Method and apparatus for making a nanopore in a membrane using an electric field applied via a conductive tip
AssigneeThe Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning/Mcgill University
InventorsPeter Grutter, Yuning Zhang, Yoichi Miyahara, Walter Reisner
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Abstract
The apparatus for making a nanopore in a membrane generally has an electrode configured to connect to one of two opposing surfaces of the membrane; a conductive tip configured to contact a location of the other one of the two opposing surfaces of the membrane; and a voltage source electrically connected between the electrode and the conductive tip and operable to generate an electric potential across the membrane, the electric potential locally removing material of the membrane at the location to make the nanopore.
Claims21
A method for making a nanopore in a membrane, the method comprising:
- connecting an electrode to one of two opposing surfaces of the membrane;
- contacting a conductive tip at a location of the other one of the two opposing surfaces of the membrane, the conductive tip being part of a force sensor;
- and
- applying an electric potential across the membrane between the contacting conductive tip and the electrode and thereby making the nanopore at said location.
An apparatus for making a nanopore in a membrane, the apparatus comprising:
- an electrode configured to connect to one of two opposing surfaces of the membrane;
- a conductive tip configured to contact a location of the other one of the two opposing surfaces of the membrane, the conductive tip being part of a force sensor;
- and
- a voltage source electrically connected between the electrode and the conductive tip and operable to generate an electric potential across the membrane and thereby making the nanopore at said location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.