Patent ID: 7588671

Claim:
A microchip electrophoretic apparatus for separating a double-stranded nucleic acid, the microchip electrophoretic apparatus comprising: a first reservoir filled with a first buffer solution; a first electrode connected to the first reservoir and being operable to provide power from a first power source; a first liquid-introducing microchannel connected to the first reservoir; a second reservoir filled with a second buffer solution; a second electrode connected to the second reservoir and being operable to provide power from a second power source; a second liquid-introducing microchannel connected to the second reservoir; a mixing microchannel to which the first liquid-introducing microchannel and the second liquid-introducing microchannel connect, wherein a denaturing gradient region is formed by introducing the first buffer solution and the second buffer solution from the respective liquid-introducing microchannels at varying ratios and mixing the first buffer solution and the second buffer solution in the mixing microchannel; and a sample-introducing microchannel connected to a sample reservoir, wherein the sample-introducing microchannel is connected to a downstream side of the mixing microchannel, wherein the double-stranded nucleic acid is introduced into the mixing microchannel from the sample reservoir through the sample-introducing channel; wherein the first buffer solution and the second buffer solution contain the denaturant at different concentrations, wherein the double-stranded nucleic acid is electrophoresed in the denaturing gradient region.