasticity and affecting the stability of the experiment.

[0007] Traditional transfer clamps have two plastic plates, one transparent and one black. However, since most absorbent sponges are also black, the transparent plastic plate will also appear black. In this case, the positive and negative electrodes can easily be confused and reversed, causing the protein to move in the opposite direction of the membrane, thus causing transfer failure.

[0008] The conductive holes on the plastic plate of a traditional transfer clamp are about 9mm in diameter. In order to maintain the rigidity of the plastic plate, a relatively wide spacing must be maintained between the holes. This creates a large non-conductive area between four adjacent holes, which reduces the uniformity of the electric field. Especially when the elasticity of the supporting sponge decreases, the distance between the non-conductive area and the film decreases, and this non-uniformity of the transfer is amplified.

[0009] Traditional transfer clamps with plastic clips cannot apply uniform pressure to the top of the plastic sheet. When closing and opening the clamp, two actions are required: pushing and rotating. When the sponge is highly elastic, the operating resistance is large, and the plastic sheet needs to be pressed down to deform in order to counteract the pushing and rotating actions. This operation not only increases the stress of the internal sandwich, but also makes the entire sheet tight at the top and loose at the bottom. This uneven stress will lead to uneven electric field during the transfer process. Summary of the Invention

[0010] In view of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a transfer clamp with a high-hardness structure that can fix the sponge.

[0011] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0012] A high-rigidity sponge clamping structure includes a clamping plate composed of two porous plates, some or all of which are ceramic plates. One side of the upper and lower surfaces of the ceramic plates has a porous elastomer bonded thereto by van der Waals forces, and the other side of the ceramic plates has a structure formed of plastic or silicone material in contact with it. The ceramic plates have multiple holes penetrating the upper and lower surfaces.

[0013] Preferably, the ceramic plate is an alumina ceramic plate with a purity of 90% or higher.

[0014] Preferably, the thickness of the ceramic plate is 1-2 mm.

[0015] Preferably, the ceramic plate has multiple holes penetrating the upper and lower surfaces, and these holes include at least two sizes of holes, with the diameter of the large holes being 8-10 mm and the diameter of the small holes being 1-4 mm, and the large holes and small holes are evenly spaced apart from each other.

[0016] Preferably, a sponge is attached to the upper surface of the ceramic plate.

[0017] Preferably, the bottom surface and sides of the ceramic plate are surrounded by a plastic shell.

[0018] Preferably, the plastic shell surrounding the first ceramic plate is red, and the plastic shell surrounding the second ceramic plate is black.

[0019] Preferably, the plastic shell surrounding the ceramic plate has magnets at the top left and right ends that can be fixed.

[0020] Preferably, the four corners of the plastic shell have rounded corners with a radius greater than 2mm.

[0021] Preferably, a recessed structure exists on the side of one end where the magnets are distributed, and the depth of the recess extends 3-6 mm into the surface.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has significant progress:

[0023] The ceramic plate provides the transfer clamp with very high rigidity and thermal conductivity, ensuring that the entire clamp does not twist. The design of the sponge directly adhering to the ceramic plate simplifies operation and provides more stable pressure for the transfer compound. The plastic shell provides cushioning protection for the ceramic plate, and the color of the plastic shell prevents the transfer clamp from being placed backwards. The uniformly spaced arrangement of large and small holes on the ceramic plate makes the electric field intensity more uniform and the transfer efficiency higher. The design of two ring magnets on the top left and right sides of the plastic shell provides a stable support structure for the ceramic plate. At the same time, the ring magnets also serve as switches for loading and unloading the ceramic plate from the plastic shell, and the dispersed design at both ends of the ring magnets makes opening and closing the transfer clamp simple. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the transfer clamp structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the ceramic plate and sponge not yet inserted into the plastic shell.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the transfer clamp structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the ceramic plate and sponge inserted into the plastic shell.

[0026] 1. Ceramic plate; 2. Sponge; 3. Smaller conductive hole; 4. Larger conductive hole; 5. Red plastic shell; 5.1. Black plastic shell; 6. Ring magnet mounting groove; 7. Recessed structure at the top of the clamp; 8. Rotating shaft; 9. Plastic hinge; 10. Gap formed between the plastic hinge and the shell; 11. Ring waterproof magnet; 12. Plastic screw. Specific Implementation

[0027] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] "Transfer sandwich structure" is a technical term referring to the classic transfer membrane operation method where a sponge, filter paper, gel, membrane, filter paper, and sponge are stacked sequentially from the negative electrode to the positive electrode within the transfer clamp. "Red" refers to the color of materials that reflect light waves of 620-760 nanometers under white light. "Black" here includes light black, referring to the color of materials with a reflectivity of less than 30% to white light. "Plastic" refers to a malleable polymer compound. "Silicone" is a rubber with a main chain composed of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms, with two organic groups attached to the silicon atoms.

[0031] Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 2 The image shows an embodiment of the film transfer clamp provided by the present invention.

[0033] During the transfer process, the sandwich transfer complex is a high-resistivity region, while the transfer buffer is low-resistivity. The resistance increases when the sandwich structure is tightly compressed and decreases when it is loosely compressed. If uneven resistance occurs within the sandwich structure, the magnitude and direction of the current will be inconsistent, leading to inconsistent protein migration speed and direction. Therefore, it is essential to ensure a stable pressure on the sandwich during transfer to prevent uneven resistance within the complex.

[0034] In this embodiment, a 1mm thick alumina ceramic plate with 90% purity is used to improve the rigidity of the transfer clamp. The alumina ceramic plate has a Mohs hardness of approximately 9, second only to superhard materials such as diamond and boron nitride, and is also wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant. Therefore, the alumina ceramic plate can provide sufficient rigidity for the transfer process. In addition, the thermal conductivity of the high-purity alumina ceramic plate is 20-30 W / (m•K), which can effectively conduct excessive heat. In cases where there are differences in Joule heating in different areas of the sandwich, temperature uniformity is achieved through heat conduction, avoiding uneven pressure caused by thermal expansion and contraction.

[0035] Ceramic plates, acting as insulators, differ from the conductive materials used in semi-dry transfer. Conductive materials, when used as transfer plates, form electrolytic bubbles on their surface, causing resistance to continuously increase. Therefore, semi-dry transfer requires calculating the current value based on the film size and then performing constant-current transfer, which is quite cumbersome. However, using ceramic plates as transfer plates eliminates the formation of bubbles, allowing for transfer of films of any size using the same constant voltage.

[0036] Although alumina ceramic plates have high hardness, they are prone to internal stress, especially when directly impacted by hard materials such as glass, metal, and ceramic tiles, making them easily shattered. Therefore, adding a plastic shell (5,5.1) around the ceramic plate can buffer impact forces from all directions, effectively protecting it. Because the sandwich structure dictates the direction of the transfer, and alumina ceramic is white, the anode and cathode are not easily distinguishable, making it easy to place the sandwich incorrectly. However, if one of the outer plastic protective shells is designed as red (5) and the other as black (5.1), these colors can correspond to the anode and cathode colors of the transfer groove, effectively preventing incorrect sandwich placement. Furthermore, the four corners of the plastic shell are designed with large radii, improving not only the feel, aesthetics, and durability, but also making it easier to insert the transfer clip into the transfer groove.

[0037] In traditional transfer clamps, the sponge 2 is separate from the clamping plate. This structure increases operational complexity because it requires constant alignment of the sandwich and the clamping plate. Furthermore, during use, the sponge 2 becomes thinner and larger. Thinning weakens its support for the sandwich structure, while increasing its area causes it to protrude beyond the clamping plate, making insertion into the transfer groove difficult. This invention allows the sponge 2 to bond directly to the ceramic plate surface. This fixes the sponge's area, preventing it from increasing in size. A fixed area also prevents thinning, achieving four benefits: 1. Simplified operation; 2. Maintaining sponge elasticity; 3. Preventing the sponge from protruding beyond the clamping plate and interfering with insertion into the transfer groove; 4. Buffering and protecting the front of the ceramic plate, preventing damage from impacts.

[0038] Holes need to be made on the surface of the ceramic plate to allow current to pass through. To ensure the impact resistance of the ceramic plate, circular holes (4) represent the structure with the most uniform curvature for the same area. Locally, the impact resistance of the ceramic plate depends on the distance between the hole edges; that is, the smaller the distance, the easier it is for breakage to occur at the joint. Given that the hole edge distance of hole 4 is determined first, and assuming the hole radius is r and the hole edge distance is a, the conductivity per unit area is determined by πr. 2 / (2r+a) 2 The decision is that this is a monotonic function; the larger the r is, the better the conductivity. However, the larger the hole 4 is, the larger the area between the four holes will be, which will affect the uniformity of the electric field. This invention opens small holes 3 between the four holes 4, which will further increase the conductivity and the uniformity of the electric field. At the same time, the ratio of the edge distance of the small hole 3 to the edge distance of the large hole 4 is close to 1, so it will not significantly weaken the impact resistance of the pure large-hole ceramic plate.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, after the sponge ceramic plate is inserted into the plastic shell 5, 5.1, the lower edge of the ceramic plate will be stuck in the gap 10 between the hinge and the plastic shell. After the ceramic plate and the plastic shell are attached, a ring-shaped neodymium magnet 11 is inserted into the circular magnet placement area 6, and a plastic screw 12 is used to reinforce the center of the magnet. At this time, the ceramic plate 1 and the sponge 2 will be stuck by the edge of the ring magnet 11, and the ring magnet 11 also becomes a switching element for inserting and removing the ceramic plate 1.

[0040] A hinge structure 9 is designed on the plastic shell as a connecting element. After the plastic shell is closed by the hinge 9, the hinge structure 9 can ensure the bottom distance of the two clamps. After the two sets of ring magnets 11 attract each other, the distance between the two clamps at the top is guaranteed. When the top and bottom distances of the plastic shell are determined, the ceramic plates inside the plastic shell form a parallel support structure with very high stability. The recessed structure 7 at the top of the plastic shell increases the friction force for opening the clamps. At the same time, since the ring magnets 11 are distributed at both ends, these two magnets can be opened one by one, and the whole operation is relatively effortless. If a long, solid magnet were designed, even if the total magnetic force of the magnet is the same as the total magnetic force of the two ring magnets, it would be much more difficult to open such a solid magnet.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transfer clamp with a high-hardness structure that can fix a sponge, comprising a clamping plate composed of two porous plates, wherein part or all of the clamping plate is a ceramic plate, one side of the upper and lower surfaces of the ceramic plate has a porous elastomer bonded thereto by van der Waals forces, and the other side of the ceramic plate has a structure formed of plastic or silicone material in contact with it, characterized in that: The clamping plate is partly or entirely made of ceramic plate, and the ceramic plate has multiple holes penetrating the upper and lower surfaces.

2. The transfer clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the ceramic plate is between 0.5 mm and 4 mm.

3. The transfer clamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The ceramic plate has multiple holes penetrating the upper and lower surfaces, and these holes include at least two sizes of holes, with the ratio of the hole diameters of the larger and smaller holes being greater than 1.

5.

4. The transfer clamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The upper surface of the ceramic plate has a porous elastomer bonded to it by van der Waals forces.

5. The transfer clamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A structure made of plastic or silicone is in contact with the lower surface of the ceramic plate.

6. The transfer clamp according to claim 5, characterized in that: The plastic or silicone that comes into contact with the underside of the ceramic plate is red or black.

7. The transfer clamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The clamp has a magnetic material fixed inside the clamp or on the surface of the clamp.

8. The transfer clamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The clamping plate has rounded corners at its four apex, with a radius greater than 2mm.

Images