Patents Represented by Attorney Royal N. Ronning, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6875573
    Abstract: Thermostable DNA polymerases both in native form and having single amino acid substitutions and optionally N-terminal deletions are disclosed. These polymerases exhibit a substantial improvement of DNA sequencing performance compared to Taq DNA polymerase. The instant DNA polymerases also possess improved salt tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences Corp
    Inventors: Carl Fuller, Joseph Szasz
  • Patent number: 6852230
    Abstract: Method for desalting an aqueous liquid containing a charged substance comprising the steps of: (i) contacting liquid (I) with an ion-exchanger (1) under conditions permitting binding between ion-exchanger and substance, said ion-exchanger comprising a base matrix carrying an ion-exchange ligand (Ligand 1) with the opposite charge compared to the substance, (ii) desorbing said substance from said ion-exchanger by the use of a liquid (liquid (II)). Wherein: (A) ion-exchanger (1) is an ion-exchanger: (a) that can bind the substance in an aqueous reference liquid at ionic strength corresponding to 0.1 M NaCl, preferably 0.25 M NaCl; and (b) permits a breakthrough capacity at the pH provided by liquid (I) which is more than 2 mg/ml of gel, at a breakthrough of 10% and linear flow velocity of 300 cm/h; and (B) in step (ii) the pH of liquid (11) is adjusted to a pH value where the charge difference between the substance, the ligand and/or the ion-exchanger is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventors: Makonnen Belew, Bo-Lennart Johansson, Jean-Luc Maloisel
  • Patent number: 6847035
    Abstract: The present invention relates to devices and methods for determining the masses of particles by measuring the time between a first event such as a sample (5) being ionized, (or a beam of electromagnetic radiation being scattered by a particle (15) and electromagnetic radiation scattered by said particle being detected by a detection means,) and a second event in which a beam (21) of electromagnetic radiation is scattered by a particle (15) from said ionized sample and electromagnetic radiation (25) from said beam (21) scattered by said particle (15) is detected by a detection means (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences UK Limited
    Inventor: Shiv Sharma
  • Patent number: 6843427
    Abstract: Method and device for continuously producing a coherent layer of a liquid/melt of even thickness by means of centrifugal action along the entire periphery of a rotating disk (13, 113), liquid/melt being supplied to the disk around its entire axis of rotation from means (12, 112) and leaving the disk as individual droplets. The means (12, 112) distributing the liquid/melt onto the disk (13, 113) has according to the invention essentially the same speed and direction of rotation as the disk, and the liquid/melt undergoes under the influence of centrifugal action circumferentially a spreading and change in velocity across the disk (13, 113) in contact with the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventors: Ralf Goran Andersson, Ingemar Jonsson
  • Patent number: 6841097
    Abstract: The invention refers to a method of controlling the porosity of porous spherical particles produced from a polysaccharide dissolved in a solvent, in which it can be gelled. The polysaccharide solution is finely divided by mechanical means into spherical droplets which are allowed to pass through a humid atmosphere and transferred to a capturing medium while controlling the temperature and humidity of humid atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventors: Ralf Goran Andersson, Ingemar Jonsson
  • Patent number: 6835379
    Abstract: A method for producing IgG from plasma for medical applications, comprising at least: (i′) removal of albumin resulting in an IgG fraction, (ii′) purifying IgG from an IgG fraction, which is derived from the IgG fraction obtained in step (i′), by adsorbing IgG to a cation exchanger and collecting the adsorbed IgG fraction, and (iii′) virus inactivation in an IgG fraction derived from the IgG fraction collected in step (ii′). The method is characterized in; (I) concentrating the IgG fraction obtained in step (i′), (II) adjusting pH to 4±0.1 in the IgG fraction released from the cation exchanger in step (ii′), and preferably maintaining the pH below 6.0 during the remaining steps of the method; and (III) carrying out the virus inactivation (step iii′) by using chemicals at a temperature of 30° C.±2° C. for at least 4 hours. Anticomplementary activity is typically below 1 CH50/mg immunoglobulin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventors: Inger Andersson, Lars-Olof Lindquist
  • Patent number: 6833545
    Abstract: The present invention relates to analysis devices having means (3, 5, 7) for producing a plurality of ion beams of samples substantially simultaneously; mass separating means for individually mass separating each ion beam in parallel and detecting means (131-13n) for detecting said mass separated ion beams substantially simultaneously, and to methods for using such devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventor: Jan Axelsson
  • Patent number: 6828116
    Abstract: Disclosed is a non-fluorescent cyanine dye that may be used as an acceptor in fluorescence energy transfer assays involving the detection of binding and/or cleavage events in reactions involving biological molecules, and assay methods utilising such dyes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences UK Limited
    Inventors: Alan L. Hamilton, Martyn N. Birch, Malcolm J. Hatcher, Nigel Bosworth, Brian Scott
  • Patent number: 6809816
    Abstract: Laser pulses from laser head 12 pass through objective lens 16 to a focal spot in sample spot 17. If a pulse hits a fluorophore molecule in the focal spot a fluorescence photon is emitted which is collected by lens 16, reflected by dichroic mirror 15 through filter 20, which blocks photons of other wavelengths, to single photon counting photomultiplier unit 21. On detecting a photon, photomultiplier unit 21 generates an output pulse which is coupled, with a short delay, by pulse controller 30 to driver circuit 24 which causes laser head 12 to generate another laser pulse. Thus the interval between the laser pulses is substantially equal to the time between excitation of, and fluorescence emission by, the fluorophore molecule. Computer 23 coupled to photomultiplier unit 21 and driver circuit 24 determines the decay time by measurement of a number of fluorescence events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences UK Limited
    Inventor: Shiv Sharma
  • Patent number: 6805793
    Abstract: A novel method for separating a target substance, for example, metal ion, drug or biological component is provided. According to the method, the surface of a packing undergoes a chemical or physical environmental change under a physical stimulus so that the interaction of a substance interacting with the target substance is reversibly changed in an aqueous solution, thus effecting separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignees: Japan Chemical Innovation Institute, The Agency of Industrial Science and Technology of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry
    Inventors: Kimihiro Yoshizako, Yoshikatsu Akiyama, Katsuhiko Ueno, Teruo Okano
  • Patent number: 6805730
    Abstract: Porous hollow polymer fiber membranes having convoluted inside and/or outside surfaces, as well as filter devices comprising a plurality of the hollow fiber membranes, the devices preferably being arranged to direct fluid flow from the inside surface of the membranes to the outside surface, methods of making the membranes, and methods of using the filter devices, are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences Membrane Separations Corp.
    Inventor: Attila Herczeg
  • Patent number: 6800847
    Abstract: A micro-channel plate (MCP) detector system (30) comprising a MCP detector, a data acquisition unit (20), wherein the detector comprises a first and a second MCP electron multiplier (12, 14), one or more anodes (16) connected to the data acquisition unit (20) and a gate electrode (32) disposed between the first and the second MCP electron multiplier (12, 14), wherein the detector system further comprises a data storage unit (36) and a gain control unit (34) which is connected to the gate electrode (32) and to the data storage unit (36), wherein a pilot spectrum is stored in the data storage unit (36), and wherein the gain control unit (34) is arranged to read the pilot spectrum from the data storage unit (36), and to control the potential on the gate electrode (32) as a function of m/z or time in response to said pilot spectrum, such that the transmission of electrons to the second MCP electron multiplier (14) is lowered when abundant protein ions appear, whereby a high sensitivity is maintained during the re
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventor: Jan Axelsson
  • Patent number: 6790613
    Abstract: This invention relates to the improvement of arrays of porous polymer pads on solid supports used in biological assays. The invention involves freeze drying the porous polymer pads to increase pore size. The increased pore size results in an enhanced ability of the porous polymer pads to bind specific binding substances such as DNA, RNA and polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventors: Song Shi, George Maracas, Vi-En Choong
  • Patent number: 6766071
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for use in the measurement of the heat generated in a chemical or biochemical reaction, by detecting and measuring a change in the conformation of a polymer transducer responsive to a heat change, the transducer being bound to the surface of the waveguides of an interferometer. The conformational change is detected by optical means and is compared with a control. The polymer transducer may be selected from an organic polymer or a biological macromolecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences UK Ltd.
    Inventor: John Gerard Whateley
  • Patent number: 6764215
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, a measuring cell and a system for measuring very small heat changes in a sample. The system comprises a measuring cell 16 for containing the sample during the measurement process, at least one electromagnetic radiation unit 14 for radiating one or several samples with modulated monochromatic or polychromatic radiation 46 inside said measuring cell 16. Said measuring cell 16 comprises at least one acoustic transducer 22 for generating a first output signal V(t) and at least one heat measuring device 24 for generating a second output signal T(t). Both signals are connectable to a combining unit 18 that generates an information signal by means of a reference signal f(t). Said information signal is connectable to a signal processing unit 20 for determining at least one relevant reaction parameter as a function of the measured heat change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences UK Ltd.
    Inventors: Phil Meyler, Rudi Labarbe
  • Patent number: 6748985
    Abstract: An inlet device for a reactor vessel (5) intended for a separation method comprising retaining a substance on a separation medium from a liquid passing through the reactor vessel (5) which contains the separation medium. The device comprises (a) a distributor block (7) enabling a liquid flow to pass through the block into the reactor vessel (5), (b) an inlet block (3), (c) a distribution chamber (1) defined by a space between the distributor block (7) and the outlet side (11) of the inlet block (3), (d) at least one conduit (I; 13a,13b . . . ) passing through the inlet block (3) from the inlet side (10) to the outlet side (11) of said inlet block (3) and ending in the distribution chamber (1), said at least one conduit being able to distribute liquid into the distribution chamber (1), (e) a gross liquid flow direction going perpendicular to the plane of the interface between the distribution block (7) and the distribution chamber (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventors: Joachim Walter, Uwe Striffler, Jan Feuser
  • Patent number: 6745133
    Abstract: The monoisotopic mass peak of an experimentally obtained mass spectrum (262) for a sample molecule is determined using a cross correlation method. A model spectrum (261), having a known monoisotopic peak position, is created based on knowledge of the sample molecule. A set of correlation values are calculated from intensity values IMODEL, IEXP for a selected mutual alignment between the spectra. A cross correlation analysis is used to find the best agreement between the model and the experimental mass spectrum, represented by a best value of a quality factor. The position of the monoisotopic peak of the model spectrum showing the best agreement with the experimental mass spectrum is selected as the best approximation of the monoisotopic peak of the experimental spectrum. Knowing the charge state of the analysed section of the mass spectrum it is possible to determine the monoisotopic mass of the sample molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventor: Jan Axelsson
  • Patent number: D500555
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventor: Karl-Gunnar Hellström
  • Patent number: D500856
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventor: Karl-Gunnar Hellström
  • Patent number: D495060
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Amersham Biosciences AB
    Inventor: Karl-Gunnar Hellström