James H Osborn

US Patent:

4997536, Mar 5, 1991

Filed:

Jul 6, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/215834

Inventors:

Jack I. Ohms - Palo Alto CA
James Osborn - Sunnyvale CA

Assignee:

Beckman Instruments, Inc. - Fullerton CA

International Classification:

G01N 2726

US Classification:

2041801

Abstract:

Solid phases such as capillary tubes or solid supports used in chromatography, and in particular electrophoresis, are treated with oxidizing or reducing agents as needed to maintain or restore surface electrical charges or the lack thereof, which become modified during electrophoresis as a result of action by system components in the separation medium or the solutes themselves. The treatment is used as a means of achieving reproducible electroosmotic bulk flow when desired or suppressing unwanted electroosmotic flow arising due to the accumulation of charges on the surface. The result is improved reproducibility of retention times and component separation.