Patent ID: 7929662

Claim:
An apparatus for screening chemical binding, comprising: a flow separator configured to separate a solution of chemicals and at least one target binder into at least two flow-separated components; an x-ray excitation source configured to expose at least one of said flow-separated components to an x-ray excitation beam to produce an x-ray fluorescence signal therefrom, the x-ray excitation source being configured for exciting atoms of the chemical and of a chemical portion of any bound complex present in any flow-separated component; an x-ray detector configured to detect the x-ray fluorescence signal emitted from a flow-separated component; processing electronics configured to determine from the x-ray fluorescence signal produced from the excited atoms present in the chemical and the chemical portion of any bound complex present in a separated component whether or not any separated component comprises a bound complex; and a pump engaged with said flow separator configured to provide a pressure gradient along said flow separator.