Helena Laboratories Corporation

David G Mayes

Tipton L Golias

Eric H Petersen

James R Sanford

A container for protecting and enclosing an electrophoretic support medium is disclosed. The container includes a top portion and a bottom portion, which when closed sealingly engage one another to form a substantially air-tight cavity therein. The bottom portion has a recess formed therein for accommodating the support medium and at least a portion of the recess has a substantially smooth planar surface. The bottom recess is defined by a protruding continuous rim which has a plurality of nubs protruding into said recess and engagable with the base sheet of the support medium, whereby the support medium is retained within the recess.

Container for an electrophoretic support medium

A container for protecting and enclosing an electrophoretic support medium is disclosed. The container includes a first portion and a second portion slidingly engageable with one another, whereby when closed they sealingly engage one another to form a substantially air-tight cavity therein. The first portion has a first recess defined by a protruding rim for accommodating a portion of the support medium therein. The second portion has a second recess defined by a protruding rim for accommodating the remainder of the support medium therein. The protruding rims are spaced apart from the bottoms of each portion and engagable with the base sheet of the support medium, whereby the support medium is retained within the recesses between the rims and the bottoms. The bottoms each have a substantially smooth planar surface to facilitate secure retention of the support medium.

A container for protecting and enclosing an electrophoretic support medium. The container includes a top portion and a bottom portion, which when closed sealingly engage one another. The bottom portion has a recess formed therein for accommodating the support medium and at least a portion of the recess has a substantially smooth planar surface. A liquid disposed between and in contact with the planar surface of the bottom portion and the support medium provides sufficient contact adhesion to securely retain the support medium within the recess.

An apparatus for applying an organic liquid sample such as blood or the like onto an absorbent sample support. The method performed by the apparatus includes the steps of filling a reservoir with a relatively massive sample, superimposing over the reservoir a sample carrier wettable by the sample and to which the sample adheres by surface tension, then immersing the sample carrier into the sample, withdrawing the sample carrier from the reservoir with the sample adhered to the carrier by surface tension, and, contacting the sample carrier with the sample support to break surface tension between the sample and the sample carrier and to deposit the sample onto the sample support. The apparatus includes a reservoir for receiving a relatively massive sample, a first guide path aligned with the reservoir, and a sample carrier displaceable along said first guide path toward and away from the reservoir with the sample carrier being immersible in the sample. The sample carrier is displaced along the first path to removably immerse the carrier into the sample with the sample adhering to the sample carrier by surface tension. The apparatus also includes a base having a second guide path aligned therewith and the sample carrier is displaced along the second guide path to removably contact the sample carrier with a sample support to break the surface tension between the sample and the sample carrier to deposit the sample on the sample support.

Apparatus for applying an organic liquid sample

A method for applying an organic liquid sample such as blood or the like onto an absorbent sample support. The method includes the steps of filling a reservoir with a relatively massive sample, superimposing over the reservoir a sample carrier wettable by the sample and to which the sample adheres by surface tension, then immersing the sample carrier into the sample, withdrawing the sample carrier from the reservoir with the sample adhered to the carrier by surface tension, and, contacting the sample carrier with the sample support to break surface tension between the sample and the sample carrier and to deposit the sample onto the sample support. An apparatus utilizing the method includes a reservoir for receiving a relatively massive sample, a first guide path aligned with the reservoir, and a sample carrier displaceable along said first guide path toward and away from the reservoir with the sample carrier being immersible in the sample. The sample carrier is displaced along the first path to removably immerse the carrier into the sample with the sample adhering to the sample carrier by surface tension. The apparatus also includes a base having a second guide path aligned therewith and the sample carrier is displaced along the second guide path to removably contact the sample carrier with a sample support to break the surface tension between the sample and the sample carrier to deposit the sample on the sample support.

Method for applying an organic liquid sample

A method and apparatus for applying an organic liquid sample such as blood or the like onto an absorbent sample support. The method includes the steps of filling a reservoir with a relatively massive sample, superimposing over the reservoir a sample carrier wettable by the sample and to which the sample adheres by surface tension, then immersing the sample carrier into the sample, withdrawing the sample carrier from the reservoir with the sample adhered to the carrier by surface tension, and, contacting the sample carrier with the sample support to break surface tension between the sample and the sample carrier and to deposit the sample onto the sample support. The apparatus includes a reservoir for receiving a relatively massive sample, a first guide path aligned with the reservoir, and a sample carrier displaceable along said first guide path toward and away from the reservoir with the sample carrier being immersible in the sample. The sample carrier is displaced along the first path to removably immerse the carrier into the sample with the sample adhering to the sample carrier by surface tension. The apparatus also includes a base having a second guide path aligned therewith and the sample carrier is displaced along the second guide path to removably contact the sample carrier with a sample support to break the surface tension between the sample and the sample carrier to deposit the sample on the sample support.

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Beaumont, TX, United States of America

David G Mayes