Patent ID: 7041509

Claim:
A method for separating a subject material from a fluidic sample, comprising: providing a microfluidic device having at least one reaction channel and at least one separation channel, said reaction channel having a first and a second incubation zone, and further the device having a transverse channel having a first end and a second end whereby the transverse channel intersects the reaction channel at the first end and the separation channel at the second end; flowing a low ionic strength buffer in the reaction channel and a high ionic strength buffer in the separation channel; introducing at least a first test compound into the reaction channel; introducing a first component of a biochemical system into the reaction channel whereby the at least first test compound and the first component of the biochemical system flow through the first incubation zone of the reaction channel to form a reaction mixture; introducing a second component of the biochemical system into said reaction channel whereby the second component and the first reaction mixture flow through the second incubation zone to form a second reaction mixture; transporting the second reaction mixture through the transverse channel into the separation channel; and separating the subject material from said second reaction mixture within the separation channel on the basis of differential flow rates or using size exclusion matrices.