US Patent 7744816 - Multilayer nanopore sensor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7744816.html

A variety of designs have been proposed and implemented which use nanopores for molecular analysis. This latest design from Intel uses multiple sensor layers to detect multiple electrical properties of analytes. Claim 1 reads:

1. An apparatus comprising:

a) at least one sub-device, each sub-device comprising a first chamber and a second chamber, said first and second chambers separated by sensor layers comprising a semiconductor material and having one or more nanopores therein, the first and second chambers of each sub-device in fluid communication through said one or more nanopores, wherein said nanopores are between 1 and 999 nm in diameter; and

b) one or more detectors comprising said sensor layers and configured to detect one or more analytes in the nanopores passing from said first chamber to said second chamber.