Small particle measurement system

Abstract

A nanopore device includes an aperture and an electrode pair. A transimpedance amplifier converts a current signal Is that flows through the nanopore device into a voltage signal Vs. The nanopore device measures small particles based on first data obtained by removing a DC component from the voltage signal Vs and second data obtained based on the voltage signal Vs from which the DC component has not been removed. Furthermore, the nanopore device is capable of monitoring the state of the nanopore device.

1 .- 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An information processing apparatus employed in a small particle measurement system, wherein the small particle measurement system comprises:
 a nanopore device having an aperture and an electrode pair; and   a measurement apparatus structured to apply a voltage between the electrode pair, to detect a current that flows through the electrode pair, and to generate first data, of which a DC component has been removed, and second data, which includes a DC component,   and wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a processor configured to execute processing for detecting a small particle based on the first data and to execute processing for monitoring a state of the nanopore device based on the second data.   
     
     
         8 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 7 , structured to be capable of detecting clogging in the nanopore device. 
     
     
         9 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , structured to judge that a clogging state has occurred in the nanopore device when an amount of current indicated by the second data is smaller than a predetermined value over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         10 . A software program executed by an information processing apparatus employed in a small particle measurement system, wherein the small particle measurement system comprises:
 a nanopore device having an aperture and an electrode pair; and   a measurement apparatus structured to apply a voltage between the electrode pair, to detect a current that flows through the electrode pair, and to generate first data, of which a DC component has been removed, and second data, which includes a DC component,   and wherein the software program is structured to instruct a processor included in the information processing apparatus to execute:
 detecting a particle based on the first data; and 
 monitoring a state of the nanopore device based on the second data. 
   
     
     
         11 . A measurement method for measuring a small particle, comprising:
 filling a nanopore device having an aperture and an electrode pair with an electrolyte solution containing small particles;   applying a voltage between the electrode pair, and measuring a current waveform that flows through the electrode pair;   generating first data obtained by removing a DC component from the current waveform, and generating second data including a DC component;   detecting a small particle based on the first data; and   monitoring a state of the nanopore device based on the second data.   
     
     
         12 . A measurement apparatus structured to measure a nanopore device having an aperture and an electrode pair, the measurement apparatus comprising:
 a transimpedance amplifier structured to convert a current signal that flows through the nanopore device into a voltage signal;   a voltage source structured to apply a DC bias voltage between the electrode pair;   a high-pass filter structured to remove a DC component from the voltage signal;   a first A/D converter structured to convert an output of the high-pass filter into first data;   a second A/D converter structured to convert the voltage signal before it passes through the high-pass filter into second data;   a first cache group structured to store the first data;   a second cache group structured to store the second data;   a cache controller structured to write the first data and the second data to the first cache group and the second cache group, and to read out the first data and the second data; and   a bus controller structured to transmit the first data and the second data read out by the cache controller to an external information processing apparatus.   
     
     
         13 . The measurement apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the first A/D converter is structured to have a sampling rate that is higher than that of the second A/D converter,
 and wherein, when a full-cache event has occurred in either the first cache group or the second cache group, the cache controller starts to read the first data and the second data.