Method of forming a capillary element for use in an electrophoresis instrument

The basic concept of this invention involves the use of a wire or capillary tube as a template strand. The outside diameter and shape of the template strand correspond to the inside diameter and shape of a desired separation capillary. A detector may be incorporated by providing a pair of electrode wires, or the ends of a pair of optical fibers, and pressing them against opposite sides of the template. A plastic is then polymerized around this assembly by casting or molding. The template is then removed, leaving a capillary channel with a sidewall incorporating the wire electrodes and optical fibers. Using this method, it is possible to form a single unit including a separation capillary, conductivity detector, and spectroscopy detector.