The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 28, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1999
John-Bruce De Green, Alexandria, VA (US);
Alexey Novoradovsky, Rockville, MD (US);
Gil U Lee, Alexandria, VA (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A method is disclosed for measuring intramolecular forces within a sample compound by providing an atomic force microscope that includes a sample support member and a cantilever. The sample support member has a plurality of protrusions, and each protrusion has an apical substrate region that has been chemically modified to have a sample compound immobilized thereon. The cantilever has a fixed end and a free end, the free end having a surface region that has been chemically modified to have a grasping compound immobilized thereon. To measure intramolecular forces within the sample compound, the relative position and orientation of the cantilever and the sample support member are controlled to select a particular protrusion and to allow a molecule of the grasping compound to bind with a molecule of the sample compound. Then, the relative position and orientation of the cantilever and the sample support member are controlled to vary the distance between the cantilever and the sample support member so that the forces exerted on the cantilever as the distance between the cantilever and the sample support member is varied and as the molecule of the sample compound is stretched between the cantilever and the sample support member can be measured.