Capillary electrophoretic device employing structure permitting electrical contact through ionic movement

[2. The tube of

• claim 1, wherein said structure is a frit structure.] 3. The tube of claim [2] 1 , wherein the at least one frit structure is created by making a hole in one side of the tube, inserting an object into the first space to block one end of the hole, filling at least a portion of the hole with a glass powder and heating the powder at a temperature close to the sintering temperature of
• the glass powder. 4. The tube of claim [2] 1, wherein said at least one frit structure is composed of fused
• silica and solder glass. 5. A capillary electrophoretic device comprising:
• a tube having an inlet and an outlet [end], said tube being unbranched between the inlet and the outlet, said tube including:
• (a) a wall [surrounding an axis, said wall] defining a first space inside the wall and a second space outside the wall, said wall suitable for containing and confining an [electrolytic solution] electrolyte and electrophoretic sample in the first space;
• (b) a structure in the wall extending between the first and second spaces, [said structure not completely surrounding the axis so that the wall retains its structural integrity and so that the tube is suitable for use in electrophoresis without requiring structural support,] wherein said structure permits ions to pass but substantially no [electrolytic] solution to flow therethrough, so that said structure permits electrical contact between the first and second spaces through ionic movement;
• and
• means for applying an electrical potential [between] across the electrolyte and sample [at] between the inlet [end] of the tube and the [electrolyte and the sample at the] structure so that the inlet and the structure are at different electrical potentials, said structure located between the inlet and the outlet of the tube so that the electrical potential applied by the applying means causes the sample in the first space to flow out of the
• outlet . 6. The device of claim 5, said electrical potential applying means comprising a first reservoir in contact with said inlet [end] of the tube and a second reservoir in contact with the structure, said first and second reservoirs being at different electrical
• potentials. 7. The device of claim 5, wherein said electrolyte is a solution, and wherein the electrical potential applied by the applying means causes [an] the electrolyte in the first space to flow from the inlet [end] toward the outlet [end], said device further comprising a detector placed adjacent to or inside the tube at a point between the structure and the outlet [end] for detecting the electrolyte at an electrical potential substantially equal to the
• electrical potential of the structure. 8. The device of claim 5, wherein said electrolyte is a solution, and wherein the electrical potential applied by the applying means causes [an] the electrolyte in the first space to flow from the inlet [end] towards the outlet [end], said device further comprising means for collecting samples of the electrolyte that flows from the tube
• at the outlet [end]. 9. The device of claim 5, wherein said structure
• is a frit structure. 10. The tube of claim 9, wherein said frit structure is composed of fused silica and solder glass.

[11. A method of making a capillary tube with a frit structure for use in electrophoresis comprising:

• making a hole at one side of a capillary tube;
• inserting a body inside the tube to block the hole from a position inside the tube;
• filling at least a portion of the hole with glass powder;
• heating a portion of the tube surrounding the hole and the glass powder to a temperature at or near the sintering temperature of the glass powder so that the powder forms the frit structure;
• and
• withdrawing the body from the tube.]

[12. The method of claim 11, wherein the making step comprises directing a laser beam at said one side

• of the capillary tube.] 13. An electrophoretic method employing a capillary tube having [a first] an inlet and [a] an outlet [end], said tube being unbranched between the inlet and the outlet, said tube including:
• (i) a wall [surrounding an axis, said wall] defining a first space inside the wall and a second space outside the wall, said wall suitable for containing and confining an [electrolytic solution] electrolyte in the first space;
• (ii) a structure in the wall extending between the first and second spaces [said structure not completely surrounding the axis so that the wall retains its structural integrity and so that the tube is suitable for use in electrophoresis without requiring structural support,] and located between the inlet and the outlet , wherein said structure permits ions to pass but substantially no [electrolytic] solution to flow therethrough, so that said structure permits electrical contact between the first and second spaces through ionic movement;
• said method comprising:
• introducing an electrolyte and a sample into the tube;
• applying a voltage across the sample and electrolyte [at] between the inlet [end] of the tube and the [electrolyte and sample at the] structure so that the [electrolyte and sample flow from the inlet end toward the outlet end] inlet and the structure are at different electrical potentials, thereby causing the sample to separate into its components and flow out from the outlet ;
• and
• collecting the effluent from the outlet [end] so that the sample
• components separated in the electrophoresis process remain separate. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the collecting step causes relative motion between the outlet [end] and a surface and deposits the effluent onto the surface in order to record the effluent output as a
• function of time. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the collecting step
• moves the surface. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the collecting steps moves the outlet [end].

A method for electrophoretic separation comprising the steps of:

• providing a capillary tube having an inlet and an exit, said capillary having no side branch between the inlet and the exit, said capillary containing a sample and electrolyte;
• applying an electrical potential across the electrolyte and sample in a section of the capillary tube to cause electrophoretic separation of the sample into its components;
• wherein the electrical potential applied causes the separated components to flow out of the exit of the capillary tube;
• and
• collecting and maintaining said separated components in a separated state.

A system for electrophoretic separation comprising:

• a capillary tube having an inlet and an exit, said capillary tube having no side branch between the inlet and exit, the capillary containing a sample and electrolyte;
• means for applying an electric potential across the electrolyte and sample in a section of the capillary tube to cause electrophoretic separation of the sample into its components;
• means for causing the separated components to flow out of the exit of the capillary tube;
• and
• means for collecting and maintaining said separated components in a separated state.