US Patent 9395352 Devices and methods for target molecule characterization

The present invention provides a device having at least one constriction that is sized to permit translocation of only a single copy of the molecule. The device has a pair of spaced apart sensing electrodes that border the constriction, which may be a nanopore. The first electrode is connected to a first affinity element and the second electrode is connected to a second affinity element. The first and second affinity elements are configured to temporarily form hydrogen bonds with first and second portions of the target molecule as the latter passes through the constriction.