Method and device for moving molecules by the application of a plurality of electrical fields
First Claim
1. A method for moving charged particles through a medium, comprising:
- placing the charged particles in a movement area having defined boundaries, formed on a non-porous, non-electrically conductive substrate with neglible surface charge, and containing multiple electrodes at each end and within each movement area, the electrodes separated by a distance between one and 100 microns, the electrodes providing a plurality of electrical fields to the movement area, and a medium therein, wherein the medium is comprised of particles different from the charged particles and provides frictional resistance to the charged molecules moving through the medium;
generating a moving electrical field along a given direction of the medium by sequentially activating electrodes placed along the movement area in a time-controlled fashion; and
continuing to generate the fields in order to cause the charged particles to move in response to the field through the medium.
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Accused Products
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. The fields can be activated by computer software and can be used to move molecules away from and toward each other to obtain rapid and complex chemical synthesis, sequencing or reaction protocols.
844 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for moving charged particles through a medium, comprising:
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placing the charged particles in a movement area having defined boundaries, formed on a non-porous, non-electrically conductive substrate with neglible surface charge, and containing multiple electrodes at each end and within each movement area, the electrodes separated by a distance between one and 100 microns, the electrodes providing a plurality of electrical fields to the movement area, and a medium therein, wherein the medium is comprised of particles different from the charged particles and provides frictional resistance to the charged molecules moving through the medium; generating a moving electrical field along a given direction of the medium by sequentially activating electrodes placed along the movement area in a time-controlled fashion; and continuing to generate the fields in order to cause the charged particles to move in response to the field through the medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17)
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6. A method for moving charged particles through a medium, comprising:
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placing the charged particles in a movement area having defined boundaries, formed on a non-porous, non-electrically conductive substrate with neglible surface charge, and containing multiple electrodes at each end and within each movement area, the electrodes separated by a distance between one and 100 microns, and providing a plurality of electrical fields to the movement area, and a medium therein, wherein the medium is comprised of particles different from the charged particles and provides frictional resistance to the charged molecules moving through the medium; generating a voltage profile along a given direction of the movement area by simultaneously activating electrodes placed along the movement area with different voltages so as to provide the voltage profile; and continuing to generate the voltage profile in a manner to cause the charged particles to move through the medium in response to the forces created by the voltage profile.
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7. A method for reacting particles comprising providing
a device for moving charged particles through a medium, comprising a movement area with defined boundaries formed on a non-porous, non-electrically conductive substrate having neglible surface charge; -
a medium held in the movement area, the medium comprising material different from the particles to be reacted; multiple electrodes at each end and within each movement area, the electrodes separated by a distance between one and 100 microns, and providing a plurality of electrical fields to the movement area, the fields being of sufficient strength to move the charged molecules through the medium and from one electrical field to another along the movement area in a controlled manner, placing particles to be reacted into the movement area, and applying a voltage or electrical potential to the electrodes to move the particles to be reacted together under conditions promoting the reaction. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A device for moving charged particles through a medium, comprising:
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a movement area with defined boundaries formed on a non-porous, non-electrically conductive substrate having neglible surface charge; a medium held in the movement area, the medium comprising material different from the charged particles to be moved, the medium providing frictional resistance to the charged molecules to be moved; and multiple electrodes at each end and within each movement area providing a plurality of electrical fields to the movement area, the electrodes separated by a distance between one and 100 microns, the fields being of sufficient strength to move the charged molecules through the medium and from one electrical field to another along the movement area in a controlled manner. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification