Patents Examined by Joseph Woitach
  • Patent number: 10861586
    Abstract: In one aspect, methods are described herein for enhancing one or more nucleic acid interactions. For example, in some embodiments, methods of enhancing one or more steps of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are described herein. In some embodiments, the optimal temperature cycling protocol for one or more PCR cycles can be determined according to methods described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: CHAKRABARTI ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, LLC
    Inventor: Raj Chakrabarti
  • Patent number: 10847248
    Abstract: A novel phasing algorithm harnesses sequencing read information from next generation sequencing technologies to guide and improve local haplotype reconstruction from genotypes. Techniques include determining correlated occurrences of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of a population of individuals. A plurality of sequences of nucleotide bases in one or more individuals from the populations of individuals is determined based on ultra-high throughput sequencing of a sample from the one or more individuals. Haplotypes included in the population of individuals are determined based on both the correlated occurrences and the plurality of sequences. The inclusion of paired end read data is especially advantageous for the phasing of rare variants, including singletons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Carlos D. Bustamante, Fouad Zakharia
  • Patent number: 10839939
    Abstract: Methods, processes, and particularly computer implemented processes and computer program products are provided for use in the analysis of genetic sequence data. The processes and products are employed in the assembly of shorter nucleic acid sequence data into longer linked and preferably contiguous genetic constructs, including large contigs, chromosomes and whole genomes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: 10X Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Schnall-Levin, Iain MacCallum
  • Patent number: 10829802
    Abstract: A measuring method for amplicon length is provided. A qPCR master mix, a forward primer, a reverse primer, a hybridization probe, a double-stranded DNA binding dye, and nucleic acid samples are added into reaction wells for qPCR reaction, and the fluorescence intensity of each of a hybridization probe and a double-stranded DNA binding dye varying with cycle number is respectively measured. Afterwards, amplicon length is obtained by applying a calculating method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Quark Biosciences Taiwan, Inc.
    Inventors: Chung-Fan Chiou, Cheng-Wey Wei, Yu Chang, Chang-Wei Huang
  • Patent number: 10793612
    Abstract: This disclosure concerns methods for the design of synthetic nucleic acid sequences that encode polypeptide amino acid repeat regions. This disclosure also concerns the use of such sequences to express a polypeptide of interest that comprises amino acid repeat regions, and organisms comprising such sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Dow AgroSciences LLC
    Inventors: Donald J. Merlo, Ignacio Larrinua, Scott Bevan
  • Patent number: 10711299
    Abstract: System and methods for identifying nucleotides based on data acquired from a sensor during sequencing of nucleic acids. The method may include obtaining characteristics of light detected from luminescent labels associated with the nucleotides during nucleotide incorporation events. The characteristics may include, for each nucleotide incorporation event, a temporal characteristic the light and an intensity characteristic of the light. The temporal characteristic representing a speed of decay of a probability of photon emission by a luminescent label after excitation. The method may further include grouping points representing the characteristics of the nucleotide incorporation events into groups of points. The individual points may represent at least the temporal characteristic and the intensity characteristic for a corresponding nucleotide incorporation event. The method may further include assigning the groups of points to individual nucleotides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Quantum-Si Incorporated
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Rothberg, Craig Wenger, Mel Davey, Keith G. Fife, Jimmy Jia, Brian Reed, Brett J. Gyarfas
  • Patent number: 10704164
    Abstract: A method for sequencing a polynucleotide sample having a barcode sequence, includes: introducing a series of nucleotides to the polynucleotide sample according to a predetermined flow ordering; obtaining a series of signals resulting from the introducing of nucleotides to the polynucleotide sample; and resolving the series of signals over the barcode sequence to render a flowspace string, wherein the flowspace string is a codeword of an error-tolerant code capable of distinguishing the barcode sequence from other barcode sequences in the presence of one or more errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Earl Hubbell
  • Patent number: 10697983
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to methods of evaluating quality of a chromatography media for removal of anti-A or anti-B antibodies from a sample, where the methods employ use of purified Lectins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Santosh Rahane, Matthew Turiano, Nanying Bian, Matthew T. Stone
  • Patent number: 10697982
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to methods of evaluating quality of a chromatography media for removal of anti-A or anti-B antibodies from a sample, where the methods employ use of purified monoclonal IgM-A and IgM-B antibodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Matthew T. Stone, Nanying Bian, Santosh Rahane
  • Patent number: 10689696
    Abstract: Methods and systems for analysis of image data generated from various reference points. Particularly, the methods and systems provided are useful for real time analysis of image and sequence data generated during DNA sequencing methodologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: ILLUMINA, INC.
    Inventors: Paul Belitz, Stephen Tanner, John S. Vieceli, Xiaoyu Chen
  • Patent number: 10689706
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and method are provided for determining the contributions of different tissues to a biological sample that includes a mixture of cell-free DNA molecules from various tissues types, e.g., as occurs in plasma or serum and other body fluids. Embodiments can analyze the methylation patterns of the DNA mixture (e.g., methylation levels at particular loci) for a particular haplotype and determine fractional contributions of various tissue types to the DNA mixture, e.g., of fetal tissue types or tissue types of specific organs that might have a tumor. Such fractional contributions determined for a haplotype can be used in a variety of ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Yuk-Ming Dennis Lo, Kwan Chee Chan, Rossa Wai Kwun Chiu, Peiyong Jiang, Kun Sun
  • Patent number: 10676787
    Abstract: Embodiments disclose methods, systems, and computer-readable media for accelerated base calling of sequencing data. These methods may be adapted to accelerate sequence determination for data arising from a variety of different nucleic acid sequencing platforms. In various embodiments, configurable logic circuits such as FPGAs and GPUs may be adapted to perform raw signal processing, basecalling, and/or sequence determination operations providing further enhancements to the sequence analysis methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Benjamin Donnet
  • Patent number: 10672505
    Abstract: Identification of regions-of-interest within cell maps is disclosed. In certain embodiments, identification of the regions-of interest is based on the use of biomarkers selected based on nucleic acid sequence data. The nucleic acid sequence data may be acquired for a homogeneous or heterogeneous set of cells present in the respective tissue sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brion Daryl Sarachan, John Frederick Graf, Michael John Gerdes
  • Patent number: 10658068
    Abstract: A system, device and method for receiving multiple aligned genetic sequences obtained from genetic samples of multiple organisms of one or more different species. A measure of evolutionary variation may be computed for one or more alleles at each of one or more aligned genetic loci. The aligned genetic loci in the multiple organisms may be derived from one or more common ancestral genetic loci or may be otherwise related. The measure of evolutionary variation may be a function of variation in alleles at corresponding aligned genetic loci in the multiple aligned genetic sequences. One or more likelihoods may be computed that an allele mutation at each of the one or more genetic loci in a simulated virtual progeny will be deleterious based on the measure of evolutionary variation of alleles at the corresponding aligned genetic loci for the multiple organisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Ancestry.com DNA, LLC
    Inventors: Nigel Delaney, Ari Silver, Lee Silver
  • Patent number: 10648912
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a method for validating an instrument is provided. The method includes receiving amplification data from a validation plate to generate a plurality of amplification curves. The validation plate includes a sample of a first quantity and a second quantity, and each amplification curve includes an exponential region. The method further includes determining a set of fluorescence thresholds based on the exponential regions of the plurality of amplification curves and determining, for each fluorescence threshold of the set, a first set of cycle threshold (Ct) values of amplification curves generated from the samples of the first quantity and a second set of Ct values of amplification curves generated from the samples of the second quantity. The method includes calculating if the first and second quantities are sufficiently distinguishable based on Ct values at each of the plurality of fluorescence thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Wessel, Yong Chu, Jacob Freudenthal, David Woo
  • Patent number: 10640823
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include systems, apparatus, and methods for detecting copy number variation (CNV) in the genomes of one or more patients. Samples of DNA may be taken from several patients, and then sections of the patients' DNA may be sequenced, e.g., through a process that may include, for each patient, one or more of: purifying, concentrating, fragmenting, labeling, filtering, and amplifying that patient's DNA. Fragments from several patients may be pooled, and the fragments in the pool may be sequenced. The sequencing data is then subjected to analysis, which includes several normalization steps. The normalized data are then examined to identify CNV, which is reported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INVESTMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Corey Brastaad, Christopher D. Elzinga, Mingsheng Zhang, Matthew C. Evans
  • Patent number: 10640819
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for detecting a genetic variant in a region of interest in a DNA sample comprising (i) determining, for a given sequencing platform, sequencing process and sequencing depth, the distribution of the number of reads supporting a genetic variant or plurality of genetic variants expected to be observed in the sequencing results of amplification reactions due to amplification and sequencing error (read count distribution); (ii) based on the read count distribution determined in step (i), establishing a threshold frequency at or above which the genetic variant must be observed in sequencing results of amplification reactions to assign a positive determination for the presence of the genetic variant in a given amplification reaction; (iii) partitioning the DNA sample into a plurality of replicate amplification reactions, so that the mean number of amplifiable template molecules of the region of interest in a replicate amplification reaction is fewer than the reciprocal of the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: CANCER RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Nitzan Rosenfeld, Tim Forshew, Francesco Marass, Muhammed Murtaza
  • Patent number: 10612080
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for determining settings of a dPCR experiment for the detection of a chromosomal aneuploidy in a plasma sample from a female pregnant with a fetus. Data about the sample, the dPCR process, and a desired accuracy can be used to determine the settings. Such settings can include a minimal input number of control chromosome molecules for the dPCR experiment, a minimal number of control chromosome molecules for a pre-amplification procedure, and a number of PCR cycles in the pre-amplification procedure. These settings can be used to satisfy the accuracy specified by the accuracy data. Thus, the dPCR experiment can be designed to achieve the desired accuracy while reducing cost, e.g., by not using more of a sample than needed and not performing more pre-amplification than needed or performing more manipulations than needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Chuan Tai, Nancy Schoenbrunner
  • Patent number: 10600501
    Abstract: Base calls for a target sequence may be identified relative to a reference sequence by using values from sequencing reads at locations satisfying a high-confidence condition to identify base calls at a given location not satisfying the high-confidence condition. The high-confidence condition may relate to the level of coverage by the sequencing reads at a location of the reference sequence. The quality of measurements of the sequencing reads may be incorporated into the base-call process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Inventors: Tongbin Li, Wuming Gong, Jiang Rao
  • Patent number: 10535420
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the determination of a collection of relevant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) probe compatible insertion/deletion probes across a genome to determine probes that can detect a variety of insertions and deletions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeanette Pruzan Schmidt, Christopher Davies, Brant Wong