Devices and methods for containing molecules
US9810663B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 26, 2015 |
| Grant date | Nov 7, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 14, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N33/48721
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention generally relates to devices and methods for containing molecules. In some embodiments, the device comprises a nanopore, a pore, and a cavity capable of entropically containing (e.g., trapping) a molecule (e.g., a biomolecule), e.g., for minutes, hours, or days. In certain embodiments, the method comprises urging a molecule into a cavity of a device by application of an electric field, and/or by deposition of fluids having different ionic strengths. The molecule may comprise, in some cases, nucleic acids (e.g., DNA). The molecule, when present in the cavity and/or the nanopore, may be capable of being analyzed, determined, or chemically modified. In some instances, a second molecule (e.g., a second molecule which interacts the first molecule) may also be urged into the cavity. In some embodiments, the interaction of the second molecule with the first molecule (e.g., the second molecule binding to or chemically modifying the first molecule) may be determined by, for example, a change in voltage measured across the device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.