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- Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Applications
- Sprachen: English
- Document Number: 20200324283
- Publication Date: October 15, 2020
- Appl. No: 16/791759
- Application Filed: February 14, 2020
- Assignees: Western Digital Technologies, Inc. (San Jose, CA, US)
- Claim: 1. A detection device, comprising: a sensor comprising a spin torque oscillator (STO); at least one fluidic channel configured to receive molecules to be detected, wherein at least some of the molecules to be detected are labeled by magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs); and detection circuitry coupled to the sensor, wherein the sensor is encapsulated by a material separating the sensor from the at least one fluidic channel, a surface of the material providing binding sites for the molecules to be detected, and wherein the detection circuitry is configured to detect presence or absence of magnetization oscillations of the STO in a specified frequency band in response to presence or absence of at least one MNP coupled to one or more binding sites associated with the sensor.
- Claim: 2. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry is configured to detect the presence or absence of the magnetization oscillations of the STO in the specified frequency band by, in part, applying a DC current to the STO.
- Claim: 3. The detection device of claim 2, wherein a magnetization of the STO is configured to oscillate in the specified frequency band in the absence of the at least one MNP and to fail to oscillate in the specified frequency band in the presence of the at least one MNP.
- Claim: 4. The detection device of claim 2, wherein a magnetization of the STO is configured to oscillate in the specified frequency band in the presence of the at least one MNP and to fail to oscillate in the specified frequency band in the absence of the at least one MNP.
- Claim: 5. The detection device of claim 2, wherein a magnetization of the STO is configured to oscillate in the specified frequency band in the absence of the at least one MNP and to oscillate in a different frequency band in the presence of the at least one MNP, the different frequency band being disjoint from the specified frequency band.
- Claim: 6. The detection device of claim 2, wherein a magnetization of the STO is configured to oscillate in the specified frequency band in the presence of the at least one MNP and to oscillate in a different frequency band in the absence of the at least one MNP, the different frequency band being disjoint from the specified frequency band.
- Claim: 7. The detection device of claim 2, wherein the at least one MNP is superparamagnetic or ferromagnetic.
- Claim: 8. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry comprises a super-heterodyne detection circuit.
- Claim: 9. The detection device of claim 8, wherein the super-heterodyne detection circuit comprises: a reference oscillator configured to generate a reference signal; and a mixer coupled to the STO, wherein the mixer is configured to mix a signal output from the STO with the reference signal to produce an output signal for processing.
- Claim: 10. The detection device of claim 9, wherein a frequency of the reference signal is substantially equal to an expected oscillation frequency of the STO, the expected oscillation frequency being within the specified frequency band.
- Claim: 11. The detection device of claim 9, wherein a frequency of the reference signal is selectable, and wherein the detection circuitry is further configured to select the frequency of the reference signal to substantially match an expected oscillation frequency of the STO in the presence of the at least one MNP.
- Claim: 12. The detection device of claim 9, wherein a frequency of the reference signal is selectable, and wherein the detection circuitry is further configured to select the frequency of the reference signal to substantially match an expected oscillation frequency of the STO in the absence of the at least one MNP.
- Claim: 13. The detection device of claim 9, wherein the reference oscillator is a first reference oscillator, and wherein the reference signal is a first reference signal at a first frequency, the first frequency being substantially equal to an expected oscillation frequency of the STO in response to presence of one or more MNPs of a first MNP type, and wherein the detection device further comprises: a second reference oscillator configured to generate a second reference signal at a second frequency, the second frequency being substantially equal to an expected oscillation frequency of the STO in response to presence of one or more MNPs of a second type; and a switch coupled to a first input of the mixer and configured to couple either the first reference oscillator or the second reference oscillator to the first input of the mixer.
- Claim: 14. The detection device of claim 9, wherein the detection circuitry further comprises: a radio-frequency (RF) amplifier; a filter coupled to and disposed between the STO and an input of the RF amplifier; and a diode or envelope detector coupled to an output of the mixer, wherein: the RF amplifier is coupled to and disposed between an output of the filter and an input to the mixer.
- Claim: 15. The detection device of claim 14, wherein the filter is a high-pass filter or a band-pass filter.
- Claim: 16. The detection device of claim 14, wherein the filter is a first filter, and wherein the detection circuitry further comprises: a second filter coupled to the output of the mixer; and an additional amplifier coupled to and disposed between an output of the second filter and an input of the diode or envelope detector.
- Claim: 17. The detection device of claim 16, wherein the second filter is a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter.
- Claim: 18. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry comprises: a reference oscillator coupled to the STO; a processor; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to an input of the processor; and a low-pass or band-pass filter coupled to an input of the ADC and configured to filter a signal output from the STO and the reference oscillator to generate a signal to be processed by the ADC and the processor.
- Claim: 19. The detection device of claim 18, wherein the sensor is a first sensor and the STO is a first STO, and further comprising: a second sensor comprising a second STO, wherein: the second sensor is encapsulated by the material separating the second sensor from the at least one fluidic channel, the detection circuitry is further configured to detect presence or absence of magnetization oscillations of the second STO in the specified frequency band in response to presence of absence of at least one MNP coupled to one or more binding sites associated with the second sensor, and the reference oscillator is also coupled to the second STO.
- Claim: 20. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry comprises: a direct radio-frequency (RF) analog-to-digital converter (ADC); a processor coupled to an output of the direct RF ADC; and a high-pass or band-pass filter disposed between and coupled to the STO and an input of the direct RF ADC.
- Claim: 21. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry comprises: an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the STO; and a processor coupled to an output of the ADC and configured to execute machine-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive, from the ADC, samples of a signal generated by the STO, apply a Fourier transform to the samples, and determine whether a result of the Fourier transform indicates the presence or absence of magnetization oscillations of the STO in the specified frequency band to detect the presence or absence of magnetization oscillations of the STO in the specified frequency band.
- Claim: 22. The detection device of claim 21, wherein the processor is a digital signal processor.
- Claim: 23. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry comprises: a processor; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) disposed between the STO and the processor and configured to provide samples of a signal generated by the STO to the processor, and wherein the processor is configured to execute machine-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform a frequency-domain analysis of the samples to detect the presence or absence of magnetization oscillations of the STO in the specified frequency band.
- Claim: 24. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry comprises: an amplifier coupled to the STO; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to an output of the amplifier; and a processor coupled to an output of the ADC.
- Claim: 25. The detection device of claim 24, wherein the processor is a digital signal processor (DSP).
- Claim: 26. The detection device of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to execute machine-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to identify the presence of the magnetization oscillations of the STO within the specified frequency band.
- Claim: 27. The detection device of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to execute machine-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive, from the ADC, samples of a signal generated by the STO, apply a Fourier transform to the samples, and determine whether a result of the Fourier transform indicates the presence or absence of magnetization oscillations of the STO in the specified frequency band to detect the presence or absence of magnetization oscillations of the STO in the specified frequency band.
- Claim: 28. The detection device of claim 24, wherein the detection circuitry further comprises one or more of: (a) a high-pass filter disposed between the STO and the amplifier; (b) a band-pass filter disposed between the STO and the amplifier; (c) a mixer having first and second inputs and an output, the first input being coupled to the output of the amplifier, the second input being coupled to an output of a reference oscillator, and the output of the mixer being coupled to an input of the ADC; (d) a low-pass filter disposed between the output of the amplifier and the input of the ADC; or (e) a band-pass filter disposed between the output of the amplifier and the input of the ADC.
- Claim: 29. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the STO comprises a pinned layer, a free layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the pinned layer and the free layer.
- Claim: 30. The detection device of claim 29, wherein the pinned layer comprises one or more ferromagnetic (FM) layers.
- Claim: 31. The detection device of claim 30, wherein the one or more FM layers are first one or more FM layers, and wherein the free layer comprises second one or more FM layers.
- Claim: 32. The detection device of claim 31, wherein the spacer layer comprises an insulating layer or a metal layer.
- Claim: 33. The detection device of claim 29, wherein, in a quiescent state of magnetization, a magnetic moment of the free layer is oriented substantially co-linearly with a magnetic moment of the pinned layer.
- Claim: 34. The detection device of claim 29, wherein, in a quiescent state of magnetization, a magnetic moment of the free layer is oriented substantially parallel to or anti-parallel to a magnetic moment of the pinned layer.
- Claim: 35. The detection device of claim 29, wherein, in a quiescent state of magnetization, a magnetic moment of the free layer is oriented at an angle to a magnetic moment of the pinned layer, wherein the angle is between approximately 20 degrees and approximately 60 degrees.
- Claim: 36. A method of sequencing nucleic acid using a detection device, the detection device comprising a plurality of spin torque oscillators (STDs) and at least one fluidic channel, the method comprising: labeling a nucleotide precursor with a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP); adding the labeled nucleotide precursor to the fluidic channel of the detection device; determining whether at least one of the plurality of STOs is generating a signal; and based at least in part on the determination of whether the at least one of the plurality of STOs is generating the signal, determining whether the labeled nucleotide precursor has been detected.
- Claim: 37. The method of claim 36, wherein determining whether the at least one of the plurality of STOs is generating the signal comprises: detecting a presence or absence of a signal at an output of a super-heterodyne circuit coupled to the at least one of the plurality of STOs.
- Claim: 38. The method of claim 36, wherein determining whether at least one of the plurality of STOs is generating a signal comprises determining whether at least one of the plurality of STOs is generating a signal within a specified frequency band.
- Claim: 39. The method of claim 36, further comprising: before adding the labeled nucleotide precursor to the fluidic channel of the detection device, binding at least one nucleic acid strand to a binding site in the fluidic channel, and adding, to the fluidic channel, an extendable primer and a plurality of molecules of nucleic acid polymerase.
- Claim: 40. The method of claim 36, further comprising: in response to determining that the labeled nucleotide precursor has been detected, recording (a) an identity of the nucleotide precursor, or (b) an identity of a base complementary to the labeled nucleotide precursor.
- Claim: 41. A method of sequencing nucleic acid using a detection device, the detection device comprising a plurality of spin torque oscillators (STDs) and at least one fluidic channel, the method comprising: labeling a first nucleotide precursor with a first magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) type, the first MNP type selected to cause a magnetization of each of the plurality of STOs to oscillate at a first frequency; labeling a second nucleotide precursor with a second MNP type, the second MNP type selected to cause the magnetization of each of the plurality of STOs to oscillate at a second frequency; adding the labeled first and second nucleotide precursors to the fluidic channel of the detection device; detecting a frequency of a signal generated by at least one of the plurality of STOs; determining whether the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of the STOs matches the first frequency or the second frequency; and in response to the determining, identifying whether the first nucleotide precursor or the second nucleotide precursor has been detected.
- Claim: 42. The method of claim 41, wherein detecting the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs comprises: collecting samples of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs; and applying a Fourier transform to the samples.
- Claim: 43. The method of claim 41, wherein detecting the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs comprises: collecting samples of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs; and determining frequency content of the samples.
- Claim: 44. The method of claim 41, wherein detecting the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs comprises: multiplying the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs by a first reference signal of approximately the first frequency; and multiplying the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs by a second reference signal of approximately the second frequency, and wherein determining whether the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of the STOs matches the first frequency or the second frequency comprises: identifying the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs as the first frequency in response to a result of the multiplying being greater than a first threshold; and identifying the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs as the second frequency in response to a result of the multiplying being greater than the first threshold or a second threshold.
- Claim: 45. The method of claim 41, wherein determining whether the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of the STOs matches the first frequency or the second frequency comprises determining whether the frequency of the signal generated by the at least one of the plurality of STOs is approximately the first frequency or approximately the second frequency.
- Claim: 46. An apparatus for molecule detection, the apparatus comprising: at least one fluidic channel; a plurality of spin torque oscillators (STDs), each of the plurality of STOs configured to generate a radio-frequency (RF) signal in response to detecting a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) labeling a molecule to be detected within the at least one fluidic channel; means for determining that at least one of the plurality of STOs is generating the RF signal; and means for determining, in response to determining that the at least one of the plurality of STOs is generating the RF signal, that the molecule to be detected has been detected.
- Claim: 47. The apparatus recited in claim 46, wherein the means for determining that the at least one of the plurality of STOs is generating the RF signal comprises a super-heterodyne circuit coupled to the at least one of the plurality of STOs.
- Claim: 48. An apparatus for molecule detection, the apparatus comprising: at least one fluidic channel; a plurality of spin torque oscillators (STDs), each of the plurality of STOs configured to cease to generate a radio-frequency (RF) signal in response to detecting a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) labeling a molecule to be detected within the at least one fluidic channel; means for determining that at least one of the plurality of STOs is not generating the RF signal; and means for determining, in response to determining that the at least one of the plurality of STOs is not generating the RF signal, that the molecule to be detected has been detected.
- Claim: 49. The apparatus recited in claim 48, wherein the means for determining that the at least one of the plurality of STOs is not generating the RF signal comprises a super-heterodyne circuit coupled to the at least one of the plurality of STOs.
- Current International Class: 01; 03; 01; 12
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