Patents by Inventor Zhuoyu Zhang

Zhuoyu Zhang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11703476
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for sensing a molecule in a sample. The apparatus utilizes an electric field to draw molecules from a first chamber through an aperture, defined by a chemical layer, into a second chamber. The apparatus can detect a DNA molecule with, for example, 4, 5, or 6 unique base pairs. As molecules pass through the aperture, a sensor detects or measures a change in an electric parameter used to generate the electric field, thereafter translating the change in the electric parameter into information about the molecule. A divider element separates the first and second chambers and supports a chemical layer defining the aperture. The apparatus enables detection or measurement of molecules over prolonged time at a higher electric field strength than other nanopores, due to a combination of the shape of the divider, structural elements thereon, and thickness of the chemical layer at the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Meni Wanunu, Mohammadamin Alibakhshi, Xinqi Kang, Zhuoyu Zhang
  • Publication number: 20210123884
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for sensing a molecule in a sample. The apparatus utilizes an electric field to draw molecules from a first chamber through an aperture, defined by a chemical layer, into a second chamber. The apparatus can detect a DNA molecule with, for example, 4, 5, or 6 unique base pairs. As molecules pass through the aperture, a sensor detects or measures a change in an electric parameter used to generate the electric field, thereafter translating the change in the electric parameter into information about the molecule. A divider element separates the first and second chambers and supports a chemical layer defining the aperture. The apparatus enables detection or measurement of molecules over prolonged time at a higher electric field strength than other nanopores, due to a combination of the shape of the divider, structural elements thereon, and thickness of the chemical layer at the aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Meni Wanunu, Mohammadamin Alibakhshi, Xinqi Kang, Zhuoyu Zhang