US Patent 7579149 - Electric field separation of molecular species on a scanning probe tip

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7579149.html

This patent from IBM teaches a new way to perform DNA sequencing with possibly higher speed using the tip of a scanning probe microscope to separate molecules based on their mobility. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method comprising:

placing different kinds of molecular species onto a scanning probe microscope tip; and

introducing a first electric field between said scanning probe microscope tip and a substrate so that said different kinds of molecular species traverse said scanning probe microscope tip to be separated.