Patent Profile: BioNanomatrix Receives Nanofluidic Chip Patent

    By Nate Chongsiriwatana --

BioNanomatrix, Inc. recently announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,670,770 for nanochannel arrays that enable high-throughput macromolecular analysis.

Previously, single-molecule DNA analysis has been limited by the difficulty of linearizing (untangling) and manipulating intact native DNA.  To address these limitations, a Princeton University research team, including Dr. Han Cao, the founder and chief scientific officer of BioNanomatrix, used a nanofluidic chip to untangle and guide individual DNA molecules into an array of nanochannels.  According to Dr. Cao, the founder and chief scientific officer of BioNanomatrix, "this invention allows for true linear analysis of very long biomolecules such as native genomic DNA hundreds of thousands of base pairs in length without cloning or PCR amplification."  This technique, which is the basis for the company's NanoAnalyzer® system, can be used for multiplexed parallel processing applications, such as direct imaging analysis of structural variations in a person's genome and DNA mapping and sequencing.

At the crux of the invention are three critical dimensional qualities for nanochannel arrays that enable the simultaneous isolation and analysis of a multitude of elongated macromolecules.  Specifically, the '770 patent discloses that:  (1) the channels should be sufficiently narrow in order to elongate and isolate macromolecules; (2) the channels should be long enough to permit the instantaneous observation of the entire elongated macromolecule; and (3) a high number of channels should be provided in each array to permit the simultaneous observation of a large number of macromolecules.

The lone independent claim of the '770 patent reads:

1.  A method of isolating, imaging, and analyzing, in parallel, two or more individual nucleic acid biopolymers, comprising the steps of: providing a nanofluidic chip, comprising: a) nanochannel array, comprising: a surface having a plurality of parallel nanochannels running along the material of the surface, said nanochannels having a trench width of less than about 150 nanometers and a trench depth of less than 200 nanometers; at least one of the plurality of nanochannels being surmounted by sealing material to render such nanochannels at least substantially enclosed; at least two of the nanochannels capable of admitting a fluid; b) at least one sample reservoir in fluid communication with at least two of the nanochannels, said sample reservoir capable of releasing a fluid containing at least two nucleic acid biopolymer; providing the at least one sample reservoir with at least one fluid, said fluid comprising at least two nucleic acid biopolymers; transporting the at least two nucleic acid biopolymers into the at least two nanochannels to elongate said at least two nucleic acid biopolymers, the at least two nucleic acid biopolymers being individually confined within the at least two nanochannels such that the at least two nucleic acid biopolymer are transported through the at least two nanochannels in an unfolded fashion; imaging in parallel at least one signal transmitted from the at least two elongated and isolated nucleic acid biopolymers within the nanochannels; and correlating the signal to at least one property of the at least two nucleic acid biopolymers to thereby analyze the two or more individual nucleic acid biopolymers.

The specification also discloses methods of preparing nanochannel arrays and nanofluidic chips, methods of analyzing macromolecules, such as entire strands of genomic DNA, and systems for carrying out these methods.

Comments

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I'm familiar with work in this sub-field from way back in the day. A good friend of mine did a senior design project making these types of chips. From how well his project turned out I have to say to these guys: Good luck fabricating those nano-channels and getting anything into them. Iirc from his paper and presentation board I believe my bud tried making some super skinny channels that likely went down to the nano realm and getting something into them was even more impossible than it was with the significantly bigger channels. Notably, their publication is not amongst the works cited.

"at least two of the nanochannels capable of admitting a fluid;"

"capable of" is a far cry from "will actually admit fluid on a regular basis"

That senior design group should have done something simple like my other bud who made a nintendo controller for handicap people. But who knows, maybe they made a good grade on it anyway dispite the failsauce.

Also, gl finding direct infringers. This is a method of making/using combination claim. I doubt if too many corps will make their own testing assemblies, they'll pay for some outside comp to make the thing then use it themselves.

Anyway, an interesting patent profile, but hardly something I'd look to in order to generate revenue anytime soon. The real advance in this field will be in technology to get the frakin liquid into the channel assembly regularly and dependably.