US 2017/0283866 A1 · NON-DESTRUCTIVE BILAYER MONITORING USING MEASUREMENT OF BILAYER RESPONSE TO ELECTRICAL STIMULUS

Abstract

A method of detecting a lipid bilayer formed in a cell of a nanopore based sequencing chip is disclosed. An integrating capacitor is coupled with a lipid membrane, wherein the lipid membrane is between a working electrode and a counter electrode. An alternating current (AC) voltage is applied to the counter electrode. A voltage across the integrating capacitor is periodically sampled by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). A change in the sampled voltage across the integrating capacitor in response to a change in the AC voltage is determined. Whether the lipid membrane comprises a lipid bilayer is detected based on the determined change in the sampled voltage across the integrating capacitor in response to the change in the AC voltage.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of detecting a lipid bilayer formed in a cell of a nanopore based sequencing chip, comprising:

coupling a lipid membrane with an integrating capacitor, wherein the lipid membrane is between a working electrode and a counter electrode;
applying an alternating current (AC) voltage to the counter electrode;
periodically sampling a voltage across the integrating capacitor by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC);
determining a change in the sampled voltage across the integrating capacitor in response to a change in the AC voltage;
and
detecting that the lipid membrane comprises a lipid bilayer based on the determined change in the sampled voltage across the integrating capacitor in response to the change in the AC voltage.

3 more elements

A system for detecting a lipid bilayer formed in a cell of a nanopore based sequencing chip, comprising:

an integrating capacitor;
a working electrode coupled to the integrating capacitor;
a counter electrode, wherein a lipid membrane deposited between the working electrode and the counter electrode is coupled with the integrating capacitor;
an alternating current (AC) voltage source that applies an AC voltage to the counter electrode;
an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) periodically sampling a voltage across the integrating capacitor;
and
a processor or a circuitry configured to:
determine a change in the sampled voltage across the integrating capacitor in response to a change in the AC voltage;
and
detect that the lipid membrane comprises a lipid bilayer based on the determined change in the sampled voltage across the integrating capacitor in response to the change in the AC voltage.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Non-destructive bilayer monitoring using measurement of bilayer response to electrical stimulus

Life of this patent

Non-destructive bilayer monitoring using measurement of bilayer response to electrical stimulus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22