Abstract: A capillary comprises a capillary channel, an inner layer, and an outer layer, wherein the inner and outer layers comprise different silica materials. An axicon lens formed on a facet end of the capillary channel has a selected geometry, such that the inner layer has an axicon angle ? and a post angle ?. The inner layer may be fused silica and the outer layer may be borosilicate glass. The post angle ? is determined in part by an etch rate constant of the borosilicate glass and an etch rate constant of the fused silica in at least one etching reagent. Embodiments may comprise at least two capillary channels, and an axicon lens formed on a facet end of each of the at least two capillary channels. The capillary may be used as an electrospray emitter, optionally with light simultaneously while generating an electrospray.

Abstract: A capillary comprises a capillary channel, an inner layer, and an outer layer, wherein the inner and outer layers comprise different silica materials. An axicon lens formed on a facet end of the capillary channel has a selected geometry, such that the inner layer has an axicon angle ? and a post angle ?. The inner layer may be fused silica and the outer layer may be borosilicate glass. The post angle a is determined in part by an etch rate constant of the borosilicate glass and an etch rate constant of the fused silica in at least one etching reagent. Embodiments may comprise at least two capillary channels, and an axicon lens formed on a facet end of each of the at least two capillary channels. The capillary may be used as an electrospray emitter, optionally with light simultaneously while generating an electrospray.

Abstract: An on-chip packed reactor bed design is disclosed that allows for an effective exchange of packing materials such as beads at a miniaturized level. Also disclosed is a method of treating a sample within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising; providing a main channel having a trapping zone; providing a slurry of a reagent treated packing material; inducing a flow of said packing material into said trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said packing material; and flowing a sample containing analytes through said packed bed, said reagent treating the sample. The present invention extends the function of microfluidic analysis systems to new applications including on-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) and on-chip capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The design can be further extended to include integrated packed bed immuno- or enzyme reactors.

Abstract: An on-chip packed reactor bed design is disclosed that allows for an effective exchange of packing materials such as beads at a miniaturized level. Also disclosed is a method of treating a sample within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising; providing a main channel having a trapping zone; providing a slurry of a reagent treated packing material; inducing a flow of said packing material into said trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said packing material; and flowing a sample containing analytes through said packed bed, said reagent treating the sample. The present invention extends the function of microfluidic analysis systems to new applications including on-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) and on-chip capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The design can be further extended to include integrated packed bed immuno- or enzyme reactors.

Abstract: An on-chip packed reactor bed design is disclosed that allows for an effective exchange of packing materials such as beads at a miniaturized level. Also disclosed is a method of treating a sample within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising; providing a main channel having a trapping zone; providing a slurry of a reagent treated packing material; inducing a flow of said packing material into said trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said packing material; and flowing a sample containing analytes through said packed bed, said reagent treating the sample. The present invention extends the function of microfluidic analysis systems to new applications including on-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) and on-chip capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The design can be further extended to include integrated packed bed immuno- or enzyme reactors.

Abstract: An on-chip packed reactor bed design is disclosed that allows for an effective exchange of packing materials such as beads at a miniaturized level. Also disclosed is a method of treating a sample within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising: providing a main channel having a trapping zone; providing a slurry of a reagent treated packing material; inducing a flow of said packing material into said trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said packing material; and flowing a sample containing analytes through said packed bed, said reagent treating the sample. The present invention extends the function of microfluidic analysis systems to new applications including on-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) and on-chip capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The design can be further extended to include integrated packed bed immuno- or enzyme reactors.

Abstract: The present invention provides an on-chip packed reactor bed design that allows for an effective exchange of packing materials such as beads at a miniaturized level. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of concentrating an analyte within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising the steps of: a) providing a main channel having a trapping zone suitable for trapping packing material; b) providing a slurry of a reagent treated packing material prepared in a solution having a predetermined composition of a solvent; c) inducing a flow of said packing material into said trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone so as to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said packing material; d) and flowing a sample containing analytes through said packed bed, said reagent acting to concentrate at least some of said analytes within said trapping zone.

Abstract: Emitters, compositions, and processes and methods for making emitters and compositions, useful for emitting sample for mass spectral analysis and/or acting as a stationary phase in chromatographic applications are described. Compositions according to the invention can comprise particles entrapped by polymer such that unoccluded channels are formed and the particles are substantially uncovered and able to interact with sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides an on-chip packed reactor bed design that allows for an effective exchange of packing materials such as beads at a miniaturized level. The present invention extends the function of microfluidic analysis systems to new applications including on-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) and on-chip capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The design can be further extended to include integrated packed bed immuno- or enzyme reactors.

Abstract: The use of non-porous membranes as sample supports for MALDI-TOFMS analysis of peptides and proteins as well as for the analysis of whole blood is herein described. Non-porous membranes have a uniform surface, allowing for greater sensitivity and accuracy. Specifically, the non-porosity favours crystal growth on the surface of the membrane only, thereby providing enhanced spectral quality over membranes with porous structures. Studies were performed using polyurethane (PU) membranes as an example of non-porous MALDI sample supports and showed that PU membranes yielded higher quality spectra compared with porous membrane sample supports such as polyether and poly(vinyl difluoride) and the spectra obtained from PU membranes are of comparable quality as those obtained with metallic targets. However, the sample preparation for use with PU membranes is much less arduous compared with the preparation necessary for metallic targets. On membrane proteolytic digestions of proteins were performed using trypsin.

Abstract: The present invention provides an on-chip packed reactor bed design that allows for an effective exchange of packing materials such as beads at a miniaturized level. The present invention extends the function of microfluidic analysis systems to new applications including on-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) and on-chip capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The design can be further extended to include integrated packed bed immuno- or enzyme reactors.