Electrophoretic system and method for multidimensional analysis

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent: 1.
An apparatus for conducting electrophoretic analysis, the apparatus comprising means for supporting an electrophoresis gel slab, the gel slab including a separation path comprising a first gel and defined by the space between a pair of parallel gel plates and a pair of barrier webs, the gel slab further including a second gel positioned in the space between the gel plates and adjacent at least one barrier web, the apparatus further comprising means forming a first pair of tanks for carrying an electrolytic solution and electrode means communicating with the electrolytic solution in each tank, means accessing the solution of each tank to opposite ends of the separation path, means for accessing the barrier webs for aspiration of the barrier webs from the gel slab after electrophoretic separation of a specimen in the separation path, the accessing means including means for permitting the infusion of an equilibrating medium into the spaces between the gel plates previously occupied by the barrier webs, the apparatus further including a second pair of tanks for carrying an electrolytic solution and electrode means communicating with the solution in each of the tanks of the second pair, means for accessing the solution of each tank of the second pair with the second gel, the specimen particles separated in the separation path being further separated by particle size in the second gel when an electrical potential is applied between the solutions in each of the tanks of the second pair, whereby two dimensional electrophoretic analysis is obtained without the necessity of manipulating the gel of the separation path.
2.
An apparatus for conducting electrophoretic analysis constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for supporting the gel slab includes a generally flat planar platen and a pair of parallel side walls, the means for accessing the barrier webs including means forming slots in the side wall in registry with the barrier webs whereby a syringe may be placed within the slots for aspirating the barrier webs