Patents Examined by Brian J. Sines
  • Patent number: 11428699
    Abstract: A sensor including a surface plasmon resonance detector with a reservoir for containing a liquid sample. The sensor further includes a sensing metallic film positioned within the reservoir so that at least a majority of a surface of the sensing metallic film is to be in contact with the liquid sample being housed within the reservoir. The sensory also includes a semiconductor device having a contact in electrical communication with the sensing metal containing film that is positioned within the reservoir. The semiconductor device measures the net charges of molecules within the liquid sample within a Debye length from the sensing metallic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bobby E. Feller, Jianqiang Lin, Robert D. Miller, Ramachandran Muralidhar, Tak H. Ning, Sufi Zafar
  • Patent number: 11420202
    Abstract: Embodiments include systems, apparatuses, and methods to efficiently separate analytes in a sample and elute fractions of the separated analytes. In some embodiments, a method includes introducing a sample in a capillary with a first end ionically coupled to a first running buffer and a second end ionically coupled to a second running buffer to form a pH gradient. The method includes applying a voltage between the first running buffer and the second running buffer, to separate a plurality of analytes in the sample. The method includes disposing the second end of the capillary in a collection well including a chemical mobilizer and applying a voltage to elute one or more analytes from the plurality of analytes in the sample, that have been separated, into the collection well. Embodiments include detection methods to monitor separation of analytes, mobilization of analytes, and/or elution of fractions containing analytes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: ProteinSimple
    Inventors: Cheng Zhou, Hui Xu, Roland Y. Wang, David J. Roach, Jessica Dermody, Tom Weisan Yang, Jiaqi Wu
  • Patent number: 11422139
    Abstract: A sensor including a surface plasmon resonance detector with a reservoir for containing a liquid sample. The sensor further includes a sensing metallic film positioned within the reservoir so that at least a majority of a surface of the sensing metallic film is to be in contact with the liquid sample being housed within the reservoir. The sensory also includes a semiconductor device having a contact in electrical communication with the sensing metal containing film that is positioned within the reservoir. The semiconductor device measures the net charges of molecules within the liquid sample within a Debye length from the sensing metallic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bobby E. Feller, Jianqiang Lin, Robert D. Miller, Ramachandran Muralidhar, Tak H. Ning, Sufi Zafar
  • Patent number: 11422130
    Abstract: A method includes capturing a signal of a detection substrate exposed to a sample containing a target substance; determining that the detection substrate is in a testable state; and generating an assessment of the presence of the target substance in the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Nima Acquisition, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Sundvor, Ian Wallhead, Joseph Horrell, John Artiuch, Dane Weitmann, Stephen Wilson, Steven Portela, Jingqing Zhang, Francisco Dias Lourenco
  • Patent number: 11415575
    Abstract: A sample analyzer prepares a measurement sample from a blood sample or a body fluid sample which differs from the blood sample; measures the prepared measurement sample; obtains characteristic information representing characteristics of the components in the measurement sample; sets either a blood measurement mode for measuring the blood sample, or a body fluid measurement mode for measuring the body fluid sample as an operating mode; and measures the measurement sample prepared from the blood sample by executing operations in the blood measurement mode when the blood measurement mode has been set, and measuring the measurement sample prepared from the body fluid sample by executing operations in the body fluid measurement mode that differs from the operations in the blood measurement mode when the body fluid measurement mode has been set, is disclosed. A computer program product is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takaaki Nagai, Noriyuki Narisada, Daigo Fukuma, Masanori Imazu
  • Patent number: 11408947
    Abstract: The inventive concepts presented herein relate to methods of identifying molecules identification of molecules using apparatuses including: electromagnetic write-head(s); magneto-resistive read sensor(s), and processor(s). An exemplary method includes scanning one or more of a plurality of biosample tracks of a biosample substrate using an electromagnetic write-head to magnetically excite one or more molecules of interest using an alternating magnetic field. The one or more molecules of interest are disposed on one or more of the biosample tracks. A resonant response of the one or more molecules of interest is measured using a magneto-resistive sensor. The resonant response is compared to a table of known resonant responses to identify the one or more molecules of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Allen K. Bates, Anna W. Topol, Daniel J. Winarski
  • Patent number: 11406978
    Abstract: A sample testing cartridge is usable to perform a variety of tests on a viscoelastic sample, such hemostasis testing on a whole blood or blood component sample. The cartridge includes a sample processing portion that is in fluid communication with a sample retention structure. A suspension, such as a beam, arm, cantilever or similar structure supports or suspends the sample retention portion relative to the sample processing portion in a unitary structure. In this manner, the sample retention portion may be placed into dynamic excitation responsive to excitation of the cartridge and correspondingly dynamic, resonant excitation of the sample contained within the sample retention portion, while the sample processing portion remains fixed. Observation of the excited sample yields data indicative of hemostasis. The data may correspond to hemostasis parameters such as time to initial clot formation, rate of clot formation, maximum clot strength and degree of clot lysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Haemonetics Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Delemico, Carlos G. Lopez-Espina, Gabriel Raviv
  • Patent number: 11406977
    Abstract: For example, a flowcell includes: a nanowell layer having a first set of nanowells and a second set of nanowells to receive a sample; a first linear waveguide associated with the first set of nanowells, and a second linear waveguide associated with the second set of nanowells; and a first grating for the first linear waveguide, and a second grating for the second linear waveguide, the first and second gratings providing differential coupling of first light and second light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignees: ILLUMINA CAMBRIDGE LIMITED, ILLUMINA, INC.
    Inventors: Geraint Evans, Stanley S. Hong
  • Patent number: 11400448
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a chip substrate and a digital micro-fluidic chip and belongs to the field of digital micro-fluidic technology. The chip substrate provided by the disclosure has a plurality of control regions spaced apart from each other, the chip substrate including: a first base substrate; a driving electrode disposed in each control region over the first base substrate, the driving electrode being configured to drive a droplet to move, wherein the chip substrate further comprises a pressure detecting element provided in each control region over the first base substrate, and configured to detect a pressure from the droplet, so that the chip substrate determines a position of the droplet according to the pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignees: BEIJING BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yue Geng, Peizhi Cai, Fengchun Pang, Le Gu, Chuncheng Che
  • Patent number: 11400446
    Abstract: A flow cell including inlet and outlet ports in fluid communication with each other through a flow channel that extends therebetween. The flow channel includes a diffuser region and a field region that is located downstream from the diffuser region. The field region of the flow channel directs fluid along reaction sites where desired reactions occur. The fluid flows through the diffuser region in a first flow direction and through the field region in a second flow direction. The first and second flow directions being substantially perpendicular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: ILLUMINA, INC.
    Inventors: Helmy A. Eltoukhy, Tarun Khurana, Behnam Javanmardi, Poorya Sabounchi, Majid Aghababazadeh
  • Patent number: 11401542
    Abstract: An acoustically actuated droplet apparatus includes a first sound source, a second sound source, a thread, two fixed columns and at least one droplet transporter. The first sound source includes a first emitting surface. The second sound source includes a second emitting surface, wherein the second emitting surface and the first emitting surface are arranged opposite to each other. The thread is coaxially passed through and placed between the first sound source and the second sound source, wherein the thread is hydrophobic. The two fixed columns are connected to two ends of the thread, wherein the first sound source and the second sound source are placed between the two fixed columns. The droplet transporter includes a tubing, a droplet dispenser and a solution container, wherein the droplet dispenser is connected with the solution container by the tubing, and the droplet dispenser is placed near the thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
    Inventors: Pawel Lukasz Urban, Tzu-Hsien Yang
  • Patent number: 11395614
    Abstract: Various collection devices, systems and methods relating to the use of devices with open microfluidic channels disposed within a housing defining a lumen. These devices make use of microneedles passed through apertures to induce fluid flow into microfluidic channel networks for collection and analysis. The device can be actuated via button when placed on the skin of a patient to collect a fluid sample, such as a blood draw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Tasso, Inc.
    Inventors: Erwin Berthier, Ben Casavant, Ben Moga
  • Patent number: 11389793
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a microfluidic device, in particular, a sol-gel method for producing a microfluidic device in hybrid silica glass. The invention also relates to a microfluidic device obtainable by the method as described above and to microfluidic device in hybrid silica glass comprising at least one microchannel having a depth of at least 1 ?m, preferably between 1 ?m and 1 mm, and more preferably between 10 and 100 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: TOTAL SA, ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE DE LYON, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE-CNRS-, UNIVERSITE CLAUDE BERNARD LYON 1
    Inventors: Michael Levant, Denis Bartolo, Stéphane Parola, Denis Chateau
  • Patent number: 11389795
    Abstract: A microfluidic device may include a valve located between a liquid source and a liquid receiver. The valve may include a channel connecting the liquid source to the liquid receiver, a heater within the channel, and a pinch point in the channel between the heater and the liquid receiver. The microfluidic device may include a controller to activate the heater so as to form a bubble sized so as to be captured by the pinch point in the channel to occlude the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Alexander N. Govyadinov
  • Patent number: 11376584
    Abstract: In one example, a flow cell includes a plurality of inlet ports sized to receive a flow of reagent from one of a plurality of reagents into the flow cell. An outlet port of the flow cell is sized to pass each flow of reagent out of the flow cell. A flow channel of the flow cell is positioned between, and in fluid communication with, each inlet port and the outlet port. The flow channel includes a manifold section and a detection section. The manifold section has a plurality of manifold branches in fluid communication with a common line, wherein each branch is connected to one of each inlet port. The detection section is in fluid communication with the common line and the outlet port. The detection section is operable to perform a plurality of different chemical reactions between the plurality of reagents and analytes positioned in the detection section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: ILLUMINA, INC.
    Inventors: Sz-Chin Lin, Jay Taylor, Minsoung Rhee, Jennifer Foley, Wesley Cox-Muranami, Cyril Delattre, Tarun Khurana, Paul Crivelli
  • Patent number: 11369960
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating a bulk acoustic wave resonator structure for a fluidic device. The methods can include a first step of disposing a first conductive material over a portion of a first surface of a substrate to form at least a portion of a first electrode, the substrate having a second surface opposite the first surface. Then, a piezoelectric material may be disposed over the first electrode. Next, a second conductive material can be disposed over the piezoelectric material to form at least a portion of a second electrode. The second conductive material extends substantially parallel to the first surface of the substrate and the second conductive material at least partially extends over the first conductive material. The overlapping region of the first conductive material, the piezoelectric material, and the second conductive material form a bulk acoustic wave resonator, the bulk acoustic wave resonator having a first side and an opposing second side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Qorvo Biotechnologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rio Rivas, Kevin McCarron, Matthew Wasilik, David Doerr
  • Patent number: 11369961
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for washing and concentrating microparticles encapsulated in microscale droplets using an acoustic radiation force. The apparatus includes: a piezoelectric substrate; a slanted finger interdigital transducer (SIDT) electrode deposited on the piezoelectric substrate and configured to generate surface acoustic waves under an AC signal applied thereto; and a microfluidic chip which is adhered to the piezoelectric substrate with being spaced apart from the SIDT electrode, has a microscale channel section formed therein, in which a single continuous phase and a plurality of dispersed phases are injected, respectively, and includes a plurality of inlet ports into which continuous and dispersed phases are injected, and a discharge port from which a plurality of droplets composed of the continuous and dispersed phases and generated by the intersection thereof are discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Hyung-Jin Sung, Jinsoo Park, Ghulam Destgeer, Yeunwoo Cho, Hyoungsoo Kim
  • Patent number: 11361953
    Abstract: Provided are methods for determining the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) phenotype in a sample by mass spectrometry; wherein the ApoE allele(s) present in the sample is determined from the identity of the ions detected by mass spectrometry. In another aspect, provided herein are methods for diagnosis or prognosis of Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Quest Diagnostics Investments Incoporated
    Inventors: Darren Weber, Nigel Clarke
  • Patent number: 11351546
    Abstract: A microfluidic chip and controlling method are provided. The microfluidic chip includes a microfluidic substrate, comprising a first substrate, a droplet driving assembly over the first substrate, and a temperature detection assembly. The droplet driving assembly includes a first electrode layer having a plurality of control electrodes, and each of the plurality of control electrodes is configured as part of a driving unit to drive a droplet to move along a predetermined path over the microfluidic substrate. The temperature detection assembly comprises at least one temperature sensor. The at least one temperature sensor positionally corresponds to the plurality of control electrodes such that each of the at least one temperature sensor detects a temperature at a position associated with one of the plurality of control electrodes corresponding to the each of the at least one temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignees: BEIJING BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yue Geng, Peizhi Cai, Fengchun Pang, Le Gu, Chuncheng Che, Hailin Xue, Xibin Shao
  • Patent number: 11344886
    Abstract: A heater for a microfluidic test card is disclosed herein. In a general example embodiment, a test card for analyzing a fluid sample includes at least one substrate layer including a microchannel extending through at least a portion of one of the substrate layers, and a printed substrate layer that is bonded to or printed on one substrate layer of the at least one substrate layer. The printed substrate layer includes a heater printed on the printed substrate layer so as to align with at least a portion of the microchannel. The heater includes two electrodes aligned on opposite sides of the microchannel, and a plurality of heater bars electrically connecting the two electrodes. The plurality of heater bars includes a central heater bar disposed between outer heater bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: FluxErgy, LLC
    Inventors: Ashwin Raghunathan, Steve Lee, Ryan Alan Revilla, Tej Rushikesh Patel