Abstract: A device for testing body fluids is disclosed, the device comprising an electrode body having an enclosed flow chamber extending longitudinally therethrough. A valve assembly is in liquid communication with the flow chamber and also detachably mounts a syringe thereon. The valve assembly provides liquid communication between a syringe mounted thereon and the flow chamber. A plurality of electrode cells is detachably mounted to the electrode body and is in liquid communication with the flow chamber. The plurality of electrode cells measures electrical resistivity, rH.sub.2, and pH. A circuit electrically connects the plurality of electrodes to an interface providing data output and command input.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for electrochemically modifying the retention of a species on a chromatography material is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a housing having an effluent flow channel adapted to permit fluid flow therethrough. The effluent flow channel comprises chromatography material. The apparatus further comprises first and second electrodes positioned such that at least a portion of the chromatography material is disposed between the first and second electrodes, and fluid flow through the apparatus is between, and in contact with, the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed for moving charged molecules through a medium by the application of a plurality of electrical fields of sufficient strength and applied for sufficient amounts of time so as to move the charged molecules through the medium. The devices although preferably small in size, preferably generate large numbers (100 or more) of electrical fields to a movement area which preferably contains a liquid buffered or gel medium. Mixtures of charged molecules are pulled through the gel by the force of the electrical fields. The fields are preferably activated simultaneously or sequentially one after another at various speeds to create complex force field distributions or moving field waves along the separation medium. Charged molecules capable of moving quickly through the gel will be moved along by the faster moving field waves and be separated from slower moving molecules.

Abstract: A base plate is made of an insulating material, and comprised of a flat surface and a connector part connected therewith. A plurality of wells are vertically and transversely arranged on the surface of the base plate at regular intervals respectively, and the respective wells are provided with individual electrode patterns reaching the connector part from bottoms thereof through the surface of the base plate. The connector part is connected to an external high-voltage application part.

Abstract: Chiral surfactants, methods for their synthesis and use, and apparatus designed to facilitate chiral separations using nucellar capillary electrophoresis is disclosed. A chiral surfactant having the general formula: ##STR1## is described, R1 is the hydrophobic tail, Y-A-X is the linker, the brackets define a chiral center, and the hydrophilic head group is Z. All the various components may potentiate the enantioselectivity of the chiral surfactant. The capillary electrophoresis (CE) system includes a narrow diameter capillary, a high voltage power supply, an electrolyte reservoir at each end of the capillary, a means for injecting a sample, and a detector. Chiral surfactants are dissolved in the electrolyte above their critical micelle concentration (cmc), resulting in the formation of chiral micelles. The electrolyte reservoirs and capillary tube are filled with the electrolyte.

Abstract: A buffer system for conducting discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis comprises a separation gel buffer solution, an anodic electrode solution and a cathodic electrode solution. According to the invention, the separation gel buffer contains a base having a pK value of 8.8 or higher and an acid which titrates the pH of the gel buffer to a pH value lower than 8, and the cathodic electrode solution contains an ampholyte or weak acid having a pK value of 9.4 or higher.

Abstract: A packaging arrangement is disclosed for protecting an electrophoresis gel from damage during shipment and storage. The package arrangement includes first and second sheets that are sealed about their respective edges to form an enclosed cavity. The cavity is at least partially evacuated of air. An electrophoresis gel is located within the cavity. A support sheet may be disposed between the electrophoresis gel and the package to facilitate removal of the gel and to further stiffen the package. In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of electrophoresis gels are disposed within the cavity. Each gel is preferably separated from adjacent gels by a spacer.

Abstract: Fluid introduction is facilitated through the use of a port which extends entirely through a microfluidic substrate. Capillary forces can be used to retain the fluid within the port, and a series of samples or other fluids may be introduced through a single port by sequentially blowing the fluid out through the substrate and replacing the removed fluid with an alternate fluid, or by displacing the fluid in part with additional fluid. In another aspect, microfluidic substrates have channels which varying in cross-sectional dimension so that capillary action spreads a fluid only within a limited portion of the channel network. In yet another aspect, the introduction ports may include a multiplicity of very small channels leading from the port to a fluid channel, so as to filter out particles or other contaminants which might otherwise block the channel at the junction between the channel and the introduction port.

Abstract: To sequence DNA automatically, DNA marked with far infrared, near infrared, or infrared fluorescent dyes are electrophoresed in a plurality of channels through a gel electrophoresis slab or capillary tubes wherein the DNA samples are resolved in accordance with the size of DNA fragments in the gel electrophoresis slab or capillary tubes into fluorescently marked DNA bands. The separated samples are scanned photoelectrically with a laser diode and a sensor, wherein the laser scans with scanning light at a wavelength within the absorbance spectrum of said fluorescently marked DNA samples and light is sensed at the emission wavelength of the marked DNA.

Abstract: A capillary electrophoresis system (10) comprising: a separation capillary (20) with a first distal tip (30) and a second distal tip (140); a source vessel (50) containing a solution (40); a microreservoir-electrode (59) comprising a wire loop; a power source (60) connected to the microreservoir-electrode by wire (57); a control system (200); a detector (90); and a final destination vessel (160) containing electrolyte (150) and a ground electrode (155).

Abstract: The present invention provides a record sheet used in an electro-coagulation printing method for forming characters and images on a cylinder as an electrode with an ink which coagulates with electric charge and for transferring the characters and images to the record sheet, wherein the wet time is 15 milliseconds or less, obtained from the absorption curve of pure water measured by a dynamic scanning absorptometer. Preferably, the record sheet has 5 ml/m.sup.2 s.sup.-1/2 or more absorption coefficient, and more preferably, has contact ratio measured by a specular reflection smoothness tester under a pressure of 40 kg/cm.sup.2 with a ray having a wavelength of 0.5 .mu.m is 40% or more. The record sheet can be used for various print sheets, in particular, for business form sheets and newspaper sheets.

Abstract: The present invention provides for techniques for transporting materials using electrokinetic forces through the channels of a microfluidic system. The subject materials are transported in regions of high ionic concentration, next to spacer material regions of high ionic concentration, which are separated by spacer material regions of low ionic concentration. Such arrangements allow the materials to remain localized for the transport transit time to avoid mixing of the materials. Using these techniques, an electropipettor which is compatible with the microfluidic system is created so that materials can be easily introduced into the microfluidic system. The present invention also compensates for electrophoretic bias as materials are transported through the channels of the microfluidic system by splitting a channel into portions with positive and negative surface charges and a third electrode between the two portions, or by diffusion of the electrophoresing materials after transport along a channel.

Abstract: The claimed multi-tank gel developing apparatus and method comprises of two inner tanks within one outer tank to develop multiple electrophoresis gels simultaneously. The two inner tanks have openings along the edges of the walls to allow free circulation of solutions between the inner and outer tanks. The solution maybe exchanged by lifting out the inner tanks which retains the gels inside while the solution drains out. Once the solution in the outer tank has been exchanged, the inner tanks can be re-immersed into the outer tank. Furthermore, the inner tanks have detachable bases to facilitate transfer of the gels after development. This claimed apparatus allows for efficient development of electrophoresis gels by minimizing the direct handling of the gels thereby avoiding unwanted damages often incurred by conventional manually developing methods and apparatuses. The multi-tank apparatus can accommodate various gel compositions and sizes.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides microfluidic devices which incorporate improved channel and reservoir geometries, as well as methods of using these devices in the analysis, preparation, or other manipulation of fluid borne materials, to achieve higher throughputs of such materials through these devices, with lower cost, material and/or space requirements.

Abstract: Travelling wave particle separation apparatus is provided having a flat spiral of electrodes (1,2,3,4) or a helix of similar electrodes on a cylindrical former. Only four electrical connections need to be made.

Abstract: Electrophoretic chambers having at least a region of surface modification, and methods for their fabrication, are provided. In some embodiments the subject chambers include in the region of surface modification an anchoring polymeric layer interpenetrating the surface of the chamber and an electrophoretic polymeric layer copolymerized with the anchoring polymeric layer. The subject chambers are prepared by sequentially contacting the chamber surface with a first monomer capable of interpenetrating the surface and a second monomer capable of copolymerization with the first monomer, followed by copolymerization of the first and second monomers. In other embodiments an electrophoretic polymeric layer is noncovalently bound on the surface of a rigid polymereic base material without the aid of a separate anchoring polymeric layer. The subject devices find use in any of a variety of electrophoretic applications in which entities are moved through a medium under the influence of an applied electric field.

Abstract: A capillary electrophoresis array that includes: (a) a plurality of capillary tubes arranged adjacent each other in a generally longitudinal orientation, each of the tubes having an inlet end, and outlet end, and an internal diameter no greater than about 1000 microns; and (b) a registration assembly in which adjacent tubes are held in place with a fixed lateral spacing relative to each other at both the inlet and the outlet ends of the tubes. The array is flexible along the lengths of the tubes.

Abstract: A capillary electrophoresis apparatus of the invention has: a plurality of capillaries which are filled with a migration medium and have first ends into which samples are injected and second ends in which components included in the samples are eluted; a sheath flow cell in which the second ends are arranged in a straight line at first predetermined intervals and are terminated and a sheath flow is formed; a buffer solution vessel for housing a buffer solution flowing in the sheath flow cell; a drain vessel housing the buffer solution flowed from the sheath flow cell; an optical system emitting laser light to a part near the second ends; and a fluorescent detection system for detecting fluorescent light generated from fluorophore labelling the components included in the sample eluted near the second ends by the emission of laser light, wherein the buffer solution flows from the lower part to the upper part of the sheath flow cell, thereby forming a sheath flow in the sheath flow cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides for techniques for transporting materials using electrokinetic forces through the channels of a microfluidic system. The subject materials are transported in regions of high ionic concentration, next to spacer material regions of high ionic concentration, which are separated by spacer material regions of low ionic concentration. Such arrangements allow the materials to remain localized for the transport transit time to avoid mixing of the materials. Using these techniques, an electropipettor which is compatible with the microfluidic system is created so that materials can be easily introduced into the microfluidic system. The present invention also compensates for electrophoretic bias as materials are transported through the channels of the microfluidic system by splitting a channel into portions with positive and negative surface charges and a third electrode between the two portions, or by diffusion of the electrophoresing materials after transport along a channel.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of electrophoretically separating macromolecular species, as well as compositions and systems useful in carrying out such methods. Specifically, the methods of the present invention comprise providing a substrate that has at least a first capillary channel disposed therein. The surface of the channel has a first surface charge associated therewith, and is filled with a water soluble surface adsorbing polymer solution that bears a net charge that is the same as the charge on the capillary surface.