Continuous particle electrophoresis apparatus having improved particle band stability

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PARTICLE ELECTROPHORESIS APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING AN ELECTROPHORESIS SPACE FOR CONDUCTING A FLOWING ELECTROLYTE CURTAIN, MEANS ADJOINING EACH SIDE OF SAID ELECTROPHORESIS SPACE WHEREBY A POTENTIAL GRADIENT MAY BE APPLIED ACROSS SAID ELECTROLYTE CURTAIN, THE LATTER MEANS COMPRISING: AN ION-PERMEABLE MEMBRANE HAVING AN INNER AND AN OUTER SURFACE, SAID INNER SURFACE BEING IN CONTACT WITH SAID ELECTROLYTE IN SAID ELECTROPHORESIS SPACE; A HOUSING ABUTTING SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID MEMBRANE, SAID HOUSING DEFINING AN ELECTRODE CHANNEL AND A BRIDGING CHANNEL, SAID BRIDGING CHANNEL BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE CHANNEL AND SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID MEMBRANE, SAID CHANNELS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID ELECTROPHORESIS SPACE AND BEING SEPARATED BY A FLOW-DIRECTING MEANS; AN ELECTRODE DISPOSED IN SAID ELECTRODE CHANNEL;