| abstract |
The present invention provides for techniques forntransporting materials using electrokinetic forces through thenchannels of a microfluidic system. The subject materials arentransported in regions of high ionic concentration, next tonspacer material regions of high ionic concentration, which arenseparated by spacer material regions of low ionicnconcentration. Such arrangements allow the materials tonremain localized for the transport transit time to avoidnmixing of the materials. Using these techniques, annelectropipettor which is compatible with the microfluidicnsystem is created so that materials can be easily introducedninto the microfluidic system. The present invention alsoncompensates for electrophoretic bias as materials arentransported through the channels of the microfluidic system bynsplitting a channel into portions with positive and negativensurface charges and a third electrode between the twonportions, or by diffusion of the electrophoresing materialsnafter transport along a channel. |