Patent ID: 11872561
Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC B  C  G | IPC A  B  C  G

Claim 7:
8. A multi-stage system for stretching a polynucleotide structure, the multi-stage system comprising:
a first nanochannel having a first inlet, a first outlet, a first end region, and a second end region;
a first electrode positioned adjacent the first end region of the nanochannel, the first end region of the nanochannel being a first end region of the multi-stage system, the first electrode being positively charged;
a second electrode positioned adjacent the second end region of the nanochannel, the second end region of the nanochannel being at a second end region of the multi-stage system, the second electrode being negatively charged, the first and second electrode being aligned axially;
a third electrode positioned adjacent to the first inlet of the first nanochannel and configured to sense a presence of the polynucleotide structure and to generate a first electrostatic force perpendicular to a surface of the third electrode and to apply the first electrostatic force to the polynucleotide structure to pin a first end region of the polynucleotide structure near the surface of the third electrode, the first and second electrodes being configured to generate a first electric force along an axial direction of the nanochannel to guide the polynucleotide structure into the first nanochannel to stretch the polynucleotide structure along the axial direction of the nanochannel;
a second nanochannel having a second inlet and a second outlet, the second nanochannel being positioned adjacent to the first outlet of the first nanochannel; and
a fourth electrode positioned adjacent to the second inlet of the second nanochannel and between the first and the second nanochannel, the fourth electrode being configured to sense the presence of a second end region of the polynucleotide structure when a portion of the polynucleotide structure extends beyond the first outlet of the first nanochannel and to generate a second electrostatic force perpendicular to a surface of the third electrode, the fourth electrode being activated upon sensing the presence of the second end region of the polynucleotide structure and the third electrode being deactivated to release the first end region of the polynucleotide structure, the fourth electrode being configured to apply the second electrostatic force to the polynucleotide structure to pin the second end region of the polynucleotide structure near the surface of the fourth electrode, the first and second electrodes being configured to generate a second electric force to guide the polynucleotide structure through the second nanochannel.