Patents by Inventor Lee A. Christel
Lee A. Christel 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).
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Publication number: 20140141424Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2013Publication date: May 22, 2014Inventors: FARZAD POURAHMADI, William McMillan, Jesus Ching, Ronald Chang, Lee A. Christel, Gregory T.A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen
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Patent number: 8592157Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2012Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: CepheidInventors: Kurt E. Petersen, William A. McMillan, Lee A. Christel, Ronald Chang, Farzad Pourahmadi, Jesus Ching, Gregory T. A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup
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Publication number: 20130236907Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2013Publication date: September 12, 2013Applicant: CEPHEIDInventors: Kurt E. PETERSEN, William A. McMillan, Lee A. Christel, Ronald Chang, Farzad Pourahmadi, Jesus Ching, Gregory T.A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup
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Publication number: 20120295269Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2012Publication date: November 22, 2012Applicant: CEPHEIDInventors: Farzad Pourahmadi, William A. McMillan, Jesus Ching, Ronald Chang, Lee A. Christel, Gregory T.A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen
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Patent number: 8303895Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a reaction mixture contained in a chamber of a reaction vessel comprises a thermal surface for contacting a flexible wall of the chamber and an automated machine for increasing the pressure in the chamber. The pressure increase in the chamber is sufficient to force the flexible wall to conform to the thermal surface for good thermal conductance. The apparatus also includes at least one thermal element for heating or cooling the surface to induce a temperature change within the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2008Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: CapheidInventors: Ronald Chang, Douglas B. Dority, Lee A. Christel, Robert Yuan, Kurt E. Petersen
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Patent number: 8247176Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2011Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: CepheidInventors: Kurt E. Petersen, William A. McMillan, Lee A. Christel, Ronald Chang, Farzad Pourahmadi, Jesus Ching, Gregory T. A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup
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Patent number: 8029733Abstract: A reaction vessel having a reaction chamber for holding a sample is fabricated by producing a housing having a rigid frame defining the minor walls of the chamber. The housing also defines a port for introducing fluid into the chamber. At least one sheet or film is attached to the rigid frame to form at least one major wall of the chamber. In preferred embodiments, two sheets or films are attached to opposite sides of the rigid frame to form two opposing major walls of the chamber, the major walls being connected to each other by the minor walls.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2007Date of Patent: October 4, 2011Assignee: CepheidInventors: Ronald Chang, Lee A. Christel, Gregory T. A. Kovacs, William A. McMillan, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen, Farzad Pourahmadi, Steven J. Young, Robert Yuan, Douglas B. Dority
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Publication number: 20110176971Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a reaction mixture contained in a chamber of a reaction vessel comprises a thermal surface for contacting a flexible wall of the chamber and an automated machine for increasing the pressure in the chamber. The pressure increase in the chamber is sufficient to force the flexible wall to conform to the thermal surface for good thermal conductance. The apparatus also includes at least one thermal element for heating or cooling the surface to induce a temperature change within the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2008Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: CepheidInventors: Ronald Chang, Douglas B. Dority, Lee A. Christel, Robert Yuan, Kurt E. Petersen
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Publication number: 20110165562Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2011Publication date: July 7, 2011Inventors: Farzad Pourahmadi, William A. McMillan, Jesus Ching, Ronald Chang, Lee A. Christel, Gregory T.A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen
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Patent number: 7914994Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2009Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: CepheidInventors: Kurt E. Petersen, William A. McMillan, Lee A. Christel, Ronald Chang, Farzad Pourahmadi, Jesus Ching, Gregory T. A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup
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Publication number: 20100068706Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2009Publication date: March 18, 2010Applicant: CepheidInventors: Farzad Pourahmadi, William A. McMillan, Jesus Ching, Ronald Chang, Lee A. Christel, Gregory T.A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen
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Patent number: 7569346Abstract: An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having a sample port and a first flow path extending from the sample port. The first flow path includes an extraction chamber containing a solid support for capturing the analyte from the sample. The cartridge has a second flow path for eluting the captured analyte from the extraction chamber, the second flow diverging from the first flow path after passing through the extraction chamber. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber and into a waste chamber, thereby capturing the analyte with the solid support as the sample flows through the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber and along the second flow path.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2005Date of Patent: August 4, 2009Assignee: CepheidInventors: Kurt E. Petersen, William A. McMillan, Lee A. Christel, Ronald Chang, Farzad Pourahmadi, Jesus Ching, Gregory T. A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup
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Patent number: 7462323Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a reaction mixture contained in a chamber of a reaction vessel comprises a thermal surface for contacting a flexible wall of the chamber and an automated machine for increasing the pressure in the chamber. The pressure increase in the chamber is sufficient to force the flexible wall to conform to the thermal surface for good thermal conductance. The apparatus also includes at least one thermal element for heating or cooling the surface to induce a temperature change within the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2003Date of Patent: December 9, 2008Assignee: CepheidInventors: Ronald Chang, Douglas B. Dority, Lee A. Christel, Robert Yuan, Kurt E. Petersen
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Publication number: 20080286151Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a reaction mixture contained in a chamber of a reaction vessel comprises a thermal surface for contacting a flexible wall of the chamber and an automated machine for increasing the pressure in the chamber. The pressure increase in the chamber is sufficient to force the flexible wall to conform to the thermal surface for good thermal conductance. The apparatus also includes at least one thermal element for heating or cooling the surface to induce a temperature change within the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2003Publication date: November 20, 2008Applicant: CepheidInventors: Ronald Chang, Douglas B. Dority, Lee A. Christel, Robert Yuan, Kurt E. Petersen
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Publication number: 20080254532Abstract: A reaction vessel having a reaction chamber for holding a sample is fabricated by producing a housing having a rigid frame defining the minor walls of the chamber. The housing also defines a port for introducing fluid into the chamber. At least one sheet or film is attached to the rigid frame to form at least one major wall of the chamber. In preferred embodiments, two sheets or films are attached to opposite sides of the rigid frame to form two opposing major walls of the chamber, the major walls being connected to each other by the minor walls.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2007Publication date: October 16, 2008Applicant: CepheidInventors: Ronald Chang, Lee A. Christel, Gregory T.A. Kovacs, William A. McMillan, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen, Farzad Pourahmadi, Steven J. Young, Robert Yuan, Douglas B. Dority
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Patent number: 7255833Abstract: This invention provides an apparatus for rapidly heating and/or cooling a sample in a reaction vessel. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes optics for the efficient detection of a reaction product in the vessel. The invention also provides a reaction vessel having a reaction chamber designed for optimal thermal conductance and for efficient optical viewing of reaction products in the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2003Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignee: CepheidInventors: Ronald Chang, Lee A. Christel, Gregory T. A. Kovacs, William A. McMillan, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen, Farzad Pourahmadi, Steven J. Young, Robert Yuan, Douglas B. Dority
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Patent number: 7188001Abstract: A system for controlling the temperature of a reaction mixture comprises at least one heating device for heating the mixture and a power regulator for regulating the amount of power supplied to the heating device. A controller in communication with the power regulator includes program instructions for heating the reaction mixture by setting a variable target temperature that initially exceeds a desired setpoint temperature for the mixture. When the heating device reaches a threshold temperature, the variable target temperature is decreased to the desired setpoint temperature. In another embodiment, the controller includes an adaptive control program for dynamically adjusting the duration or intensity of power pulses provided to the heating device.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2003Date of Patent: March 6, 2007Assignee: CepheidInventors: Steven J. Young, Gregory T. A. Kovacs, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen, William A. McMillan, Konstantin Othmer, Lee A. Christel
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Patent number: 7135144Abstract: The invention provides a device and method for the manipulation of materials (e.g., particles, cells, macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids or other moieties) in a fluid sample. The device comprises a substrate having a plurality of microstructures and an insulator film on the structures. Application of a voltage to the structures induces separation of materials in the sample. The device and method are useful for a wide variety of applications such as dielectrophoresis (DEP) or the separation of a target material from other material in a fluid sample.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2002Date of Patent: November 14, 2006Assignee: CepheidInventors: Lee A. Christel, Gregory T. A. Kovacs, William A. McMillan, M. Allen Northrup, Kurt E. Petersen, Farzad Pourahmadi
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Patent number: 7101509Abstract: A reaction vessel has a reaction chamber, a loading reservoir connected to the reaction chamber via a first channel, and an aspiration port connected to the chamber via a second channel. To load the sample into the reaction chamber, the sample is dispensed into the loading reservoir and then drawn into the chamber by application of a vacuum to the aspiration port. A system for controlling the temperature of the sample in the reaction vessel includes one or more thermal elements for heating or cooling the sample and optionally optics for detecting one or more analytes in the sample.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2002Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignee: CepheidInventors: Ronald Chang, Douglas B. Dority, Lee A. Christel, Kurt E. Petersen
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Publication number: 20060014200Abstract: An apparatus for determining a threshold value (e.g., a threshold cycle number or a time value) in a nucleic acid amplification reaction comprises a detection mechanism for measuring, at a plurality of different times during the amplification reaction, at least one signal whose intensity is related to the quantity of a nucleic acid sequence being amplified in the reaction. A controller in communication with the detection mechanism is programmed to store signal values defining a growth curve for the nucleic acid sequence, determine a derivative of the growth curve, and calculate a cycle number or time value associated with a characteristic of the derivative.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2005Publication date: January 19, 2006Applicant: CepheidInventors: William McMillan, Lee Christel, David Borkholder, Steven Young