University of Ottawa

Other

Leland Stanford Junior University

Vincent Tabard-Cossa

Michel Godin

Eric Beamish

Wing Hei Kwok

Radin Tahvildari

Yang Liu

Robert W Dutton

Kee-Hyun Paik

Jose Bustamante

Kyle Alexander Zarkel Briggs

Kyle Briggs

Kyle Alexander Briggs

Nanopore arrays are fabricated by controlled breakdown in solid-state membranes integrated within polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices. This technique enables the scalable production of independently addressable nanopores. By confining the electric field within the microfluidic architecture, nanopore fabrication is precisely localized and electrical noise is significantly reduced during sensing.

Integrating nanopore sensors within microfluidic channel arrays using controlled breakdown

A method for fabricating a nanopore at a particular location in a membrane includes controlling a dielectric strength of the membrane at a particular location on the membrane while applying one of an electric potential or an electric current to the membrane, monitoring an electrical property across the membrane while one of the electric potential or the electric current is being applied across the membrane, detecting an abrupt change in the electrical property across the membrane while one of the electric potential or the electric current is being applied across the membrane; and removing the electric potential or the electric current from the membrane in response to detecting the abrupt change in the electrical property.

Localizing nanopore fabrication on a membrane by laser illumination during controlled breakdown

Nanopore arrays are fabricated by controlled breakdown in solid-state membranes integrated within polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices. This technique enables the scalable production of independently addressable nanopores. By confining the electric field within the microfluidic architecture, nanopore fabrication is precisely localized and electrical noise is significantly reduced during sensing.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to the flow of analytes, particles or other materials. As consistent with one or more embodiments described herein, an apparatus includes a membrane having one or more pores in a membrane. First and second electrodes facilitate electrophoretic flow of analytes through the pore, and a third electrode controls movement of the particles in the pore by modulating the shape of an electric double layer adjacent sidewalls of pore. This modulation controls the strength of an electroosmotic field that opposes the electrophoretic flow of the analytes via the pore.

Flow control method and apparatuses

A method is provided for fabricating a nanopore in a membrane. The method includes: applying an electric potential across the membrane, where value of the electric potential is selected to induce an electric field which causes a leakage current across the membrane; monitoring current flow across the membrane while the electric potential is being applied; detecting an abrupt increase in the leakage current across the membrane; and removing the electric potential across the membrane in response to detecting the abrupt increase in the leakage current.

Fabrication of nanopores using high electric fields

A method is provided for precisely enlarging a nanopore formed in a membrane. The method includes: applying an electric potential across the nanopore, where the electric potential has a pulsed waveform oscillating between a high value and a low value; measuring current flowing though the nanopore while the electric potential is being applied to the nanopore at a low value; determining size of the nanopore based in part on the measured current; and removing the electric potential applied to the membrane when the size of the nanopore corresponds to a desired size.

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Vincent Tabard-Cossa