Patents Examined by Alex Noguerola
  • Patent number: 8568579
    Abstract: A biosensor includes a working electrode 101, a counter electrode 102 opposing the working electrode 101, a working electrode terminal 103 and a working electrode reference terminal 10 connected to the working electrode 101 by wires, and a counter electrode terminal 104 connected to the counter electrode 102 by a wire. By employing a structure with at least three electrodes, it is possible to assay a target substance without being influenced by the line resistance on the working electrode side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroya Ueno, Junji Nakatsuka
  • Patent number: 8562801
    Abstract: Glass pH electrode with integrated optical sensor, characterized in that said electrode can be sterilized without substantial alteration of its optical characteristics, in particular in respect to gamma ray irradiation sterilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Metroglas AG
    Inventors: Christian Boeck, Martin Heule, Stefan Berger
  • Patent number: 8562807
    Abstract: Droplet actuators for conducting droplet operations, such as droplet transport and droplet dispensing, are provided. In one embodiment, the droplet actuator may include a substrate including, droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations on a surface of the substrate; and reference electrodes associated with the droplet operations electrodes and extending above the surface of the substrate. Other embodiments of droplet actuators and methods of loading and using such droplet actuators are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Advanced Liquid Logic Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay Srinivasan, Michael G. Pollack, Zhishan Hua, Arjun Sudarsan, Allen E. Eckhardt, Vamsee K. Pamula
  • Patent number: 8562813
    Abstract: A system for performing an in-situ polarization scan of a component surface includes a sensor connected to the component surface at a sensor connection, and the sensor generates a signal reflective of a current flow at the sensor connection. A power supply connected to the component surface at an electrical connection produces a voltage potential at the electrical connection. An electrolyte coats the sensor connection and the electrical connection. A method for performing an in-situ polarization scan of a component surface includes sensing a current flow on the component surface, generating a voltage potential on the component surface, and placing an electrolyte over at least a portion of the component surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Thomas Michael Moors
  • Patent number: 8557103
    Abstract: A biosensor comprises a space part for sucking and housing a sample formed of two upper and lower plates, the two plates being stuck together by an adhesive layer, the space part for sucking and housing the sample being constituted so as to be partially opened in the peripheral part and partially closed by the adhesive layer, and has a working electrode having at least glucose oxidase immobilized thereon and a counter electrode on the same plane of the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.
    Inventors: Masao Gotoh, Hiroki Mure, Hiroshi Shirakawa
  • Patent number: 8535510
    Abstract: This invention provides a substrate concentration measuring method for measuring a concentration of a substrate included in a specimen based on an output for measurement from an enzyme electrode when the enzyme electrode and the substrate are reacted with each other, the substrate concentration is calculated using an output for correction from the enzyme electrode obtained when a reference solution whose substrate concentration is known and the enzyme electrode are reacted with each other before or after the enzyme electrode and the substrate are reacted with each other. For example, the output for correction is measured by each specimen. In this method, the substrate concentration may be calculated using the output for correction for the specimen to be measured and an output for correction corresponding to the at least one other specimen and measured prior to the output for correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Arkray, Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Kamata, Takeshi Takagi, Yuki Ito
  • Patent number: 8535504
    Abstract: An auxiliary leveler additive that cannot be analyzed by conventional CVS methods for acid copper plating baths is analyzed by cyclic voltammetry at a platinum rotating disk electrode from its effect on the anodic current at very positive potentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: ECI Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Pavlov, Eugene Shalyt, Peter Bratin, Isaak Tsimberg
  • Patent number: 8529740
    Abstract: Electrochemical apparatus includes a disposable rectangular cuvette modified with at least one hole through a side and/or the bottom. Apparatus may include more than one cuvette, which in practice is a disposable rectangular glass or plastic cuvette modified by drilling the hole(s) through. The apparatus include two plates and some means of fastening one plate to the other. The apparatus may be interfaced with a fiber optic or microscope objective, and a spectrometer for spectroscopic studies. The apparatus are suitable for a variety of electrochemical experiments, including surface electrochemistry, bulk electrolysis, and flow cell experiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Los Alamos National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew M Dattelbaum, Gautam Gupta, David E Morris
  • Patent number: 8529744
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus providing improved fidelity and specificity when separating nucleic acids from a sample, but without need for amplification. In particular, using the disclosed methods, it is possible to isolate a variant nucleic acid (i.e., a mutation) from a non-target nucleic acid (i.e., a wild-type) when the variant is present in the original sample at a much lower concentration than the non-target, e.g., 1:10,000, without substantial loss of the variant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Boreal Genomics Corp.
    Inventors: Andrea Marziali, Nitin Sood
  • Patent number: 8512532
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a reaction film formulation used in the preparation of a non-enzymatic whole blood uric acid detecting electrode strip, which comprises an electron mediator, a water-soluble polymer carrier, and a volatile organic solvent, and to whole blood biosensor systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Apex Biotechnology Corporation
    Inventors: Yueh-Hui Lin, Thomas Y. S. Shen
  • Patent number: 8512537
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide, for example, buffer compositions and/or sieving formulations useful in connection with electrophoresis instruments, such as capillary electrophoresis (CE) devices. In various embodiments, a buffer composition can include Bis-Tris, TAPS and/or TAPSO, and, optionally, a chelating agent, such as EDTA. Methods of separating samples containing bio-molecules, such as DNA or RNA, are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Biosystems, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin J. Hacker, Karl O. Voss
  • Patent number: 8512546
    Abstract: The presence of a select analyte such as glucose in the sample is evaluated in an electrochemical system using a conduction cell-type apparatus. A potential or current is generated between the two electrodes of the cell sufficient to bring about oxidation or reduction of the analyte or of a mediator in an analyte-detection redox system, thereby forming a chemical potential gradient of the analyte or mediator between the two electrodes after the gradient is established, the applied potential or current is discontinued and an analyte-independent signal is obtained from the relaxation of the chemical potential gradient. The analyte-independent signal is used to correct the analyte-dependent signal obtained during application of the potential or current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: AgaMatrix, Inc.
    Inventors: Sridhar G. Iyengar, Ian Harding
  • Patent number: 8506778
    Abstract: The present invention relates to diagnostic devices incorporating electrode modules and fluidics for performing chemical analyses. The invented devices consist of a sensor array formed on an electrode module, the sensor array being contained within a fluidic housing. The electrode module is a laminate of a perforated epoxy foil and a photo-formed metal foil with sensor membranes deposited into the perforations. The fluidic housing is an element consisting of a plastic card-like body with fluidic conduits and a sealed fluid reservoir contained in a foil-lined cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Epocal Inc.
    Inventors: Imants Lauks, Andrzej Maczuszenko
  • Patent number: 8506793
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for determining the cardiotoxicity of a chemical compound, comprising a substrate (10) carrying a deformable stack (34), said stack being partially detached from the substrate by a cavity (32) allowing an out-of-plane deformation of the stack, said stack comprising a first deformable layer (16), a second deformable layer (20) and a multi-electrode structure (18) sandwiched between the first and second deformable layers, the second deformable layer carrying a pattern of cardiomyocytes (28) adhered thereto; and a liquid container (26) mounted on the substrate for exposing the cardiomyocytes to the chemical compound. A method of manufacturing such a device is also disclosed. The present invention further relates to the use of the device for drug target discovery and/or drug development and a method for developing a disease model for a disease that is caused by or modified by stretching of cells, in particular a cardiac disease model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Ronald Dekker, Anja Van De Stolpe
  • Patent number: 8500981
    Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus includes a sample separating section for containing a sample separating medium for separating a sample in a horizontal direction, the sample separating section containing the sample separating medium in such a manner that the sample separating medium has an exposed portion at least one end of a surface of the sample separating medium, the surface being in parallel with the horizontal direction; and medium connecting means for connecting a sample containing medium to the sample separating medium at a connecting region, the sample containing medium containing a sample, and the connecting region satisfying a particular equation. By this, an electrophoresis technique with better accuracy than conventional arts can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignees: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Sakairi, Satonari Akutsu, Yuji Maruo, Takateru Matsunaga, Yutaka Unuma, Atsunori Hiratsuka, Hideki Kinoshita, Nao Sakaguchi, Kenji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8500982
    Abstract: The invention herein disclosed provides for devices and methods that can detect and control an individual polymer in a mixture is acted upon by another compound, for example, an enzyme, in a nanopore. The devices and methods are also used to determine rapidly (˜>50 Hz) the nucleotide base sequence of a polynucleotide under feedback control or using signals generated by the interactions between the polynucleotide and the nanopore. The invention is of particular use in the fields of molecular biology, structural biology, cell biology, molecular switches, molecular circuits, and molecular computational devices, and the manufacture thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Mark A. Akeson, David W. Deamer, William B. Dunbar, Noah A. Wilson, Kathy Lieberman
  • Patent number: 8496794
    Abstract: A biosensor includes a working electrode 101, a counter electrode 102 opposing the working electrode 101, a working electrode terminal 103 and a working electrode reference terminal 10 connected to the working electrode 101 by wires, and a counter electrode terminal 104 connected to the counter electrode 102 by a wire. By employing a structure with at least three electrodes, it is possible to assay a target substance without being influenced by the line resistance on the working electrode side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroya Ueno, Junji Nakatsuka
  • Patent number: 8496800
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed for reducing the shift in EMF bias in a magnesium ion selective electrode, comprising the step of: contacting the electrode with a composition comprising a polyoxyalkylene nonionic surfactant; wherein the polyoxyalkylene nonionic surfactant has an HLB greater than about 18. Additional aspects of the present invention are directed to methods, comprising the steps of: contacting a magnesium ion selective electrode with a composition comprising a polyoxyalkylene nonionic surfactant, wherein the polyoxyalkylene nonionic surfactant has an HLB greater than about 18; and measuring a biologically relevant level of a blood electrolyte in a blood composition with the electrode. In certain embodiments, the polyoxyalkylene nonionic surfactant is polyoxy ethylene (100) stearyl ether and the blood electrolyte is magnesium ion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Zhang, Kevin Horan, Laura S. Uretsky
  • Patent number: 8486247
    Abstract: The invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for conducting analyses, particularly microfluidic devices for the detection of target analytes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Osmetch Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon Faiz Kayyem
  • Patent number: RE44521
    Abstract: An electrochemical test sensor adapted to assist in determining the concentration of analyte in a fluid sample is disclosed. The sensor comprises a base that assists in forming an opening for introducing the fluid sample, a working electrode being coupled to the base, and a counter electrode being coupled to the base, the counter electrode and the working electrode being adapted to be in electrical communication with a detector of electrical current, and a sub-element being coupled to the base. A major portion of the counter electrode is located downstream relative to the opening and at least a portion of the working electrode. The sub-element is located upstream relative to the working electrode such that when electrical communication occurs between only the sub-element and the working electrode there is insufficient flow of electrical current through the detector to determine the concentration of the analyte in the fluid sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Bayer HealthCare LLC
    Inventors: Matthew K. Musho, J. Oakey Noell, Andrew J. Edelbrock, Dijia Huang