Method for writing data to and reading multiple bit data words from a DNA optical storage device

• US 6,067,246 A
• Filed: 08/05/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gamida for Life B.V.
• Original Assignee: Nanogen
• Inventors: Tu, Eugene, Heller, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Andrew Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/129,740
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 365/106, 365/107, 365/112, 365/119, 365/151, 365/167, 365/234, 369/100, 369/108, 369/284, 369/288, 430/270.19, 430/495.1, 430/496, 435/6
• US Class Current: 365/151
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00536 in the shape of disks
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00621 by physical means, e.g. trenches, raised areas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00626 Covalent
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6818 involving interaction of two or more labels, e.g. resonant energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 80/00 Linkers or spacers specially adapted for combinatorial chemistry or libraries, e.g. traceless linkers or safety-catch linkers
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/123 DNA computing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/00455 involving reflectivity, absorption or colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0052 involving reflectivity, absorption or colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/244 comprising organic materials only
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0014 comprising cells based on organic memory material
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0019 comprising bio-molecules
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/04 using optical elements ; using other beam accessed elements, e.g. electron or ion beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/95 at chip-level, i.e. with connecting carried out on a plurality of singulated devices, i.e. on diced chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/50 Multistep manufacturing processes of assemblies consisting of devices, each device being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00 or H01L29/00 H01L21/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 : Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01011 : Sodium [Na]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01012 : Magnesium [Mg]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 : Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0102 : Calcium [Ca]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 : Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01039 : Yttrium [Y]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01042 : Molybdenum [Mo]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01043 : Technetium [Tc]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01044 : Ruthenium [Ru]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01054 : Xenon [Xe]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01057 : Lanthanum [La]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01068 : Erbium [Er]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01073 : Tantalum [Ta]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 : Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01077 : Iridium [Ir]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01088 : Radium [Ra]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12033 : Gunn diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/943 : Information storage or retrieval using nanostructure

Abstract

An optical memory system includes memory cells which utilize synthetic DNA as a component of the information storage mechanism. In the preferred embodiment, memory cells contain one or more chromophoric memory units attached to a support substrate. Each chromophoric memory unit comprises a donor, an acceptor and, at some time during its existence, an active quencher associated with the donor and/or the acceptor. The donor and the acceptor permit non-radiative energy transfer, preferably by Forster energy transfer. To write to the memory cell, the quencher is rendered inactive, preferably by illumination with ultraviolet light. To read, the chromophoric memory units in a read portal are illuminated, and the read illumination is detected. In the preferred embodiment, multiple chromophoric memory units having resolvable read properties are contained within a single read portal. In this way, a multibit word of data may be read from a single diffraction limited read portal. In one aspect of this invention, the read portal is subdivided into multiple write sub-locations, where each sub-location contains chromophoric memory units with acceptors which emit at spectrally resolvable colors. In a further aspect, each sub-location provides variable output based on wavelength, intensity and/or polarization.

Claims

1. A method for storing a multibit word of data comprising the steps of:

forming multiple chromophoric memory units, each chromophoric memory unit being formed by hybridizing a DNA template with at least one donor group, one acceptor group and a quencher group,

writing to the chromophoric memory units to place them in one of two states, a first state being the effective quenched state and a second state being an inactivated quench state, and

reading from the memory by illuminating the memory unit with optical radiation and detecting the presence or absence of reemitted radiation corresponding to a mutlibit word.

2. The method for storing data of claim 1 wherein the quenching is performed by inactivating the quencher group via UV light.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the quenching is performed by the breakage of photo cleavable linkers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the quenching is performed by derivitization of chromophore molecules with the photoactive groups.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the chromophoric memory units are formed in multiple write sublocations.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each of the multiple write sublocations has resolvable read parameters.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the resolvable read parameter is wavelength.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the resolvable read parameter is intensity.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the resolvable read parameter is polarization.