Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Kane
Thomas E. Kane 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: 20020040850Abstract: An automated capillary zone electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends are spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. The system includes a stacked, dual carrousel arrangement to eliminate cross-contamination resulting from reuse of the same buffer tray on consecutive executions from electrophoresis. The system also has a container connected to the detection end of the capillaries. The container is provided with valving which facilitate cleaning the capillaries, loading buffer into the capillaries, introducing samples to be electrophoresced into the capillaries, and performing capillary zone electrophoresis on the thus introduced samples.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2001Publication date: April 11, 2002Applicant: SpectruMedix CorporationInventors: Changsheng Liu, Thomas E. Kane, Qingbo Li
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Patent number: 6365024Abstract: An automated electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends are spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. The system includes a stacked, dual carrousel arrangement to eliminate cross-contamination resulting from reuse of the same buffer tray on consecutive executions from electrophoresis. The system also has a gel delivery module containing a gel syringe/a stepper motor or a high pressure chamber with a pump to quickly and uniformly deliver gel through the capillary tubes. The system further includes a multi-wavelength beam generator to generate a laser beam which produces a beam with a wide range of wavelengths.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 1999Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Spectrumedix CorporationInventors: Qingbo Li, Thomas E. Kane, Changsheng Liu, Bernard Sonnenschein, Michael V. Sharer, John R. Kernan
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Patent number: 6352633Abstract: An automated capillary zone electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends are spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. The system includes a stacked, dual carrousel arrangement to eliminate cross-contamination resulting from reuse of the same buffer tray on consecutive executions from electrophoresis. The system also has a container connected to the detection end of the capillaries. The container is provided with valving which facilitate cleaning the capillaries, loading buffer into the capillaries, introducing samples to be electrophoresced into the capillaries, and performing capillary zone electrophoresis on the thus introduced samples.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1999Date of Patent: March 5, 2002Assignee: Spectrumedix CorporationInventors: Changsheng Liu, Thomas E Kane, Qingbo Li
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Patent number: 6241949Abstract: Microtitre trays and their spill-resistant open lids prevent cross contamination of samples and also accommodate fragile and flexible probes of automated biological sample analysis systems. The open-lids can be in the form of sleeves located on the top sides of each well of microtitre trays. In one version, one microtitre tray with its bottom sections severed is stacked on top of another microtitre tray to provide the open-lids. A cutting tool is also provided to sever the bottom sections of each well from microtitre trays. The cutting tool includes a lever, a blade and a clamping device.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 1999Date of Patent: June 5, 2001Assignee: Spectrumedix CorporationInventor: Thomas E. Kane
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Patent number: 6217731Abstract: An automated parallel electrophoresis system including a plurality of capillaries configured to accommodate samples during an electrophoresis run which includes a plurality of phases. The system also includes a control circuit coupled to the capillaries and configured to perform one of monitoring and regulating the capillaries, a display monitor and a computer processor coupled to the control circuit and the display monitor. The computer processor includes a input/output (I/O) interface configured to communicate with the control circuit and a first computer memory storing a display program which displays a graphical user interface on the display monitor. In addition, a method of monitoring and regulating an electrophoresis run performed on a parallel capillary electrophoresis system which comprises a plurality of capillaries configured to accommodate samples during an electrophoresis run.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 1998Date of Patent: April 17, 2001Assignee: Spectrumedix CorporationInventors: Thomas E. Kane, Robert Eugene Fields, III
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Patent number: 6206973Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system is provided for processing a substrate 110. The system 100 includes a heated muffle 115, a chamber 120 having an injector assembly 130 for introducing chemical vapor to process the substrate 110, and a belt 105 for moving the substrate through the muffle and chamber. The belt 105 has an oxidation-resistant coating 175 to reduce formation of deposits thereon. The coating 175 is particularly useful for resisting formation of chromium oxides on belts made from a chromium-containing alloy. In one embodiment, the oxidation-resistant coating 175 comprises a securely-adhered oxide layer 185 that is substantially free of transition metals. Preferably, the oxidation-resistant coating 175 comprises aluminum oxide. More preferably, the coating 175 comprises an aluminum oxide layer 185 securely adhered over a nickel aluminide layer 180.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2000Date of Patent: March 27, 2001Assignee: Silicon Valley Group Thermal System LLCInventors: Robert J. Bailey, Lisa H. Michael, Thomas E. Kane
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Patent number: 6063251Abstract: An automated electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends are spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. Electrical crosstalk between neighboring capillaries is attenuated using a protective tubing formed from an electrically insulative material. This crosstalk attenuation is provided in the form of sheathing, either around individual capillaries, or around bundles of spaced apart capillaries. Crosstalk attenuation may be enhanced by passing a nonconductive gas or liquid through lumens formed in the protective tubing, in which lumens the capillary tubes are present.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1997Date of Patent: May 16, 2000Assignee: Spectrumedix CorporationInventors: Thomas E. Kane, John R. Kernan, Changsheng Liu, Qingbo Li
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Patent number: 6027627Abstract: An automated electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends are spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. The system includes a stacked, dual carousel arrangement to eliminate cross-contamination resulting from reuse of the same buffer tray on consecutive executions from electrophoresis. The system also has a gel delivery module containing a gel syringe/a stepper motor or a high pressure chamber with a pump to quickly and uniformly deliver gel through the capillary tubes. The system further includes a multi-wavelength beam generator to generate a laser beam which produces a beam with a wide range of wavelengths.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1998Date of Patent: February 22, 2000Assignee: Spectrumedix CorporationInventors: Qingbo Li, Thomas E. Kane, Changsheng Liu, Bernard Sonnenschein, Michael V. Sharer, John R. Kernan
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Patent number: 5916428Abstract: An automated electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends are spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. The capillary cartridge has two embodiments. In one embodiment, the second ends of the capillary tubes are also arranged is such an array. In a second embodiment, the second ends communicate with an interior cavity of pressure cell from which solutions, gels and the like may be introduced. The pressure cell allows for applying high pressure to clean out the capillary tubes. An apparatus for performing automated capillary gel electrophoresis using such a cartridge is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 1998Date of Patent: June 29, 1999Assignee: Spectrumedix CorporationInventors: Thomas E. Kane, Qingbo China Li, John R. Kernan
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Patent number: 5885430Abstract: An automated electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends are spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. The capillary cartridge has two embodiments. In one embodiment, the second ends of the capillary tubes are also arranged is such an array. In a second embodiment, the second ends communicate with an interior cavity of pressure cell from which solutions, gels and the like may be introduced. The pressure cell allows for applying high pressure to clean out the capillary tubes. An apparatus for performing automated capillary gel electrophoresis using such a cartridge is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 1996Date of Patent: March 23, 1999Assignee: Spectrumedix CorporationInventors: John R. Kernan, Thomas E. Kane
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Patent number: 5642790Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying a lubricant to an object is disclosed. The lubrication apparatus includes a rotatable and cylindrically shaped brush for applying the lubricant to the object, a housing for holding the brush, and a pump for applying the lubricant to the brush located in a chamber positioned below the brush. A vertical slide cylinder moves the brush in a generally vertical direction along the central axis in and out of the chamber, and a horizontal slide cylinder moves the brush in a generally horizontal direction transverse to the central axis to contact the object. The chamber has a sloped chamber cap connected to the top portion of the chamber for collecting lubricant that drips from the brush. The brush is preferably rotated by a motor.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 1996Date of Patent: July 1, 1997Inventors: Thomas J. Kane, Thomas E. Kane