Patent ID: 8641877

Claim:
An apparatus for cutting a linear charged polymer inside a nanopore, comprising: a reservoir filled with a conductive fluid; a membrane separating the reservoir, the membrane comprising electrical conductive layers and insulating layers; a nanopore through the membrane; and a cutting layer as one of the conductive layers; wherein a first voltage is applied to the conductive layers to create an electric field in a first direction; wherein a second voltage is applied to the conductive layers to create an electric field in a second direction, the first direction being opposite to the second direction; and wherein when the electric field in the first direction and the electric field in the second direction are applied to a linear charged polymer inside the nanopore, the electric field in the first direction and the electric field in the second direction cause the linear charged polymer to be cut at a location of the cutting layer; the cutting layer comprises an intersection of the electric field in the first direction and the electric field in the second direction both pointing in opposite directions, the cutting layer comprising a thickness determined according to a precision of the cut at the location; the apparatus further comprising a first fragment and a second fragment within the nanopore, the first fragment and the second fragment having been cut therein, the first fragment being on one side of the intersection of the electric field in the first direction and the second fragment being on the other side of the intersection of the electric field in the second direction.