US 7,560,070 B1
Cantilever sensors and transducers
Marko K. Baller, Santa Barbara, Calif. (US); Juergen Fritz, Karlsruhe (Germany); Christoph Gerber, Richterswil (Switzerland); James Gimzewski, Santa Monica, Calif. (US); and Hans Peter Lang, Reinach (Switzerland)
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US); and Universitat Basel, (Switzerland)
Appl. No. 10/129,254
PCT Filed Oct. 16, 2000, PCT No. PCT/IB00/01472
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Oct. 04, 2002,
PCT Pub. No. WO01/33226, PCT Pub. Date May 10, 2001.
Claims priority of application No. 99121790 (EP), filed on Nov. 03, 1999.
Int. Cl. G01N 33/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 422—50  [422/68.1; 422/83; 73/1.01; 73/1.02; 436/43; 436/63] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Sensor system (70) for detecting a target nucleotide strand in a reference liquid, comprising
a measurement cantilever (71) being functionalized by application of a first coating to one of the measurement cantilever's surfaces, whereby this first coating comprises a first oligonucleotide that hybridizes to the target nucleotide strand,
a reference cantilever (72) with a reference coating on one of the reference cantilever's surfaces, whereby this reference coating comprises a second oligonucleotide that does not hybridize to the target nucleotide strand, wherein the surfaces of the measurement cantilever (71) and the reference cantilever (72) exhibit the same physical properties and differ only in the base sequences of the first and second oligonucleotides,
a cantilever holder (95) for exposing the measurement cantilever (71) and the reference cantilever (72) in a reference step to the reference liquid and in a detection step to the reference liquid with the target nucleotide strand,
a detector unit (73, 74, 83) for determining the difference in static deflection of the measurement cantilever (71) and the reference cantilever (72) during the reference step and the detection step,
wherein the difference in static deflection of the measurement cantilever (71) and the reference cantilever (72) is indicative of the target nucleotide strand in the reference liquid.