Patent ID: 8563237

Claim:
An apparatus for detecting a biopolymer in a nanopore, comprising: (a) a first ring electrode; (b) a second ring electrode adjacent to the first ring electrode; (c) a first gate electrode in electrical connection with the first ring electrode and the second ring electrode for scanning the energy spectrum of the biopolymer; (d) a second gate electrode in electrical connection with the first ring electrode and the second ring electrode, the second gate electrode arranged for scanning the energy spectrum of the biopolymer; (e) a nanopore adjacent to the first ring electrode and the second ring electrode and positioned to allow the biopolymer to be positioned in the nanopore and between the first ring electrode and the second ring electrode; (f) a first voltage source in electrical connection with the first ring electrode and the second ring electrode, the first voltage source configured to apply a fixed potential from the first ring electrode, through a portion of the biopolymer in the nanopore, to the second ring electrode to produce a signal indicative of the portion of the biopolymer; and (g) a second voltage source in electrical connection with the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode, the second voltage source configured to apply a periodic voltage to the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode and having a period that is substantially less than a translocation time of an individual base.