US Patent 7947454 - Polynucleotide analysis with nanopores

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7947454.html

This patent is based on a collaboration between Harvard, the University of California, and Agilent Technologies and includes same basic claims toward sequencing RNA and DNA using nanopores. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for analyzing a target polynucleotide, comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing the target polynucleotide to a nanopore analysis system comprising a nanopore aperture;

(b) allowing the target polynucleotide to move with respect to the nanopore aperture to produce a signal at a rate of 350-2000 Hz; and

(c) monitoring the signal corresponding to the movement of the target polynucleotide with respect to the nanopore aperture, thereby analyzing the target polynucleotide.

US Patent 7410564 - Biopolymer identification during translocation through nanopore

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7410564.html

Nanopores are analytic devices used for single molecule sorting and DNA sequencing. This patent from Agilent Technologies teaches applying a ramping voltage to electrodes adjacent the nanopore to enhance the speed and efficiency of DNA sequencing. Claim 1 reads:

1. An apparatus for detecting a biopolymer in a nanopore, comprising:

(a) a first electrode;

(b) a second electrode adjacent to said first electrode;

(c) a nanopore adjacent to said first electrode and said second electrode and positioned to allow said biopolymer to be positioned between said first electrode and said second electrode; and

(d) potential means for electrically connecting said first electrode and said second electrode for applying a ramping voltage over an energy spectrum of the biopolymer from said first electrode, through a portion of said biopolymer in said nanopore, to said second electrode to produce a signal indicative of said portion of said biopolymer; wherein ramp-time of the applied voltage is short compared to a nucleotide translocation time through the nanopore.

US Patent 7357018 - Nanowire FET probe

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7357018.html

In recent years atomic force microscopes have begun using carbon nanotubes as tips in order to achieve inspection of trench structures using the high aspect ratio of CNTs. This patent from Agilent teaches a similar modification of AFM tips which uses a nanowire as the tip and functionalizing the nanowire so that it acts as a gate of a chem-FET. Claim 1 reads:


1. A method for performing a measurement inside a specimen, the method comprising:

providing nanoscale FET probe comprising a cantilever element and a nanowire extending from the cantilever element, the nanowire electrically connected to the cantilever element at at least one of the ends of the nanowire;

coating the nanowire along at least part of the length thereof with molecules of a capture agent;

moving the cantilever element to insert the nanowire into the specimen; and

monitoring an electrical property of the nanoscale FET probe to detect binding events between the capture agent molecules and an analyte of interest inside the specimen.

US Patent 7347085 - Optical resonator and cantilever probe for nanoscale displacement detection

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7347085.html

Atomic force microscopes usually include a cantilever with a probe tip in which laser light is reflected from the cantilever to detect nanoscale displacements of the cantilever. This patent from Agilient Technologies teaches an alternative approach using structural mating features between the cantilever and an optical resonator. Claim 1 reads:

1. A nanoscale displacement detector comprising: an optical resonator including a first structural feature; and a cantilever including a probe tip and a second structural feature engaging with the first structural feature; wherein the first and second structural features are configured such that displacement of the cantilever relative to the optical resonator causes a change in the resonant frequency of the optical resonator.

US Patent 7279337 - Nucleic acid sequencing using modulation signal

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7279337.html

Rapid sequencing of nucleic acids has been achieved via the use of nanopores which provide a channel for a molecular strand to pass through and be detected. This patent from Agilent Technologies teaches a method and apparatus that employs a modulated bias voltage and a detection of tunneling current in such a sequencing operation. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of sequencing molecules of a polymer, comprising the steps of: centering a fixed bias voltage across a pair of nano-electrodes separated by a channel therebetween, the bias voltage corresponding to an energy difference between any two internal energy levels of a molecule of interest; modulating the bias voltage with a modulation waveform; sequentially urging the molecules of a polymer comprised of linked molecules including at least one of the molecules of interest through the channel; deriving an electrical signal indicative of the molecule of interest from tunneling current through the molecule of interest measured while the molecule of interest is between the nano-electrodes as the polymer passes through the channel; and identifying the molecule of interest by comparing the derived electrical signal to known values of the signal for the molecule of interest.

US Patent 7256394 - CNT ion source for mass spectroscopy

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7256394.html

This patent from Agilient Technologies teaches the use of uniformly distributed carbon nanotubes in an improved ion source for mass spectroscopy.

9. An ion source for use in ionizing a sample, comprising: (a) a laser; and (b) a surface for holding the sample, the surface comprising a uniformly distributed carbon nanotube material.

Agilient also has a related patent using nanowires (explicitly excluding CNTs)
http://tinytechip.blogspot.com/search?q=7078683

US Patent 7238952 - Molecular motors for controlling DNA flow through nanopores

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7238485.html

Nanopore sequencing is a method of determining the sequence of nucleic acid molecules (e.g. RNA, DNA) by flowing such molecules through a nonopore aperature resulting in a detectable alteration of ionic current. This patent co-owned by Harvard, the University of California, and Agilent Technologies forms a molecular structure such as polymerases or ribosomes at the nanopore to act as a motor to better control the rate of analysis. Claim 1 reads:

1. A nanopore analysis system, comprising: (a) a structure having a nanopore aperture; and (b) a molecular motor adjacent the nanopore aperture, wherein the molecular motor is capable of moving a polynucleotide with respect to the nanopore aperture at a rate of 350-2000 Hz.