Patents Examined by Betty Forman
  • Patent number: 9428806
    Abstract: Systems and methods for specific nucleic acid (NA) sequence detection that do not rely on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for target sequence amplification and do not require any special reagents other than a complementary sequence capture probe conjugated to spherical beads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Harold G. Monbouquette, Jacob J. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9423378
    Abstract: Methods for the detection of biologically relevant molecules that comprise concentrating such molecules into microscopic holes in a sheet of chemically inert material, restricting the openings, and measuring the electric current through the holes or the fluorescence near the hole openings. The electric current or fluorescence will change as the molecules diffuse out of the holes, providing a measure of the diffusion rate and thereby detecting the presence and characteristics of the molecules. For molecules that interact, the diffusion rate will be slower than for molecules that do not interact, yielding a determination of the molecular interaction. Capping the population of holes and inserting into a mass spectrometer allows identification of the molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Inventor: Christopher Gordon Atwood
  • Patent number: 9417236
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are formulations, substrates, and arrays. Also disclosed herein are methods for manufacturing and using the formulations, substrates, and arrays. Also disclosed are methods for identifying peptide sequences useful for diagnosis and treatment of disorders, and methods for using the peptide sequences for diagnosis and treatment of disorders, e.g., celiac disorder. In certain embodiments, substrates and arrays comprise a porous layer for synthesis and attachment of polymers or biomolecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Vibrant Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: John J. Rajasekaran, Vasanth Jayaraman, Tianhao Wang, Kang Bei, Hari Krishnan Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 9409166
    Abstract: Disclosed are integrated devices capable of performing a polymerase chain reaction within a single vessel. Also disclosed are related methods of sample analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    Inventors: Michael G Mauk, Haim H Bau, Daniel Malamud, William Abrams
  • Patent number: 9387451
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for using a flow cell array are provided herein. An apparatus includes an array comprising one or more pixels, wherein each of the one or more pixels comprises multiple reaction sites openings; a first set of one or more sub-surface channels, wherein each of the multiple reaction site openings is connected to a sub-surface channel from the first set of one or more sub-surface channels; a second set of two or more sub-surface channels; and multiple vias connecting each channel from the first set of one or more sub-surface channels to (i) a first sub-surface channel from the second set of two or more sub-surface channels and (ii) a second sub-surface channel from the second set of two or more sub-surface channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Evan C. Colgan, Alexey Y. Lvov, Stanislav Polonsky
  • Patent number: 9372156
    Abstract: A system is configured to process the contents of one or more receptacles to detect an optical signal emitted by the contents of each receptacle. Each receptacle is held within a receptacle station of a movable receptacle carrier disposed within a temperature-controlled chamber of an incubator. At least one signal detector is configured to detect an optical signal emitted by the contents of a receptacle as the receptacle carrier moves each receptacle into an operative position with respect to the signal detector. A magnet holder is attached to the receptacle carrier and holds one or more magnets adjacent to an associated receptacle station so as to expose the contents of each receptacle carried in the receptacle station to a magnetic field when the receptacle is in the operative position with respect to the signal detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Byron J. Knight
  • Patent number: 9364803
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to methods for forming mixed droplets. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve forming a droplet, and contacting the droplet with a fluid stream, wherein a portion of the fluid stream integrates with the droplet to form a mixed droplet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Raindance Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yevgeny Yurkovetsky, Darren Roy Link, Jonathan William Larson
  • Patent number: 9354174
    Abstract: A biosensor for detecting the presence of a target analyte is disclosed. The biosensor is formed from microspheroidal particles which have had a binding partner for the target analyte immobilized on their surfaces. The binding partners may be nucleotides; peptides, proteins, enzymes, antibodies and so on. When the analyte binds to its partner, the whispering gallery mode (WGM) profiles of the micro spheroidal particles change such that the profile peaks undergo a red- or blue-shift. The immobilized binding partners may include fluorophores and the like so that they emit fluorescence, phosphorescence, incandescence and the like. These fluorophores may take the form of a nanocrystal or quantum dot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: GENERA BIOSYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventors: Karl Poetter, Brendan Toohey, Paul Mulvaney
  • Patent number: 9346892
    Abstract: An oligopeptide microarray and methods for the synthesis thereof are presented. Further presented is a microarray on a solid support comprising at least about 10,000 oligopeptide features per cm2 and preferably at least about 50,000 oligopeptide features per cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: ROCHE NIMBLE GEN, INC.
    Inventors: Tom Albert, Todd Richmond, Matthew Rodesch, Klaus-Peter Stengele, Jochen Buehler, Markus Ott
  • Patent number: 9340831
    Abstract: The present invention relates to surface-patterned microgels to which molecular beacon probes are immobilized. The immobilized molecular beacon probes exhibit both low non-specific background and high specific fluorescence. Also disclosed are related arrays, related detection methods, and preparation methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignees: Rutgers, the State of New Jersey, Stevens Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Xiaoguang Dai, Salvatore A. E. Marras, Matthew Libera
  • Patent number: 9310361
    Abstract: Method for making multifunctional particles. The method includes flowing a first monomer stream loaded with a fluorescent entity along a microfluidic channel and flowing a second monomer stream loaded with a probe adjacent to the first monomer stream along the microfluidic channel. The monomer streams are polymerized to synthesize particles having a fluorescent, graphically encoded region and a probe-loaded region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Patrick S. Doyle, Daniel C. Pregibon
  • Patent number: 9297763
    Abstract: A detection apparatus and method for the automatic detection of particles, in particular biological particles, in a sample. The detection apparatus comprises a detection device for recording the particles, and a fluidic device for automatically conveying the sample to the detection device. The fluidic device comprises a treatment device for the automatic treatment of the particles for the purpose of detection, and the detection device comprises a flow cytometer for recording at least one physical parameter of the treated particles. The detection method includes operations performed by the detection device, the fluidic device, the treatment device and the flow cytometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Heller
  • Patent number: 9290816
    Abstract: The present invention provides, among other things, methods and compositions for encoding a substrate for detecting and quantifying target nucleic acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Firefly Bioworks Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel C. Pregibon, Isaac Stoner, Andreas Windemuth, Timothy Erps
  • Patent number: 9279148
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and compositions for the use of micro sphere arrays to detect and quantify a number of nucleic acid reactions. The invention finds use in genotyping, i.e. the determination of the sequence of nucleic acids, particularly alterations such as nucleotide substitutions (mismatches) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Similarly, the invention finds use in the detection and quantification of a nucleic acid target using a variety of amplification techniques, including both signal amplification and target amplification. The methods and compositions of the invention can be used in nucleic acid sequencing reactions as well. All applications can include the use of adapter sequences to allow for universal arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Illumina, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Gunderson, John R. Stuelpnagel, Mark S. Chee, Jian-Bing Fan
  • Patent number: 9273306
    Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic nucleic acid purification apparatus which can prevent pollution due to aerosol generated from a biological sample containing high concentration target nucleic acid when the biological sample containing the high concentration target nucleic acid is mixed with other biological sample containing low concentration target nucleic acid or not containing the target nucleic acid. Further, disclosed is an automatic nucleic acid purification apparatus which can be applied to all kinds of nucleic acid purification equipments for purifying a plurality of biological samples using a magnet rode or a multi-pipette block moving in two or three axial directions, and which can minimize pollution due to the aerosol generated from the biological sample containing high concentration target nucleic acid and also can obtain accurate results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: BIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Han Oh Park, Byung Rae Jeong, Kwon Sic Kim
  • Patent number: 9273354
    Abstract: An apparatus and system are provided for simultaneously analyzing a plurality of analytes anchored to microparticles. Microparticles each having a uniform population of a single kind of analyte attached are disposed as a substantially immobilized planar array inside of a flow chamber where steps of an analytical process are carried out by delivering a sequence of processing reagents to the microparticles by a fluidic system under microprocessor control. In response to such process steps, an optical signal is generated at the surface of each microparticle which is characteristic of the interaction between the analyte carried by the microparticle and the delivered processing reagent. The plurality of analytes are simultaneously analyzed by collecting and recording images of the optical signals generated by all the microparticles in the planar array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Illumina, Inc.
    Inventors: John Bridgham, Kevin Corcoran, George Golda, Michael C. Pallas, Sydney Brenner
  • Patent number: 9263519
    Abstract: Nanowire array structures based on periodic or aperiodic nanowires are provided in various configurations for sensing and interacting with light and substances to provide various functions such as sensors for detecting DNAs and others and solar cells for converting light into electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Amit Lal, Yuerui Lu
  • Patent number: 9255288
    Abstract: Devices and methods generate an ordered restriction map of genomic DNA extracted from whole cells. The devices have a fluidic microchannel that merges into a reaction nanochannel that merges into a detection nanochannel at an interface where the nanochannel diameter decreases in size by between 50% to 99%. Intact molecules of DNA are transported to the reaction nanochannel and then fragmented in the reaction nanochannel using restriction endonuclease enzymes. The reaction nanochannel is sized and configured so that the fragments stay in an original order until they are injected into the detection nanochannel. Signal at one or more locations along the detection nanochannel is detected to map fragments in the order they occur along a long DNA molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: John Michael Ramsey, Laurent Menard
  • Patent number: 9250169
    Abstract: The described subject matter includes techniques and components for minimally invasive, selective capture and release of analytes. An aptamer is selected for its binding affinity with a particular analyte(s). The aptamer is functionalized on a solid phase, for example, microbeads, polymer monolith, microfabricated solid phase, etc. The analyte is allowed to bind to the aptamer, for example, in a microchamber. Once the analyte has been bound, a temperature control sets the temperature to an appropriate temperature at which the captured analyte is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Jingyue Ju, Donald W. Landry, Qiao Lin, ThaiHuu Nguyen, Renjun Pei, Chunmei Oiu, Milan N. Stojanovic
  • Patent number: 9248445
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a plurality of liquid discharge sections. Each liquid discharge section includes a reservoir, a nozzle that discharges a solution supplied from the reservoir, and discharge energy generating means that generates energy to discharge the solution from the nozzle. The number of the liquid discharge sections corresponds to the number of probe types to be formed. The nozzles are two-dimensionally arranged. Using this liquid discharging device, probe liquids are discharged from the corresponding reservoirs onto a solid-phase substrate to form a predetermined two-dimensional probe array of high-purity probes on the substrate. This process exhibits high reproducibility and processability, and the resulting probe array has high array density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Okamoto, Nobuko Yamamoto, Hidenori Watanabe, Tomohiro Suzuki