Patents Represented by Attorney Leading-Edge Law Group, PLC
  • Patent number: 7632008
    Abstract: Test and reference groups of samples can be provided and concurrently combined and output signals can be provided. Each sample can have a volume not exceeding approximately 100 microliters, and each group can be provided in a region, such as in a cell of an array calorimeter. Each test group can include at least one fragment sample and one target sample, and its reference group can include similar samples. The output signals can include information about heat of reaction due to combining the fragment and target samples. For each target type, the output signals can be used to rank fragment types. For example, a subset of fragment types that react with the target type can be identified; an equilibrium constant or ligand efficiency can be obtained for each such fragment type; or a rank ordering can be obtained of such fragment types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael I. Recht, Francisco E. Torres, Richard H. Bruce, Alan G. Bell
  • Patent number: 7610686
    Abstract: A device can include a support structure to be supported on a bow and that, through other structures and components, can support a viewing part such as an archery sight. For example, the support structure and a structure movable in an elevation direction can have paired guide surfaces that slide against each other, with opposite sets of guide surfaces having effective spans within a stable range despite a user pressing on one side, as in coarse adjustment. Guide surface shapes can allow only negligible relative movement, as with V-shapes. Gibs can be on guide surfaces, with some gibs adjustable to compensate wear, such as with springs. Also, a structure movable in a windage direction can have tapered bushings around guide pins that extend through them and can receive pressure from a spring-like component such as a spring wave washer. And a removable scope mounting device can have parts allowing adjustment around two axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Inventors: Gregory E. Summers, Daniel Edward Ellgass
  • Patent number: 7586080
    Abstract: Layered structures such as photosensing arrays include layers in which charge carriers can be transported. For example, a carrier-transporting substructure that includes a solution processing artifact can transport charge carriers that flow to or from it through charge-flow surface parts that are on electrically conductive regions of a circuitry substructure; the circuitry substructure can also have channel surface parts that are on semiconductive channel regions, with a set of the channel regions operating as acceptable switches in an application. Or a first substructure's surface can have carrier-active surface parts on electrode regions and line surface parts on line regions; a second substructure can include a transport layer on carrier-active surface parts and, over it, an electrically conductive layer; to prevent leakage, an open region can be defined in the electrically conductive layer over the line surface part and/or an electrically insulating layer portion can cover the line surface part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael L. Chabinyc, Tse Nga Ng
  • Patent number: 7584580
    Abstract: Drainage under a deck can be performed by a structure that includes hanging components and corrugated panels. For example, a hanging component can have connected first and second portions, with the first portion being connected to hang from one of the joists and extending downward to where it connects to the second portion, which is below the joist. The second portion can be connected to support of at least one of the panels from above. The upper surfaces of panels are sloped so that drainage occurs from a high part to a low part. The direction of slope and the direction of corrugations are not perpendicular, and can be approximately the same. The hanging components can, for example, be L-shaped brackets, U-shaped, or inverted T-shaped, and can be integrally formed by extrusion of plastic or can be metal. The panels can be corrugated plastic or metal sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Inventors: John D. Adair, Jr., L. Paul Nelson, II
  • Patent number: 7554673
    Abstract: While two or more analytes within an optical cavity move relative to an array of photosensing elements, the cavity provides output light that has a position/time varying intensity function that depends on optical characteristics of the analytes and on the relative movement. The output light is photosensed to obtain sensing results that depend on the position/time varying intensity function. The sensing results are used to obtain information about at least one of the analytes. The relative movement can, for example, be caused by moving analytes within channels within the cavity, such as by causing flow of a medium that carries the analytes through the channels. Or the analytes can be in wells of a biochip, with the cavity defined by reflective slides on opposite surfaces of the biochip, and the slides and biochip can be caused to move together relative to the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Kiesel, Oliver Schmidt, Michael Bassler
  • Patent number: 7547904
    Abstract: Photons emanating from a channel in a fluidic structure or from moving objects are sensed using a photosensor array in an integrated circuit. The array includes subrange cells that photosense within respective subranges of a photon energy range. For example, the subrange cells can receive photons in their respective subranges from a transmission structure that has laterally varying properties. The photons can be emitted in response to excitation or can be scattered in response to illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Oliver Schmidt, Peter Kiesel, Noble M. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7545513
    Abstract: Output light from an optical cavity includes, for each of a set of modes, an intensity function. Analyte can be positioned in the cavity, and a mode's intensity function can be encoded to include information about an optical characteristic of an analyte. For example, the intensity function can include a peak, and its central energy, maximum intensity, contrast, or intermediate intensity width (e.g. FWHM) can indicate the optical characteristic. For example, the information can be about both refractive index and absorption of an analyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Kiesel, Oliver Schmidt, Michael Bassler
  • Patent number: 7529438
    Abstract: Fluidic waveguides have inward surfaces or areas that face each other, separated by a channel region that can be covered. For example, an integrally formed channel component can include two walls parts and a connecting part, with inward surfaces on the wall parts and, extending between them, a base surface; a covering component's lower surface can also extend between the inward surfaces, bounding the channel region; other fluidic, electrical, and optical components can also be attached. In a stack, the covering component can cover the first channel component, and the lower base surface of each preceding channel component can cover the following channel component. An integrally formed body of light-transmissive material can have a surface that includes a waveguide's inward areas and a base area between them; a covering component can be mounted on areas adjacent the inward areas, providing an enclosed channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Oliver Schmidt, Michael Bassler, Peter Kiesel
  • Patent number: 7522786
    Abstract: In detection and sensing, light is transmitted through layers or structures that vary laterally, such as with a constant gradient or a step-like gradient. After transmission, a position of a transmitted portion of the light or of output photons can be used to determine wavelength change or to obtain other photon energy information. The light can be received, for example, from a stimulus-wavelength converter such as an optical fiber sensor or another optical sensor. A component that propagates the light from the converter to a transmission structure can spread the light across the transmission structure's entry surface. At the exit surface of the transmission structure, photosensor components can sense or detect transmitted light or output photons, such as with a photosensor array or a position sensor. A photosensed quantity can be compared, such as with another photosensed quantity or with a calibration quantity. A differential quantity can be obtained using photosensed quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Kiesel, Oliver Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7522811
    Abstract: Complementary surface fabrication processes such as molding, casting, embossing, and so forth, are used to produce articles, structures, or components structured to operate as sandwich waveguides. Resulting complementary surface artifacts include, for example, optical quality surfaces on wall parts, other exposed artifacts that occur where a complementary solid surface contacts non-solid material during fabrication, and sub-surface artifacts such as integrally formed connections between wall parts and base parts. A body whose surface includes a waveguide's inward surfaces, outward surfaces, and light interface surfaces to receive incident light can be formed in a single step, leaving a partially bounded fluidic region that can then be covered to provide a channel that is bounded along a length yet open at its ends; other fluidic, electrical, and optical components can also be attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Oliver Schmidt, Michael Bassler, Peter Kiesel
  • Patent number: 7521253
    Abstract: A method is provided for multiple target screening for drug assays utilizing a nanocalorimeter. The method includes depositing a drop containing a plurality of drug targets and another drop containing a plurality of drug candidates upon a test substrate. The drops are merged and a determination is made as to whether a reaction has occurred between the drops. If such a reaction has occurred, the reacting drug targets and drug candidates are tested individually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard H. Bruce, Steven Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 7517043
    Abstract: Various fluidic techniques can employ ducting structures, such as microstructures, that extend between other components, such as plate-like structures. A ducting structure can, for example, include an inlet opening toward or near one plate-like structure, an outlet opening toward or near another plate-like structure, and a duct in which fluid flows after being received through the inlet opening and before being provided through the outlet opening. In some implementations, a ducting structure is photo-defined, such as by exposing a photoimageable structure and then removing either exposed or unexposed regions. In some implementations, a ducting structure is a freestanding polymer microstructure. In some implementations, ducting structures are microstructures that extend approximately the same length between first and second plate-like structures, and have a ratio of length to maximum cavity diameter of approximately two or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Fitch, Scott Elrod, Jurgen Daniel, James W. Stasiak, Steven A. Buhler, Babur B. Hadimioglu, Joy Roy, Michael C. Weisberg, James C. Zesch
  • Patent number: 7502123
    Abstract: Output light from an optical cavity includes, for each of a set of modes, an intensity function, and a mode's intensity function includes information, such as about an optical characteristic of an analyte or of a region. For example, the intensity function can include a peak, and its central energy, maximum intensity, contrast, or intermediate intensity width (e.g. FWHM) can indicate the optical characteristic. The output light can be photosensed, providing electrical signals that depend on the optical characteristic. Information about the analyte or region can then be obtained using the electrical signals. For example, the information can be about both refractive index and absorption of an analyte. Cavity-only absorption values, independent, for example, of absorption outside the cavity and of inhomogeneous illumination, can be obtained based on contrast or intermediate intensity width. For detection of glucose in bodily fluid, derivatives of absorption can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Oliver Schmidt, Peter Kiesel, Michael Bassler
  • Patent number: 7487737
    Abstract: Devices that emit sound audible to nearby animals can include a deflection structure or other support structure and, connected to it, at least one whistle structure. The deflection structure can, for example, be a rain guard, an insect deflector, or a rock deflector. It can, for example, have an air flow surface across which air flows when the vehicle on which it is mounted moves at normal operating speeds, and whistle structures can be activated by the air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Inventor: Mark E. Williams
  • Patent number: 7479625
    Abstract: A fluidic structure includes a channel and along the channel is a series of sensing components to obtain information about objects traveling within the channel, such as droplets or other objects carried by fluid. At least one sensing component includes a set of cells of a photosensor array. The set of cells photosense a range of photon energies that emanate from objects, and include a subset of cells that photosense within subranges. A processor can receive information about objects from the sensing components and use it to obtain spectral information. The processor can perform an initial analysis using information from one set of sensing components and, based on the results, control a fluidic device in the channel, such as a gate, to retain objects, such as for concentration and more detailed analysis by other sensing components, or to purge objects from the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Kiesel, Meng H. Lean, Oliver Schmidt, Armin R. Volkel, Noble M. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7473030
    Abstract: In thermal sensing devices, such as for calorimetry, a support layer or central layer can have a thermometer element or other thermal sensor on one side and a thermally conductive structure or component on the other. The thermally conductive structure can conduct temperature or other thermal input signals laterally across the support layer or central layer. The temperature or signals can then be provided to the thermometer element, such as by thermal contact through the support layer. An electrically conducting, thermally isolating anti-coupling layer, such as of gold or chromium, can reduce capacitive coupling between the thermally conductive structure and the thermometer element or other thermal sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard H. Bruce, Dirk De Bruyker, Francisco E. Torres, Michal V. Wolkin
  • Patent number: 7473031
    Abstract: Thermal sensors for calorimetry can include vanadium oxide, heavily p-doped amorphous silicon, or other materials with high temperature coefficients of resistivity. Such thermal sensors can have low noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD). For example, a thermal sensor with NETD no greater than 100 ?K over a bandwidth range of approximately 3 Hz or more can include a thermistor including vanadium oxide sputtered at room temperature under conditions that yield primarily V2O5; more specifically, the NETD can be no greater than 35 ?K, or even 10 ?K over a bandwidth range of approximately 3 Hz or more. If a low noise thermal sensor has NETD no greater than 50 ?K over such a bandwidth range, a low noise output circuitry connected to its thermistor can provide an electrical output signal that includes information about input thermal signal peaks with amplitude of approximately 100 ?K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Incorporated
    Inventors: Michal V. Wolkin, Dirk De Bruyker, Eric Peeters, Alan Bell
  • Patent number: 7471399
    Abstract: An optical cavity, such as a laser or transmissive cavity, that can contain an analyte provides a different intensity-energy function with analyte present than when absent. The intensity-energy functions can, for example, include respective peaks that are different in at least one of central energy, amplitude, contrast, and full width half maximum (FWHM) (or other intermediate intensity width). Each intensity-energy function can include a set of modes in which the optical cavity provides output light. A laterally varying transmission component, such as a layered linearly varying filter, responds to the intensity-energy functions by providing different laterally varying energy distributions to a photosensing IC, and the distributions are also different, such as in position, size, or intensity. In response, the photosensing IC provides sensing results that are also different. The sensing results can be used to obtain information about the analyte, such as its refractive index or absorption coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Kiesel, Oliver Schmidt, Michael Bassler
  • Patent number: 7433552
    Abstract: Light, such as from an analyte-wavelength converter or other optical sensor, is propagated to a detector or transmission structure with an entry surface and with output positions such as in an exit surface. For example, the position of light output by such a detector can be used to detect presence of an analyte such as a biomolecule or chemical. Or relative quantities of photons provided at positions of the exit surface can indicate analyte information such as presence, absence, quantity, or concentration. The detector or transmission structure can have a laterally varying energy transmission function, such as with a constant gradient or a step-like gradient. At the exit surface of the transmission structure, a photosensor array or position sensor can sense transmitted light or output photons, and, in response, circuitry can provide signals indicating the analyte information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Kiesel, Oliver Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7420677
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a photosensor array with subrange cells that photosense within respective subranges of an energy range. An optical signal and the array move relative to each other, and, for segments of their relative movement, sets of subrange cells photosense within subranges that are different. For example, a scanning device can cause relative scanning movement. The optical signal can be produced by illuminating a two-dimensional object. The photosensed quantities for a part of the optical signal can be used to produce spectral information for the part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Oliver Schmidt, Peter Kiesel, Noble M. Johnson, Patrick Y. Maeda