Patents by Inventor Richard A. Mathies
Richard A. Mathies 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: 20110020920Abstract: Methods and apparatus for genome analysis are provided. A microfabricated structure including a microfluidic distribution channel is configured to distribute microreactor elements having copies of a sequencing template into a plurality of microfabricated thermal cycling chambers. A microreactor element may include a microcarrier element carrying the multiple copies of the sequencing template. The microcarrier element may comprise a microsphere. An autovalve at an exit port of a thermal cycling chamber, an optical scanner, or a timing arrangement may be used to ensure that only one microsphere will flow into one thermal cycling chamber wherein thermal cycling extension fragments are produced. The extension products are captured, purified, and concentrated in an integrated oligonucleotide gel capture chamber. A microfabricated component separation apparatus is used to analyze the purified extension fragments.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2010Publication date: January 27, 2011Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIAInventors: Richard A. MATHIES, Robert BLAZEJ, Chung LIU, Palani KUMARESAN, Stephanie H. I. YEUNG
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Publication number: 20100285975Abstract: Provided are microfluidic designs and methods for rapid generation of monodisperse nanoliter volume droplets of reagent/target (e.g., molecule or cell) mix in emulsion oil. The designs and methods enable high-throughput encapsulation of a single target (e.g., DNA/RNA molecules or cells) in controlled size droplets of reagent mix. According to various embodiments, a microfabricated, 3-valve pump is used to precisely meter the volume of reagent/target mix in each droplet and also to effectively route microparticles such as beads and cells into the device, which are encapsulated within droplets at the intersection of the reagent channel and an oil channel. The pulsatile flow profile of the microfabricated pumps provides active control over droplet generation, thereby enabling droplet formation with oils that are compatible with biological reactions but are otherwise difficult to form emulsions with.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2008Publication date: November 11, 2010Applicant: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, Palani Kumaresan, Chaoyang Yang, Robert G. Blazej
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Publication number: 20100252123Abstract: Membrane valves and latching valve structures for microfluidic devices are provided. A demultiplexer can be used to address the latching valve structures. The membrane valves and latching valve structures may be used to form pneumatic logic circuits, including processors.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2010Publication date: October 7, 2010Applicant: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, William H. Grover, Erik C. Jensen
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Patent number: 7799553Abstract: Methods and apparatus for genome analysis are provided. A microfabricated structure including a microfluidic distribution channel is configured to distribute microreactor elements having copies of a sequencing template into a plurality of microfabricated thermal cycling chambers. A microreactor element may include a microcarrier element carrying the multiple copies of the sequencing template. The microcarrier element may comprise a microsphere. An autovalve at an exit port of a thermal cycling chamber, an optical scanner, or a timing arrangement may be used to ensure that only one microsphere will flow into one thermal cycling chamber wherein thermal cycling extension fragments are produced. The extension products are captured, purified, and concentrated in an integrated oligonucleotide gel capture chamber. A microfabricated component separation apparatus is used to analyze the purified extension fragments.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2005Date of Patent: September 21, 2010Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, Robert Blazej, Chung Liu, Palani Kumaresan, Stephanie H. I. Yeung
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Publication number: 20100224255Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing microfluidic analysis devices are provided. A monolithic elastomer membrane associated with an integrated pneumatic manifold allows the placement and actuation of a variety of fluid control structures, such as structures for pumping, isolating, mixing, routing, merging, splitting, preparing, and storing volumes of fluid. The fluid control structures can be used to implement a variety of sample introduction, preparation, processing, and storage techniques.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2010Publication date: September 9, 2010Applicant: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, William H. Grover, Brian Paegel, Alison Skelley, Eric Lagally, Chung N. Liu, Robert Blazej
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Patent number: 7766033Abstract: Membrane valves and latching valve structures for microfluidic devices are provided. A demultiplexer can be used to address the latching valve structures. The membrane valves and latching valve structures may be used to form pneumatic logic circuits, including processors.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2007Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, William H. Grover, Erik C. Jensen
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Publication number: 20090060797Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing microfluidic analysis devices are provided. A monolithic elastomer membrane associated with an integrated pneumatic manifold allows the placement and actuation of a variety of fluid control structures, such as structures for pumping, isolating, mixing, routing, merging, splitting, preparing, and storing volumes of fluid. The fluid control structures can be used to implement a variety of sample introduction, preparation, processing, and storage techniques.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2008Publication date: March 5, 2009Applicant: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, William H. Grover, Brian Paegel, Alison Skelley, Eric Lagally, Chung N. Liu, Robert Blazej
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Publication number: 20090035770Abstract: Methods and microfluidic circuitry for inline injection of nucleic acids for capillary electrophoresis analysis are provided. According to various embodiments, microfabricated structures including affinity-based capture matrixes inline with separation channels are provided. The affinity-based capture matrixes provide inline sample plug formation and injection into a capillary electrophoresis channel. Also provided are methods and apparatuses for a microbead-based inline injection system for DNA sequencing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2007Publication date: February 5, 2009Applicant: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, Robert Blazej, Palani Kumaresan
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Patent number: 7445926Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing microfluidic analysis devices are provided. A monolithic elastomer membrane associated with an integrated pneumatic manifold allows the placement and actuation of a variety of fluid control structures, such as structures for pumping, isolating, mixing, routing, merging, splitting, preparing, and storing volumes of fluid. The fluid control structures can be used to implement a variety of sample introduction, preparation, processing, and storage techniques.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2003Date of Patent: November 4, 2008Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, William H. Grover, Alison Skelley, Eric Lagally, Chung N. Liu
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Patent number: 7438792Abstract: An electrochemical detector including side channels associated with a separation channel of a sample component separation apparatus is provided. The side channels of the detector, in one configuration, provide a sheath-flow for an analyte exiting the separation channel which directs the analyte to the electrically developed electrochemical detector.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2005Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, Charles A. Emrich, Pankaj Singhal, Peter Ertl
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Publication number: 20070237686Abstract: Membrane valves and latching valve structures for microfluidic devices are provided. A demultiplexer can be used to address the latching valve structures. The membrane valves and latching valve structures may be used to form pneumatic logic circuits, including processors.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2007Publication date: October 11, 2007Inventors: Richard Mathies, William Grover, Erik Jensen
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Patent number: 7090758Abstract: An improved rotary confocal fluorescence scanner capable of detecting analytes separated on over a 1,000 capillaries simultaneously. This system uses a confocal microscope objective and mirror assembly that rotates inside a vertical ring of capillaries to provide rapid and efficient excitation and detection of fluorescently labeled fragments separated within a cylindrical capillary array. Use of automated procedures to load and run all capillaries permits one to read more than 350,000 base pairs of raw sequence data per hour.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2002Date of Patent: August 15, 2006Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc.Inventors: Richard A. Mathies, James R. Scherer
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Publication number: 20060073484Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing microfluidic analysis devices are provided. A monolithic elastomer membrane associated with an integrated pneumatic manifold allows the placement and actuation of dense arrays of a variety of fluid control structures, such as structures for isolating, routing, merging, splitting, and storing volumes of fluid. The fluid control structures can be used to implement a pathogen detection and analysis system including integrated immunoaffinity capture and analysis, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis. An analyte solution can be input into the device and pumped through a series of immunoaffinity capture matrices in microfabricated chambers having antibodies targeted to the various classes of microbiological organisms such as bacteria, viruses and bacterial spores. The immunoaffinity chambers can capture, purify, and concentrate the target for further analysis steps.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2003Publication date: April 6, 2006Inventors: Richard Mathies, William Grover, Brian Paegel, Alison Skelley, Chung Liu, Eric Lagally, Robert Blazej
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Patent number: 7015000Abstract: Fluorescent labels having at least one donor and at least one acceptor fluorophore bonded to a polymeric backbone in energy transfer relationship, as well as methods for their use, are provided. Of particular interest are the subject labels wherein the polymeric backbone is a nucleic acid and the donor fluorophore is bonded to the 5? terminus of said nucleic acid. Such labels find use as primers in applications involving nucleic acid chain extension, such as sequencing, PCR and the like.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2002Date of Patent: March 21, 2006Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard Mathies, Alexander Glazer, Jingyue Ju
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Publication number: 20060024743Abstract: Fluorescent labels having at least one donor and at least one acceptor fluorophore bonded to a polymeric backbone in energy transfer relationship, as well as methods for their use, are provided. Of particular interest are the subject labels wherein the polymeric backbone is a nucleic acid and the donor fluorophore is bonded to the 5? terminus of said nucleic acid. Such labels find use as primers in applications involving nucleic acid chain extension, such as sequencing, PCR and the like.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2005Publication date: February 2, 2006Applicant: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard Mathies, Alexander Glazer, Jingyue Ju
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Publication number: 20050287572Abstract: Methods and apparatus for genome analysis are provided. A microfabricated structure including a microfluidic distribution channel is configured to distribute microreactor elements having copies of a sequencing template into a plurality of microfabricated thermal cycling chambers. A microreactor element may include a microcarrier element carrying the multiple copies of the sequencing template. The microcarrier element may comprise a microsphere. An autovalve at an exit port of a thermal cycling chamber, an optical scanner, or a timing arrangement may be used to ensure that only one microsphere will flow into one thermal cycling chamber wherein thermal cycling extension fragments are produced. The extension products are captured, purified, and concentrated in an integrated oligonucleotide gel capture chamber. A microfabricated component separation apparatus is used to analyze the purified extension fragments.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2005Publication date: December 29, 2005Applicant: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard Mathies, Robert Blazej, Chung Liu, Palani Kumaresan, Stephanie Yeung
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Publication number: 20050230254Abstract: An electrochemical detector including side channels associated with a separation channel of a sample component separation apparatus is provided. The side channels of the detector, in one configuration, provide a sheath-flow for an analyte exiting the separation channel which directs the analyte to the electrically developed electrochemical detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2005Publication date: October 20, 2005Applicant: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard Mathies, Charles Emrich, Pankaj Singhal, Peter Ertl
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Patent number: 6913679Abstract: Sample component separation apparatus and methods are described. An exemplary sample component separation apparatus includes a separation channel having a turn portion configured to reduce band-broadening caused by passage of a sample through the turn portion. To reduce band broadening caused by passage of a sample through a turn portion, the turn portion may be constructed and arranged to have a sample transport characteristic that is different from the corresponding sample transport characteristic of a substantially straight portion of the separation channel. For example, the turn portion may be configured with an effective channel width that is smaller than the effective channel widths of the substantially straight portion of the separation channel.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 1999Date of Patent: July 5, 2005Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, Brian Paegel, Peter C. Simpson, Lester Hutt
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Patent number: 6867420Abstract: A miniaturized optical excitation and detector system is described for detecting fluorescently labeled analytes in electrophoretic microchips and microarrays. The system uses miniature integrated components, light collection, optical fluorescence filtering, and an amorphous a-Si:H detector for detection. The collection of light is accomplished with proximity gathering and/or a micro-lens system. Optical filtering is accomplished by integrated optical filters. Detection is accomplished utilizing a-Si:H detectors.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2002Date of Patent: March 15, 2005Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Richard A. Mathies, Toshihiro Kamei, James R. Scherer, Robert A. Street
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Publication number: 20050019902Abstract: A miniature device has a body including one, two or more reaction chambers. The reaction chambers are constructed for one or more of the following: sample acquisition, preparation or analysis. Preferably, a sample preparation reaction includes nucleic acid extraction, amplification, nucleic acid fragmentation, labeling, extension or a transcription.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2004Publication date: January 27, 2005Inventors: Richard Mathies, Eric Lagally, Peter Simpson