Patent ID: 8329016

Claim:
A two-dimensional (2-D) microchannel separation device, comprising: an isoelectric focusing (IEF) stage in electrical and fluid communication with an orthogonal polyacrylamide electrophoretic gel (PAGE) separation stage, wherein the IEF stage comprises a central microchannel having a first end and a second end, the microchannel including one or more interior surfaces with an acrylate-terminated coating covalently bonded thereto, and an immobilized pH gradient polymer gel covalently bonded to the acrylate-terminated coating, and wherein the polymer gel only partially fills the central microchannel, the unfilled microchannel space having a generally uniform cross-sectional area between the first and second ends; electrode disposed at each of a first and a second end of the IEF stage and at each of a first and a second end of the PAGE stage; a power supply in electrical communication with each of the electrodes; and switching means for applying an electric potential between any two of the electrodes.