Low noise amplifiers with feedback for nanopore applications
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorDaniel BEDAU
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods that can improve the SNR of nanopore measurements by mitigating the effect of parasitic capacitance between the sense electrode and the counter electrode. In some embodiments, a feedback circuit is used to inject a charge into the sense electrode to at least partially cancel the parasitic capacitance between the sense electrode and the counter electrode. In some embodiments, bootstrapping of a signal from the amplifier output or from the sense electrode is used to inject a charge on the counter electrode to substantially cancel the parasitic capacitance.
Claims23
A system for detecting molecules, the system comprising:
- an array comprising a plurality of nanopore units, each of the plurality of nanopore units comprising a nanopore, a sense electrode, and a counter electrode;
- drive circuitry coupled to the array of nanopore units;
- an amplifier;
- a multiplexer coupled to the array of nanopore units and to an input of the amplifier;
- a feedback circuit coupled to an output of the amplifier and to the input of the amplifier;
- and
- control logic coupled to the feedback circuit and to the multiplexer and configured to:
- control the multiplexer to select a first nanopore unit of the plurality of nanopore units for reading, and
- configure the feedback circuit to provide a first amount of feedback for the first nanopore unit.
A method of reducing noise in a nanopore signal at an input of an amplifier, the method comprising:
- applying a voltage to a nanopore to produce the nanopore signal at the input of the amplifier;
- configuring an aspect of a feedback circuit coupled to and situated between an output of the amplifier and the input of the amplifier;
- detecting a characteristic of an amplifier output signal;
- adjusting the aspect of the feedback circuit in response to the detected characteristic of the amplifier output signal;
- and
- the feedback circuit injecting a feedback signal at the input of the amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.