Patent ID: 6767443
Filing Date: 2004-07-27
Classification: B01D,G01N

Abstract:
A method for separation and collection of at least one sample component from a mixture of sample components comprising the steps of:a. providing an apparatus comprising a separation chamber and a plurality of purge chambers and purge valve, and establishing a first buffer flow in the separation chamber in the axial direction, said first buffer flow having a first flow rate; b. establishing a second buffer flow in the separation chamber consisting of two flows on either side of the first flow that converge on the first flow at the separation chamber flow entrance and diverge from the first flow at the separation chamber flow exit; c. establishing a third buffer flow in each of at least two purge chambers; d. introducing two precision-pore screens that partition the said separation chamber from each of the at least two said purge chambers; e. establishing a fourth buffer flow by the biasing of the purge valves to control said fourth buffer flow from one of the purge chambers in the axial direction through a precision-pore screen transversely into the separation chamber, then out of the separation chamber through the second precision-pore screen into a second purge chamber, thus providing the required uniform focusing fluid velocity in the separation chamber; f. introducing the mixture of sample components with the said first buffer flow directly into the separation chamber flow entrance or through at least one injection port located in the separation chamber interior; g. controlling the second buffer flow to converge and thin the first buffer flow with the mixture of sample components at the separation chamber entrance and then diverge and extract fractional sample components from the mixture of sample components at the separation chamber exit; and h. applying an electrical potential transversely across the separation chamber in the form of a constant voltage gradient to impart electrophoretic velocity to the fractional sample components in the separation chamber in the transverse direction perpendicular to the first buffer flow direction and parallel to the fourth buffer flow direction.