Electrophoresis apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPHORETICALLY SEPARATING A SAMPLE INTO ITS COMPONENTS COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING A WORKING SPACE FOR HOLDING AN ELECTROLYTE IN WHICH SAID ELECTROPHORETIC SEPARATION OF SAID SAMPLE TAKES PLACE AND INCLUDING MEANS ADJOINING EACH SIDE OF SAID WORKING SPACE WHEREBY A POTENTIAL GRADIENT MAY BE APPLIED ACROSS SAID ELECTROLYTE IN SAID WORKING SPACE, THE LATTER MEANS COMPRISING AN ION-PERMABLE BARRIER HAVING AN INNER AND AN OUTER SURFACE, SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID BARRIER BEING IN CONTACT WITH SAID ELECTROLYTE IN SAID WORKING SPACE; MEANS DEFINING A CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER BEING DIVIDED INTO AN INTERMEDIATE ZONE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ION-PERMEABLE BARRIER AND AN ELECTRODE SPACE DISTAL FROM AID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ION-PERMEABLE BARRIER; AN ELECTRODE DISPOSED IN SAID ELECTRODE SPACE; MEANS FOR FLOWING BUFFER SOLUTION IN SAID ELECTRODE SPACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID ELECTRODE; MEANS FOR FLOWING BUFFER SOLUTION IN SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE IN CONTACT WITH SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID IONPERMEABLE BARRIER, SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTING BULK FLOW OF SAID FUBBER SOLUTION FROM SAID ELECTRODE SPACE TO SAID WORKING SPACE AND FURTHER SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTING TRANSFER OF IONS GENERATED AT SAID ELECTRODE TO SAID WORKING SPACE, YET AFFORDING A CONTINUOUS ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE PATH BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE AND SAID ELECROLYTE IN SAID WORKING SPACE; AND A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POWER CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRODE.