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Devices and methods for determining the length of biopolymers and distances between probes bound thereto

  • US 9,719,980 B2
  • Filed: 07/15/2014
  • Issued: 08/01/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for sequencing a biopolymer, the method comprising:

  • preparing an analyte by hybridizing a first plurality of probes with the biopolymer such that said first plurality of probes attaches to portions of the biomolecule to produce a partially hybridized biomolecule;

    disposing the analyte in a fluidic channel;

    applying a potential along the fluidic channel;

    translocating the analyte from a first end of the fluidic channel to a second end of the fluidic channel;

    detecting two or more coincident electrical signals as the analyte moves through the fluidic channel, said two or more electrical signals corresponding to two or more detector volumes of the fluidic channel, said two or more electrical signals being detected by using a plurality of sensing electrodes disposed along the length of the fluidic channel while not directly applying voltage to the sensing electrodes with a voltage source, each detector volume being defined by two sensing electrodes laterally offset from each other along the fluidic channel, the detected electrical signals indicating locations of the hybridized probes along the biopolymer;

    analyzing the coincident electrical signals to determine in which detector volumes probes bound to the biomolecule are located;

    determining at least a portion of the sequence of the biopolymer using a distance between sensing electrodes corresponding to said detector volumes in which the probes are located,wherein (i) said sensing electrodes are configured for connection to a measurement tool for capturing said electrical signals corresponding to said detector volumes, (ii) the fluidic channel is a nanochannel, (iii) relative positions of the sensing electrodes are known, and (iv) the captured electrical signals in conjunction with the relative positions of the sensing electrodes indicate at least the portion of the sequence of the biopolymer.

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