Patent ID: 8262884

Claim:
An electrophoresis method for separating objects in a fluid contained in a separation channel, the method comprising: applying an electric field along the separation channel, the electric field having a field profile whereby the magnitude of the electric field varies spatially along at least a portion of the separation channel, and thereby causing at least some of the objects to move relative to the fluid; varying the applied electric field so as to adjust the field profile relative to the separation channel, thereby causing the objects to separate into bands according to the objects electrical and hydrodynamic properties under the combined influences of an electric force due to the electric field and a hydrodynamic force due to the fluid, each band comprising objects with like electrical and hydrodynamic properties; wherein the electric field profile is shaped such that the net force experienced by each object, resulting from the combination of the electric force exerted by the field and the hydrodynamic force exerted by the fluid, is such that the width of each separated band remains substantially constant with time; and wherein the fluid and the separation channel are substantially stationary with respect to one another.