Electrophoresis system and method

An electrophoresis system, comprising:

• a microfluidic electrophoresis device comprising:
• a chip having a cover and a substrate and carrying three channels, said channels being:
• a loading channel passing vertically through said cover and substrate to provide a first sample port on the top of said cover and a second sample port on the bottom of said substrate,
• an injection channel initiating at the loading channel to form a first intersection and in fluid communication with and terminating at a third reservoir,
• a separation channel connected to the injection channel to form a second intersection and in fluid communication with and extending between a first and second reservoir;
• and
• electrodes coupled to the first sample port and the third reservoir, and the first reservoir and the second reservoir, respectively, that are adapted to move the sample into the loading channel towards the third reservoir and form a sample plug in the second intersection, and to further move the sample plug into the separation channel towards the second reservoir.

An electrophoresis device, comprising:

• a microfluidic chip having a cover and a substrate and carrying three channels, said channels being:
• a loading channel in fluid communication with and extending between a first and second sample port;
• an injection channel initiating at to the loading channel to form a first intersection;
• and in fluid communication with and terminating at a third reservoir;
• and
• a separation channel connected to the injection channel to form a second intersection and in fluid communication with and extending between a first and second reservoir;
• wherein either
• all three channels are formed in the substrate and are of approximately equal depth and the loading channel has a width of between about four and ten times that of the other two channels;
• or
• the loading channel passes vertically through said cover and substrate to provide a first sample port on the top of said cover and a second sample port on the bottom of said substrate;
• and
• means for creating a pressure differential between said first and said second sample port.

A method for controlling the flow of one or more fluids in an electrophoresis device, comprising the steps of:

• providing an electrophoresis device comprising:
• a microfluidic chip having a cover and a substrate and carrying three channels, said channels being:
• a loading channel in fluid communication with and extending between a first and second sample port,
• an injection channel initiating at the loading channel to form a first intersection and in fluid communication with and terminating at a third reservoir, and
• a separation channel connected to the injection channel to form a second intersection and in fluid communication with and extending between a first and second reservoir, and wherein the injection channel is in fluid communication with a third reservoir;
• wherein either
• all three channels are formed in the substrate and are of approximately equal depth and the loading channel has a width of between about four and ten times that of the other two channels;
• or
• the loading channel passes vertically through said cover and substrate to provide a first sample port on the top of said cover and a second sample port on the bottom of said substrate;
• loading one or more of a buffer solution and a sieving matrix into the injection channel and the separation channel from one or more of the first and second sample ports, and the first, second and third reservoirs;
• loading a sample into the loading channel from one of the first and second sample ports by applying a pressure differential between said sample ports;
• applying a first potential electrically coupled to the first sample port and the third reservoir to move the sample into the injection channel towards the third reservoir and form a sample plug in the second intersection;
• and
• applying a second potential electrically coupled to the first reservoir and the second reservoir to move the sample plug into the separation channel towards the second reservoir.