Patent ID: 8070956

Claim:
A method of using electrokinetics for separating charged and uncharged particles in a buffer solution, the method comprising: a. providing a chromatographic column, wherein said column comprises a channel having a continuously varying geometry along an x-axis, wherein said continuously varying geometry is disposed to provide a continuous distribution of velocities along a y-axis of said channel of a moving buffer solution, wherein said moving buffer solution moves in a continuous x-direction, wherein curved channel walls provide longer path lengths along said channel walls than path lengths along a center of said channel; b. providing at least one main inlet and at least one main outlet, wherein said buffer solution is input to said main inlet and output from said main outlet; c. applying an electric field to said solution in said column, wherein said electric field moves said buffer solution along said curved channel walls by electroosmosis, wherein a charged double layer is disposed at channel-buffer solution interface, wherein said charged double layer is disposed to drag said buffer solution along said curved channel walls in said continuous x-direction from said inlet to said outlet; and d. providing at least one sample inlet and at least one sample outlet, wherein said sample comprises charged and uncharged particles having varying sizes, wherein said uncharged particles are impervious to said electric field, wherein said curved channel walls are disposed to provide non-uniform flow of said buffer solution that moves in said continuous x-direction, wherein said non-uniform flow of said buffer solution moves said charged particles and said uncharged particles at different velocities along said curved channel walls in said continuous x-direction according to their charge and size along said column and said particles are eluted from said sample outlet according to size and charge.