Patent ID: 8956813
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: B82Y,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for detection of a selected type of nucleic acid molecules in a sample, comprising: a) bringing a receptor surface of a micromechanical element in contact with the sample, said receptor surface being arranged to interact with said nucleic acid molecules when said nucleic acid molecules are present in said sample, the micromechanical element being arranged so that at least one detectable mechanical feature of said micromechanical element changes when said receptor surface interacts with said nucleic acid molecules and changes with a variation in a humidity or a relative humidity, wherein respectively different nucleic acid molecules have different responses to changes in the humidity or the relative humidity; b) measuring said mechanical feature while being subjected to the variation in the humidity or the relative humidity, to obtain data regarding said mechanical feature for a plurality of respective different values of the humidity or the relative humidity while said receptor surface interacts with said nucleic acid molecules, said mechanical feature being selected from the group consisting of a curvature of a portion of the micromechanical element, a position of a portion of the micromechanical element, at least one vibration characteristic of the micromechanical element, and a surface stress on a portion of the mechanical element; and c) based on said data and said different values of said condition, determining if the sample contains said selected type of nucleic acid molecules or associative phenomena between the receptor surface and said selected type of nucleic acid molecules.