Patent · US Expired

Dynamics bionems sensors and arrays of bionems sensor immersed in fluids

US7375321B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
11References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 7, 2003
Grant dateMay 20, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 14, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N33/54373
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A bioNEMS device comprises a piezoresistive cantilever having flexing legs of which attach the cantilever to a support and a biofunctionalized portion at the tip. A bias current applied to the legs is limited by a maximal acceptable temperature increase at the biofunctionalized tip. The length of the cantilever has a magnitude chosen to minimize background Johnson noise. A catalyzed receptor on the device binds to a ligand whose binding rate coefficient is enhanced. The catalyst lowers the receptor-ligand binding activation energy and is designed by forced evolution to preferentially bind with the ligand. A carrier signal is injected by a magnetic film disposed on the cantilever which is electromagnetically coupled to a source of the carrier signal. A plurality of NEMS fluidicly coupled transducers generate a plurality of output signals from which a collective output signal is derived, either by averaging or thresholding. The NEMS devices are disposed in microfluidic flow channels and fabricated in a membrane. A linking molecule is attached to the tip of the transducer and a fluffball attached to the linking molecule to increase damping.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.