Patent ID: 7141152

Claim:
An analyte species separation system configured to separate analyte species of different mobilities, comprising: a separation fluid flow field disposed between confining surfaces; a fluid medium flowing through the fluid flow field in a first direction; an analyte injector in fluid communication with the fluid flow field disposed to inject a fluid flow containing an analyte sample comprising different analyte species into the fluid flow field to enable a fluid flow component in the flow field to flow therein in a direction having a vector component in a second direction transverse to the first direction; a distributed resistor coupled to at least one of the confining surfaces and configured to produce an electric field having a non-linear electric field intensity contour to cause the analyte species to move in the fluid flow field in a direction opposite to the first direction, wherein analyte species of different mobilities are separated spatially along the first direction while moving through the fluid flow field in the second direction; and a collector disposed opposite the analyte injector and in fluid flow communication with the fluid flow field configured to receive at least a portion of the separated analyte species.