Patents by Inventor Michael Whitesides

Michael Whitesides has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4292161
    Abstract: A vertical gel electrophoresis apparatus includes a U-shaped structure consisting of a container for upper buffer solution and extending parallel plate sample units which form the legs of the U. In the casting mode the U-shaped structure is inverted with the tank resting on the ground surface and with the bottom ends of the sample units being sealed against the sealing strip on the top of the container. After the sample units are filled to the top and the gel polymerized (with the use of a comblike well forming structure if needed) the sample units are flipped and reinserted. However because of the offset of the plates of the sample units in the lateral direction the formerly sealed end of the sample plates is now exposed to a slot or aperture which extends into the upper buffer solution container. The entire U-shaped structure rests in a tank of lower buffer solution on a slab type heat exchanger where cooling can occur on both sides of the sample units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1981
    Assignee: Hoefer Scientific Instruments
    Inventors: Peter S. Hoefer, Michael Whitesides
  • Patent number: 4290871
    Abstract: A vertical gel electrophoresis apparatus includes a U-shaped structure consisting of a container for upper buffer solution and extending parallel plate sample units which form the legs of the U. In the casting mode the U-shaped structure is inverted with the tank resting on the ground surface and with the bottom ends of the sample units being sealed against the sealing strip on the top of the container. After the sample units are filled to the top and the gel polymerized (with the use of a comblike well forming structure if needed) the sample units are flipped and reinserted. However because of the offset of the plates of the sample units in the lateral direction the formerly sealed end of the sample plates is now exposed to a slot or aperture which extends into the upper buffer solution container. The entire U-shaped structure rests in a tank of lower buffer solution on a slab type heat exchanger where cooling can occur on both sides of the sample units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1981
    Assignee: Hoefer Scientific Instruments
    Inventors: Peter S. Hoefer, Michael Whitesides
  • Patent number: 4224134
    Abstract: A vertical gel electrophoresis apparatus includes a U-shaped structure consisting of a container for upper buffer solution and extending parallel plate sample units which form the legs of the U. In the casting mode the U-shaped structure is inverted with the tank resting on the ground surface and with the bottom ends of the sample units being sealed against the sealing strip on the top of the container. After the sample units are filled to the top and the gel polymerized (with the use of a comblike well forming structure if needed) the sample units are flipped and reinserted. However because of the offset of the plates of the sample units in the lateral direction the formerly sealed end of the sample plates is now exposed to a slot or aperture which extends into the upper buffer solution container. The entire U-shaped structure rests in a tank of lower buffer solution on a slab type heat exchanger where cooling can occur on both sides of the sample units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1980
    Assignee: Hoefer Scientific Instruments
    Inventors: Peter S. Hoefer, Michael Whitesides