Patents by Inventor Hideki Kambara

Hideki Kambara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080260577
    Abstract: Throughput is improved by increasing the number of micro-reaction chambers. There is provided a chemiluminescent detection system that has a so-called plate on which many reaction chambers are one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally arranged, characterized in that optical detection is performed using a line or area sensor having many detection pixels, the spacing of the optical detection pixels substantially matches the spacing of the reaction chambers on the plate, and the micro-reaction chambers and the pixels are made to correspond one-to-one with each other so that light from the reaction chambers on the plate enters the detection pixels most efficiently and does not scatter to other pixels. To make the micro-reaction chambers arrayed on the plate and the pixels of the image pickup element plate correspond one-to-one with each other, light-emitting substances or reflectors or photoabsorption substances are placed so as to serve as alignment marks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Masataka SHIRAI, Tomoharu Kajiyama, Hideki Kambara
  • Publication number: 20080241841
    Abstract: A method of the present invention comprises fractionating a sample solution containing analyte DNA molecules into small droplets, wherein the number M of the droplets is greater than the total number N of the DNA molecules, subjecting an emulsion containing the droplets to, for example, PCR amplification, and detecting the presence or absence (amount) of an amplicon obtained in each droplet by fluorescent detection using an intercalator or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Katsuji Murakawa, Sumiyo Takiguchi, Hideki Kambara
  • Patent number: 7419577
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a high-quality capillary tube used in an electrophoresis apparatus in a safe and inexpensive manner. A polymer coating on a capillary tube is converted into gas and removed through an oxidative reaction with oxygen radicals resulting from ozone decomposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Harada, Masao Kamahori, Hideki Kambara, Sumio Yamaguchi, Sukeyoshi Tsunekawa
  • Patent number: 7368238
    Abstract: There is used at least one probe array obtained by arraying particles having various probes, respectively, fixed thereon (probe particles) in a definite order in a holder. A plurality of capillaries or grooves packed with various kinds, respectively, of probe particles are arrayed in parallel, and one of particles contained in each capillary or groove is injected into another capillary or groove to produce a probe array in which the various kinds of probe particles are arrayed in a constant and definite order. Various fluorophore-labeled DNA's are measured at the same time by attaching various probes to particles, respectively, of different sizes. A probe array composed of various fixed DNA probes can easily be produced, and there can be provided a probe array for detecting various DNA's which is composed of various fixed arbitrary DNA probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Kambara, Kazunori Okano
  • Publication number: 20080102469
    Abstract: A conventional large-scale parallel pyrosequencing apparatus has the disadvantage that throughput decreases because much time and a large number of procedures are required for introduction of measurement beads, and analysis accuracy is deteriorated due to a reduction in accuracy of reagent replacement. There is provided an apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes a flow cell having a plurality of microfabricated reactors, and a camera opposed thereto, and DNA to be measured is fixed on the surfaces of beads having a specific gravity of 4 or greater, preferably zirconia beads. The flow cell is made horizontal when introducing the beads into the flow cell, and opposed to an optical axis of the camera when measuring an elongation reaction, the optical axis of the camera having a gradient with respect to the horizontal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Inventors: Tomoharu KAJIYAMA, Masataka SHIRAI, Hideki KAMBARA
  • Patent number: 7364850
    Abstract: There is used at least one probe array obtained by arraying particles having various probes, respectively, fixed thereon (probe particles) in a definite order in a holder. A plurality of capillaries or grooves packed with various kinds, respectively, of probe particles are arrayed in parallel, and one of particles contained in each capillary or groove is injected into another capillary or groove to produce a probe array in which the various kinds of probe particles are arrayed in a constant and definite order. Various fluorophore-labeled DNA's are measured at the same time by attaching various probes to particles, respectively, of different sizes. A probe array composed of various fixed DNA probes can easily be produced, and there can be provided a probe array for detecting various DNA's which is composed of various fixed arbitrary DNA probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Kambara, Kazunori Okano
  • Publication number: 20070281313
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a method of suitably analyzing the amount of gene expression of a single-cell. A method of detecting a nucleic acid comprising a step of sampling a single-cell from a sample containing at least a single-cell, a cell lysis step of lysing cell membrane of the sampled single-cell and extracting nucleic acids from the cell, a DNase treatment step of degrading DNA of the extracted nucleic acids with DNase, a step of hybridizing mRNA of the total RNA contained in the single-cell with oligo (dT) fixed onto a carrier, a step of performing reverse transcription of the mRNA hybridized with the oligo (dT) to fix cDNA derived from the single-cell onto the carrier, thereby preparing a single-cell derived cDNA library fixed onto a carrier, and a step of amplifying cDNA fixed onto the carrier and simultaneously detecting an amplification amount of the cDNA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Kiyomi Taniguchi, Hideki Kambara, Tomoharu Kajiyama
  • Publication number: 20070166729
    Abstract: The present invention provides: a method for nucleic acid analysis including the steps of subjecting a reaction solution containing a sample nucleic acid to complementary strand synthesis with the sample nucleic acid as a template, reacting pyrophosphate produced in the complementary strand synthesis with 30 to 800 ?M AMP in the coexistence of pyruvate phosphate dikinase to produce ATP, performing luciferase reaction with the ATP as a reaction substrate, and detecting chemiluminescence generated in the luciferase reaction to determine the presence or absence of the complementary strand synthesis; and a kit therefor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventors: Hideki Kambara, Guohua Zhou, Tomoharu Kajiyama, Shigeya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7241597
    Abstract: The inventive method for assaying DNA fragments in mixture comprises step 1 of ligating different oligomers hybridizable to primers of the same melting temperature and the same length to individual groups of DNA fragments in a set of DNA fragments; step 2 of mixing together the groups of DNA fragments ligated with the oligomers; step 3 of simultaneous PCR of the groups of DNA fragments ligated with the oligomers in one receptacle by using the primers being complementary to the oligomers and corresponding to the individual groups; and step 4 of detecting PCR amplified DNA fragments; characterized in that the method enables the comparison of plural samples under no influence of PCR reproducibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chihiro Uematsu, Hideki Kambara, Kazunon Okano
  • Publication number: 20070122310
    Abstract: By the conventional technique for dispensing more than one reagents accurately, the system is complicated and thus a compact and inexpensive system is difficult to realize. In the present invention, the pressurized dispensing system utilizing a capillary is realized, and in addition, in order to reduce the leakage of reagents different from the reagent dispensed, by forming air layers at the tips of the capillaries after dispensing, a compact, simple, inexpensive analysis apparatus is realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Tomoharu Kajiyama, Hideki Kambara, Kunio Harada
  • Patent number: 7214781
    Abstract: A method for the diagnosis and identification of new or residual lung cancer is disclosed which uses newly identified markers for lung cancer including syndecan 1, collagen 1 alpha 2, and two novel proteins, 7013 and 7018. The method involves identification of the lung cancer markers is blood from a patient. It is envisioned that at least one marker may be used or any mixture of the four. The method may also include the identification of cytokeratin-19.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignees: Hitachi Chemical Research Center, Inc., Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Mitsuhashi, Hiroko Matsunaga, Hideki Kambara, Masafumi Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20070054283
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inexpensive DNA sequencing method with high-sensitivity. The method of the present invention comprising the steps of, adding an given amount of dATP for step by step complementary strand synthesis and subtracting the background luminescence intensity caused by dATP from the measured luminescence intensity to obtain the luminescence intensity involved in complementary strand synthesis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Akihiko Kishimoto, Hideki Kambara, Tomoharu Kajiyama, Guohua Zhou
  • Patent number: 7163822
    Abstract: A small sized, cost-effective genetic testing apparatus that provides high sensitivity testing, for performing genetic testing simply and at low cost. An optical sensor array for the apparatus and method for luminometric assay comprises a means that simultaneously selects 2 pixels and detects minute amounts of chemiluminescence by obtaining the differential output of the respective signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yazawa, Hideki Kambara, Masao Kamahori, Kunio Harada, Kazunori Okano
  • Patent number: 7157050
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for detecting biological and chemical material. To measure biological materials such as genes easily at low costs, the device for implementing a small-sized, high sensitive, economical measurement apparatus is provided. Probes appropriate for target biological materials are fixed on a chip, on which a sensor, identification number, and radio communication function are implemented, the captured targets are detected by the sensors, and the result of sensing are transferred to an external control unit by the radio communication function. The small-sized, high sensitivity measurement apparatus for detecting biological and chemical materials such as genes and measuring physical and chemical amounts such as temperature, pressure, pH, and the like can be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yazawa, Masao Kamahori, Hideki Kambara, Mitsuo Usami, Ken Takei
  • Publication number: 20060275783
    Abstract: A method for the diagnosis and identification of new or residual lung cancer is disclosed which uses newly identified markers for lung cancer including syndecan 1, collagen 1 alpha 2, and two novel proteins, 7013 and 7018. The method involves identification of the lung cancer markers is blood from a patient. It is envisioned that at least one marker may be used or any mixture of the four. The method may also include the identification of cytokeratin-19.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Masato Mitsuhashi, Hiroko Matsunaga, Hideki Kambara, Masafumi Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20060275818
    Abstract: The use of probe arrays in which probes of various biological substances such as DNA are immobilized on the surface of a solid is becoming established as an effective means for high-speed screening. Different kinds of probes, such as DNA, are immobilized on the surface of a multiple number of independently treatable fine particles, such as beads, instead of the surface of a single solid, and the resulting beads are aligned in a capillary or a cell in a designated order. The size of the area where one probe is immobilized is reduced. The bead probe array is characterized in that such small beads are aligned one by one in a designated manner using a sheet with holes, and one or a multiple number of beads are held in the holes and then transferred to a probe array holder such as a capillary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Hideki Kambara, Masato Mitsuhashi
  • Publication number: 20060240445
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for analyzing a nucleotide sequence comprising the steps of: carrying out complementary strand synthesis by adding at least one of four kinds of ddNTP corresponding to nucleotides A, G, T, and C, or derivatives thereof to a reaction vessel containing a nucleic acid sample to extend one nucleotide at a target site; performing a bioluminescent reaction with the use of ATP formed from released pyrophosphate as a reaction substrate; and typing the target site by determining the presence or absence of the complementary strand synthesis based on a result of the bioluminescent reaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: Hideki Kambara, Guohua Zhou, Tomoharu Kajiyama
  • Publication number: 20060141494
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a luminescence detection apparatus compact in size which is capable of conveniently determining DNA base sequences at a low cost. According to the present invention, a luminescence detection apparatus 1 is provided comprising: a plurality of reaction cells 6 each having a transparent bottom portion; a solution-dispensing portion 19 equipped with capillaries 18 positioned above the reaction cells 6 and put into a one-to-one correspondence with the reaction cells 6; and a light-detecting portion 29 having a plurality of light-sensing elements 24 put into a one-to-one correspondence with the reaction cells 6 and arranged in proximity to the bottom surfaces of the reaction cells 6, wherein the a plurality of light-sensing elements 24 of the light-detecting portion 29 detect respective luminescences in the reaction cells 6 generated by injecting reagent solutions from the solution-dispensing portion 19 to the reaction cells 6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventors: Hideki Kambara, Tomoharu Kajiyama, Kunio Harada, Masao Kamahori
  • Patent number: 7049104
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a quick and simple method for genetic testing, particularly for SNP testing, using two kinds of primers which are complementary to a mutant target and a wild-type target, respectively, and different in length or migration speed in electrophoresis. These probes are allowed to hybridize with targets, fluorophore-tagged nucleotides are attached to the primers, and electrophoresis is carried out for discriminatory detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, LTD
    Inventors: Hideki Kambara, Zheng Ping Li, Kazunori Okano, Keiichi Nagai
  • Patent number: D546966
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Kajiyama, Hideki Kambara, Kunio Harada