Nanosensors
AssigneePresident and Fellows of Harvard College
InventorsCharles M. Lieber, Hongkun Park, Qingqiao Wei, Yi Cui, Wenjie Liang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electrical devices comprised of nanowires are described, along with methods of their manufacture and use. The nanowires can be nanotubes and nanowires. The surface of the nanowires may be selectively functionalized. Nanodetector devices are described.
Claims102
An article comprising:
- a sample exposure region, and a nanowire, at least a portion of which is addressable by a sample in the sample exposure region.
The article as in claim 24, wherein the reaction entity comprises a binding partner of the analyte.
A method comprising:
- contacting a nanowire with a sample suspected of containing an analyte;
- and
- determining a change in a property of the nanowire.
A method comprising:
- providing an nanowire and contacting the nanowire with a sample having a volume of less than about 10 microliters;
- and
- measuring a change in a property of the nanowire resultant from the contact.
A method comprising:
- contacting a nanowire with a sample suspected of containing an analyte and determining the presence or quantity of the analyte by measuring a change in a property of the nanowire resulting from the contact, wherein less than ten molecules of the analyte contribute to the change in the property detected.
An article comprising:
- a sample cassette comprising a sample exposure region and a nanowire, at least a portion of which is addressable by a sample in the sample exposure region, wherein the sample cassette is operatively connectable to a detector apparatus able to determine a property associated with the nanowire.
A sensor comprising:
- at least one nanowire;
- and
- means for measuring a change in a property of the at least one nanowire.
A method of detecting an analyte, comprising:
- contacting a nanowire with a sample;
- and
- determining a property associated with the nanowire where a change in the property when the nanowire is contacted with the sample indicates the presence or quantity of the analyte in the sample.
A method comprising:
- contacting an electrical conductor with a sample;
- and
- determining the presence or quantity of an analyte in the sample by measuring a change in a property of the conductor resultant from the contact, wherein less than ten molecules of the analyte contribute to the a change in said property.
An article comprising:
- a nanowires core region and an outer region, wherein outer region comprises functional moieties which are chemically or physically bonded to the nanowire core.
A nanowire sensor device, comprising
- a semiconductor nanowire having a first end in electrical contact with a conductor to form a source electrode, a second end in electrical contact with a conductor to form a drain electrode, and an exterior surface having an oxide formed thereon to form a gate electrode, and
- a binding agent having specificity for a selected moiety and being bound to the exterior surface, whereby a voltage at the gate electrode varies in response to the binding of the moiety to the binding agent to provide a chemically gated field effect sensor device.
A analyte-gated field effect transistor having a predetermined current-voltage characteristic and adapted for use as a chemical or biological sensor, comprising:
- (a) a substrate formed of a first insulating material;
- (b) a source electrode disposed on the substrate;
- (c) a drain electrode disposed on the substrate,
- (c) a semiconductor nanowire disposed between the source and drain electrodes to form a field effect transistor having a predetermined current-voltage characteristic;
- and
- (d) an analyte-specific binding agent disposed on a surface of the nanowire, wherein a binding event occurring between a target analyte and the binding agent causes a detectable change in the current-voltage characteristic of said field effect transistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.