Electro-osmotically driven liquid delivery method and apparatus
US5942093A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 18, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 24, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 18, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2030/285
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Method and apparatus for controlling precisely the composition and delivery of liquid at sub-.mu.L/min flow rate. One embodiment of such a delivery system is an electro-osmotically driven gradient flow delivery system that generates dynamic gradient flows with sub-.mu.L/min flow rates by merging a plurality of electro-osmotic flows. These flows are delivered by a plurality of delivery arms attached to a mixing connector, where they mix and then flow into a receiving means, preferably a column. Each inlet of the plurality of delivery arms is placed in a corresponding solution reservoir. A plurality of independent programmable high-voltage power supplies is used to apply a voltage program to each of the plurality of solution reservoirs to regulate the electro-osmotic flow in each delivery arm. The electro-osmotic flow rates in the delivery arms are changed with time according to each voltage program to deliver the required gradient profile to the column.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.