Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Jonathan Alan Quine
  • Patent number: 6995017
    Abstract: A method for DNA reassembly after random fragmentation, and its application to mutagenesis of nucleic acid sequences by in vitro or in vivo recombination is described. In particular, a method for the production of nucleic acid fragments or polynucleotides encoding mutant proteins is described. The present invention also relates to a method of repeated cycles of mutagenesis, shuffling and selection which allow for the directed molecular evolution in vitro or in vivo of proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Maxygen, Inc.
    Inventor: Willem P. C. Stemmer
  • Patent number: 6799120
    Abstract: The present invention includes methods for generating combinatorial libraries on solid phase supports in which increased productivity is achieved by pooling all common steps in synthesis without using a tracking or coding system to record the synthetic history of each compound. Methods for generating combinatorial libraries in which containers with random mixtures of solid phase particles are divided and combined together in non-random ways without the exchange of particles between containers are also provided. Various products are optionally produced in multi-stage syntheses according to the invention, such as oligomers and synthetic non-repetitive organic molecules. The methods additionally relate to the identification of each library component without adding extra synthetic, physical, optical, or electronic encoding steps during library synthesis. Combinatorial synthetic systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Nanoscale Combinatorial Synthesis, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolai F. Sepetov, Olga L. Issakova, Stephen A. Baum, James A. Ostrem
  • Patent number: 6787088
    Abstract: Microfluidic devices are provided for the performance of chemical and biochemical analyzes, syntheses and detection. The devices of the invention combine precise fluidic control systems with microfabricated polymeric substrates to provide accurate, low cost miniaturized analytical devices that have broad applications in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology and numerous other fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Caliper Life Science, Inc.
    Inventors: John Wallace Parce, Michael R. Knapp, Calvin Y. H. Chow, Luc J. Bousse
  • Patent number: 6758132
    Abstract: A base unit of an electric cooking device includes a grill plate that has front and rear edge portions opposite to each other along a plate axis. An oil-collecting hole is formed adjacent to the front edge portion. The grill plate has a top cooking surface that inclines rearwardly and upwardly from the front edge portion to the rear edge portion, that inclines downwardly from the plate axis to left and right edge portions of the grill plate, and that is formed with a plurality of curved grill ribs, each of which includes a portion extending from the left side of the oil-collecting hole to the plate axis, and a portion extending from the plate axis to the right side of the oil-collecting hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Tsann Kuen Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Po-Chun Kuo, Chung-Ju Tsai
  • Patent number: 6756019
    Abstract: The present invention provides microfluidic devices that comprise a body structure comprising at least a first microscale channel network disposed therein. The body structure has a plurality of ports disposed in the body structure, where each port is in fluid communication with one or more channels in the first channel network. The devices also include a cover layer comprising a plurality of apertures disposed through the cover layer. The cover layer is mated with the body structure whereby each of the apertures is aligned with a separate one of the plurality of ports. Rings are optionally disposed between the cover layer and the body structure and circumferentially around pairs of aligned apertures and ports. The devices also optionally include conductive coatings and membranes. The invention additionally provides methods of controlling the delivery of a composition of material into a microfluidic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Robert S. Dubrow, Colin B. Kennedy, Robert Nagle, David Chazan, Ernest C. W. Lee, Khushroo Gandhi, Calvin Y. H. Chow
  • Patent number: 6716631
    Abstract: The invention provides methods employing iterative cycles of recombination and selection/screening for evolution of whole cells and organisms toward acquisition of desired properties. Examples of such properties include enhanced recombinogenicity, genome copy number, and capacity for expression and/or secretion of proteins and secondary metabolites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Maxygen, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen delCardayre, Matthew Tobin, William P. C. Stemmer, Jon E. Ness, Jeremy Minshull, Phillip Patten
  • Patent number: 6703205
    Abstract: Electrokinetic devices having a computer for correcting for electrokinetic effects are provided. Methods of correcting for electrokinetic effects by establishing the velocity of reactants and products in a reaction in electrokinetic microfluidic devices are also provided. These microfluidic devices can have substrates with channels, depressions, and/or wells for moving, mixing and monitoring precise amounts of analyte fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Anne R. Kopf-Sill, Andrea W. Chow, Claudia B. Cohen, Steven A. Sundberg, John Wallace Parce
  • Patent number: 6653072
    Abstract: Methods are provided for the evolution of proteins of industrial and pharmaceutical interest, including methods for effecting recombination and selection. Compositions produced by these methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Maxygen, Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip A. Patten, Willem P. C. Stemmer
  • Patent number: 6635487
    Abstract: A test device for use as a fluorescent standard in microfluidic analytical detection systems includes one or more slits that correspond to, and are of similar dimension to, one or more microchannels in a detection region on a corresponding analysis chip. A fluorescent material is attached to the test device on the side opposite the illumination source such that excitation radiation passes through the slit(s), which defines the focal plane of the illumination optics, and impinges on the fluorescent material thereby causing the fluorescent material to fluoresce. By displacing the fluorescent material relative to the focal plane, the intensity of the radiation exciting the fluorescent material is dispersed relative to the intensity of the radiation at the focal plane, and concomitantly the strength of the resulting fluorescent signal is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Ernest C. W. Lee, Robert Nagle, Richard J. McReynolds, David Chazan, Robert S. Dubrow
  • Patent number: 6625546
    Abstract: Methods of identifying predicted or actual structures of members of a chemical or physical library are provided. The methods provide for the direct identification of compound structure following combinatorial synthesis using molecular mass measurements of individual compounds, thereby eliminating the necessity of encoding synthetic steps. The analysis of mass spectrometric data for sets of related compounds reveals compounds that are missing in a group of related compounds and identifies compounds that do not belong to a group of related compounds due to unexpected chemical, physical, or biological transformations. The methods may be applied to any group of compounds originating from chemical reactions where one reactant is common to the synthetic transformation. One particular application of these methods is in the analysis of the products of combinatorial synthesis. Systems, computer programs products, and kits are additionally provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Nanoscale Combinatorial Synthesis, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolai F. Sepetov, Olga L. Issakova
  • Patent number: 6613512
    Abstract: Electrokinetic devices having a computer for correcting for electrokinetic effects are provided. Methods of correcting for electrokinetic effects by establishing the velocity of reactants and products in a reaction in electrokinetic microfluidic devices are also provided. These microfluidic devices can have substrates with channels, depressions, and/or wells for moving, mixing and monitoring precise amounts of analyte fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Anne R. Kopf-Sill, Andrea W. Chow, Claudia B. Jaffe, Steven A. Sunberg, John Wallace Parce
  • Patent number: 6595059
    Abstract: Ultrasonic energy in the form of guided waves is launched into the wall of a fluid-filled container. The guided wave propagates around the circumference of the container from a transmitting transducer to a receiving transducer. Part of the guide wave energy leaks into the fluid in the form of bulk waves, reflects off the inner wall on the other side and enters back to the receiving transducer trailing the direct wave. Analysis of the received waves determines the presence of corrosion pitting and MIC nodules on the container inner wall, and fluid level. In addition, it determines whether foreign objects are inside the container. The guided waves are created with wideband transducers excited at certain frequencies that depend on the material and geometry of the part being measured. The leakage energy is maximized with a shaped tone burst pulse at the specified frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Digital Wave Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Gorman, Steven M. Ziola, Wei Huang
  • Patent number: 6595061
    Abstract: Ultrasonic energy in the form of guided waves (plate waves or Lamb waves) is launched into the wall of a container. The guided wave propagates around the circumference of the container from a transmitting transducer to a receiving transducer. Analysis of the received waves determines the presence of corrosion pitting and MIC nodules on the container inner wall, as well as the existence of foreign objects in intimate contact with the container wall. The guided waves are created with wideband transducers excited at certain frequencies that depend on the material and geometry of the part being measured. The guided wave ultrasonic energy is maximized with a shaped tone burst pulse at the specified frequency rather than an electrical spike commonly used to excite transducers in standard ultrasonic search units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Digital Wave Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Gorman, Steven M. Ziola
  • Patent number: 6582451
    Abstract: The instrument to manipulate the tissue of a body of a patient has jaws (15a, 15b) that move away from each other in a parallel motion. The artiuclating means for the jaws comprises a scissor type linkage (24a, 24b, 25a, 25b) constrained within a support (11). Movement of the jaws (15a, 15b) is enacted through the reciprocating rod (14) acting upon one end of said scissors linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignees: The University of Sydney, Unisearch Limited
    Inventors: Damian Delio Marucci, John Andrew Cartmill, William Robert Walsh
  • Patent number: 6555582
    Abstract: The present invention involves the discovery that synthetic thyroid hormones can be used as compositions to reduce intraocular pressure in vivo. Methods of screening synthetic thyroid hormones for effect on intraocular pressure, aqueous pressure, hydraulic conductivity, hyaluronic acid secretion, and extracellular matrix assembly are provided. Methods of treating glaucoma and treating excess intraocular pressure with synthetic thyroid hormones and compositions therefore are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Daniel M. Schwartz, John D. Baxter, Michele D. Jumper, Thomas S. Scanlan
  • Patent number: 6548254
    Abstract: Ligation-based assembly of oligonucleotides to produce molecular beacons is provided. Formation of molecular beacons is monitored to improve reaction yield and efficiency and to permit optimization of structurally similar molecular beacons. Ligation mixtures and libraries of molecular beacon components are also provided. Methods of detecting juxtaposed nucleic acids using modular molecular beacons such as intron-exon junctions are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Gorilla Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth B. Beckman, Ricardo Mancebo
  • Patent number: 6540896
    Abstract: Microfluidic devices and systems for affecting the serial to parallel conversion of materials introduced into the device or system. Material or materials to be converted from a serial orientation, e.g., a single channel, into a parallel orientation, e.g., multiple channels, are introduced into an open chamber or field in which containing flows of materials maintain the cohesiveness of the sample material plugs serially introduced into the open chamber. The sample material or materials are then redirected in the chamber toward and into a plurality of parallel channels that also communicate with the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Andreas Manz, Luc J. Bousse
  • Patent number: 6537771
    Abstract: Transmembrane potential measurement methods using cationic dyes, and anionic dyes are provided. Compositions of the cationic and anionic dyes and microfluidic systems which include the dyes and membranes are provided in conjunction with processing elements for transmembrane potential measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Javier Anibal Farinas, H. Garrett Wada
  • Patent number: 6524790
    Abstract: Electrokinetic devices having a computer for correcting for electrokinetic effects are provided. Methods of correcting for electrokinetic effects by establishing the velocity of reactants and products in a reaction in electrokinetic microfluidic devices are also provided. These microfluidic devices can have substrates with channels, depressions, and/or wells for moving, mixing and monitoring precise amounts of analyte fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Anne R. Kopf-Sill, Andrea W. Chow, Claudia B. Cohen, Steven A. Sundberg, John Wallace Parce
  • Patent number: 6518065
    Abstract: A method for DNA reassembly after random fragmentation, and its application to mutagenesis of nucleic acid sequences by in vitro or in vivo recombination is described. In particular, a method for the production of nucleic acid fragments or polynucleotides encoding mutant proteins is described. The present invention also relates to a method of repeated cycles of mutagenesis, shuffling and selection which allow for the directed molecular evolution in vitro or in vivo of proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Maxygen, Inc.
    Inventor: Willem P. C. Stemmer