Patents by Inventor Thomas Smekal

Thomas Smekal 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: 20060105382
    Abstract: An exemplary system and method for bonding substrate layers in the presence of chemically active species to form functionalized microfluidic surfaces is disclosed as comprising inter alia a first substrate (100), a second substrate (200), a chemically functional species (120) attached to first substrate (100), and a radiatively absorptive mask material (130) disposed substantially between first substrate (100) and second substrate (200). Mask material (130) is suitably adapted to effectively bond first substrate (100) with second substrate (200) upon exposure of the composite structure to radiation of a predetermined, user-selectable wavelength. Disclosed features and specifications may be variously controlled, adapted or otherwise optionally modified to improve certain device fabrication parameters and/or performance metrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Inventors: Yingjie Liu, Piotr Grodzinski, Cory Rauch, Thomas Smekal
  • Patent number: 6605454
    Abstract: A microwave device has a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) disposed therein for applying microwave radiation to a microfluidic structure, such as a chamber, defined in the device. The microwave radiation from the MMIC is useful for heating samples introduced into the microfluidic structure and for effecting lysis of cells in the samples. Microfabrication techniques allow the fabrication of MMICs that perform heating and cell lysing of samples having volumes in the microliter to picoliter range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Barbara Foley Barenburg, Jeremy Burdon, Yuk-Tong Chan, Xunhu Dai, Sean Gallagher, Piotr Grodzinski, Robert Marrero, Vijay Nair, David Rhine, Thomas Smekal
  • Publication number: 20020115201
    Abstract: A microwave device has a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) disposed therein for applying microwave radiation to a microfluidic structure, such as a chamber, defined in the device. The microwave radiation from the MMIC is useful for heating samples introduced into the microfluidic structure and for effecting lysis of cells in the samples. Microfabrication techniques allow the fabrication of MMICs that perform heating and cell lysing of samples having volumes in the microliter to picoliter range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventors: Barbara Foley Barenburg, Jeremy Burdon, Yuk-Tong Chan, Xunhu Dai, Sean Gallagher, Piotr Grodzinski, Robert Marrero, Vijay Nair, David Rhine, Thomas Smekal