Patents Examined by Caitlyn Mingyun Sun
  • Patent number: 11977046
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell comprises a chamber, an inlet port, an outlet port, an electrode port, and a counter electrode. The inlet port is configured to allow flow of a liquid into the chamber and through an inlet opening toward the working electrode, and the outlet port is configured to allow flow of a liquid out of the chamber and through an outlet opening. The device is configured so that a force applied to the working electrode slides the first end face of the working electrode to a distance from a face of the inlet opening due to the balancing force of a fluid flowing out of the inlet opening. The device may be used in a method for analyzing an analyte, such as one or more amino acids in a liquid sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Inventors: Purnendu Dasgupta, Charles P. Shelor, Kannan Srinivasan, Christopher A. Pohl
  • Patent number: 11971385
    Abstract: A cyclic capillary electrophoresis device includes a capillary channel that forms a closed loop. The capillary channel comprises an inner half facing toward a space enclosed by the loop, where the inner half having an inner wall of first charge density, and an outer half facing away from the space enclosed by the loop, where the outer half having an inner wall surface of second charge density. A difference between the first and the second charge densities exists or can be turned on. The difference is configured to create a smaller average electroosmotic flow velocity in the inner half than in the outer half.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: Imec vzw, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
    Inventors: Koen Martens, Chengxun Liu, Camila Dalben Madeira Campos, Rita Vos
  • Patent number: 11959876
    Abstract: A cap for use with devices, such as sensors. The cap includes protrusions on its underside, to restrict the movement of a liquid or a gel placed under cap. The protrusions may take the form of walls or pillars, depending on the application. As such, the cap retains the liquid or gel in a specified position on the device. For example, an electrochemical sensor may require a liquid electrolyte to remain in place over one or more electrodes. The protrusions may not extend far enough to touch the device, but rather leave a small gap. However, because of the surface tension of the liquid, the liquid generally stays within the protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Alfonso Berduque, Donal McAuliffe, Brendan Cawley, Raymond J. Speer, Youri Ponomarev
  • Patent number: 11951482
    Abstract: A cartridge, in particular a disposable cartridge, for use in an electrowetting sample processing system. The cartridge has a liquid input port for introducing an input liquid into an internal gap of the cartridge, the input liquid providing for at least one droplet, directly or via a liquid separation process within the internal gap, and the internal gap having at least one hydrophobic surface, at least one processing zone for processing samples located in the processing zone, and a delivery zone for delivering the at least one droplet from the liquid input port to the at least one processing zone. The delivery zone is configured to provide a repeating pattern of interacting electrowetting force for simultaneously transporting the at least one droplet within the delivery zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TECAN TRADING AG
    Inventors: Patrick Kinney, Tiffany Ding (Lay), Manjeet Dhindsa, Daniel Tran, Jennifer Ji, Sujata Iyer, Tin Ngo
  • Patent number: 11946902
    Abstract: In example implementations, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a dielectrophoresis (DEP) separator, an electrical field generator, a tracking system, and a controller. The DEP separator is to separate a plurality of different particles. The electrical field generator is coupled to the DEP separator to apply a frequency to the DEP separator. The tracking system is to track a movement of a type of particles in the DEP separator. The controller is in communication with the electrical field generator to control the frequency and the tracking system to track the separation. The controller is to calculate a cross-over frequency from a cross-over frequency distribution for the type of particles based on a frequency sweep performed on the type of particles and the movement of the type of particles that is tracked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Viktor Shkolnikov, Yang Lei, Daixi Xin
  • Patent number: 11933760
    Abstract: A cartridge for use in an electrowetting sample processing system, the cartridge having at least one inlet port for introducing an input liquid in an internal gap of the cartridge, wherein the gap has at least one hydrophobic surface and is configured to provide an electrowetting induced movement of a microfluidic droplet of input liquid, wherein the input liquid has a carrier liquid and a processing liquid and the gap has a capture zone that is configured to capture at least a part of the processing liquid as a microfluidic droplet by use of electrowetting force and the gap further has a transfer zone that is configured to provide a passage for the carrier liquid next to the microfluidic droplet, while processing liquid is captured in the capture zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TECAN TRADING AG
    Inventors: Patrick Kinney, Tin Ngo, Sujata Iyer, Daniel Hoffmeyer, Manjeet Dhindsa, Tiffany Ding (Lay)
  • Patent number: 11921083
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an in-channel filtration device for capturing one or more macromolecules from an electrophoretic gel, and methods for manufacturing and using same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: YOURGENE HEALTH CANADA INC.
    Inventors: Jared Slobodan, Andrew Nobles
  • Patent number: 11913927
    Abstract: An intelligent nitrogen-oxygen sensor and a detection method thereof are disclosed. The sensor includes an induction chip. The induction chip includes a substrate unit, a printing function unit and a closed structural unit. The substrate unit includes an upper zirconia substrate (1), a middle zirconia substrate (2) and a lower zirconia substrate (3). The printing function unit includes a common external electrode (11), a main pump internal electrode (12), an auxiliary pump internal electrode (13), a mixed potential sensitive electrode (31), a measurement pump internal electrode (32), a reference air electrode (33), a first insulation coating layer (41), a second insulation coating layer (42), a heating circuit (43) and eight electrode contact points. The closed structural unit includes a first measurement cavity (21), a second measurement cavity (22) and a reference air passage (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGZHOU LAMBDA ELECTRONIC., LTD
    Inventor: Jiangtao Feng
  • Patent number: 11898984
    Abstract: To form a layer separating two volumes of aqueous solution, there is used an apparatus comprising elements defining a chamber, the elements including a body of non-conductive material having formed therein at least one recess opening into the chamber, the recess containing an electrode. A pre-treatment coating of a hydrophobic fluid is applied to the body across the recess. Aqueous solution, having amphiphilic molecules added thereto, is flowed across the body to cover the recess so that aqueous solution is introduced into the recess from the chamber and a layer of the amphiphilic molecules forms across the recess separating a volume of aqueous solution introduced into the recess from the remaining volume of aqueous solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Stuart William Reid, Terence Alan Reid, James Anthony Clarke, Steven Paul White, Gurdial Singh Sanghera
  • Patent number: 11899002
    Abstract: A limiting-current type gas sensor including a sensor element including a base part made of an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte and measuring concentration of NOx in a measurement gas includes: a pump cell including a first electrode disposed to be capable of being in contact with a gas introduced into the element and a second electrode disposed so that a part made of the solid electrolyte is located between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a pumping diagnostic part to determine whether an inter-electrode electric field produced in the part made of the solid electrolyte through application of a predetermined pump voltage between the electrodes exceeds a first threshold, and, when the inter-electrode electric field exceeds the first threshold, the predetermined pump voltage is reduced so that the inter-electrode electric field falls below the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Takayuki Sekiya
  • Patent number: 11866686
    Abstract: The invention relates to a comparison unit (130) configured for determining if a first pH measuring device of a first tank (104; 106) is affected by a pH-measuring problem, the comparison unit being configured for: receiving a first CO2 concentration and a first pH value, the first CO2 concentration being a CO2 concentration of a first gas volume above a medium in a first tank, the first CO2 concentration and the first pH value being measured at a first time when the medium in the first tank is in pH-CO2 equilibrium state with the first gas volume and before said equilibrium state is modified by the metabolism of a cell culture in the first tank, the first pH value being a measured value provided by a first pH measuring device operatively coupled to the first tank (102); receiving a second CO2 concentration and a second pH value, the second CO2 concentration being a CO2 concentration of a second gas volume above a medium in a second tank, the second CO2 concentration and the second pH value being measured
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc.
    Inventors: Detlef Eisenkraetzer, Christian Klinger, Katrin Greppmair
  • Patent number: 11860119
    Abstract: A sensing method is described. The sensing method comprises providing a time-dependent electrical signal across a conductive connection between first and second terminals of a sensor, the conductive connection capacitively coupled to an environment via a mesoscopic probe element having an electroactive surface for exposure to the environment, the conductive connection having an associated relaxation time. The method further comprises receiving a time-dependent response signal from the sensor. The method further comprises analysing the time-dependent response signal with respect to the time-dependent electrical signal. The method further comprises determining, based on the analysis, a change in the relaxation time, the change in the relaxation time being correlated with an interaction between the electroactive surface and a measurand of the environment. A computer-readable medium, a sensing system and a sensor are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignees: OXFORD UNIVERSITY INNOVATION LIMITED, UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL PAULISTA “JULIO DE MESQUITA FILHO”—UNESP
    Inventors: Jason J. Davis, Paulo R. Bueno
  • Patent number: 11846626
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of detecting microbial stress. The method comprises the following: providing an electrochemical device having at least one reference electrode and one working electrode wherein the electrochemical device also contains a fermenting microbe, setting an electrochemical potential, providing a source of electrical energy electrically connected to the at least one working electrode, detecting a transfer of electrons from the working electrode to the fermenting microbe, wherein the detection is an indication of microbial stress, and providing a remedial action in response to the indication of microbial stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: Charles E Turick, Charles E Milliken, Hector Colon-Mercado, Scott D Greenway, Ariane L Martin
  • Patent number: 11835527
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods of analyzing a post-translationally modified protein of interest using electrophoresis, the methods comprising deglycosylating the protein of interest after labeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: Yiming Zhao, Hunter Chen, Shao-Chun Wang, Timothy Riehlman, Gabriel Carreau, Ying Wang
  • Patent number: 11821865
    Abstract: A gas sensor including: a sensor element extending in an axial direction; a metal shell surrounding and supporting the sensor element; an exterior tube that is tubular and is mounted to a rear end of the metal shell; a metal terminal including a first end connected to a lead wire and a second end electrically connected to the sensor element; a separator that is tubular and is disposed in the exterior tube and contains the metal terminal and the sensor element; and a holder being in contact with the separator in the axial direction. The holder includes ribs formed in a frontward face or a rearward face of the holder and arranged at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction. Each of the ribs occupies a region having a length equal to or greater than a thickness of the holder, as viewed in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: NITERRA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masana Okai, Takehiro Oba, Daisuke Tahira, Masashi Nomura
  • Patent number: 11821866
    Abstract: A sensor can selectively detect quantum signatures in charge transfer processes via a tunneling current. In one aspect, the sensor can include a metal electrode having a first surface and a second surface. The sensor can also include an insulator film having a first thickness, a first surface area and a first surface chemistry. The insulator film can be coupled to the metal electrode via the first surface. The sensor can also include a functionalization film having a second thickness, a second surface area and a second surface chemistry. The functionalization film can be coupled to the metal electrode via the second surface. The insulator film and the functionalization film are configured to separate the metal electrode from an electrochemical solution comprising the analyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignees: ProbiusDx, Inc., The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventor: Chaitanya Gupta
  • Patent number: 11808733
    Abstract: An embodiment provides a method for measuring an alkalinity of an aqueous sample, including: introducing an aqueous sample to a voltammetric pH electrode; holding the potential of a voltammetric pH electrode at a pH end point potential; applying a voltage step waveform comprising at least one potential pulse to the voltammetric pH electrode; titrating the aqueous sample; and measuring a current output resulting from the voltage step waveform, wherein the measuring comprises square wave amperometry. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: HACH COMPANY
    Inventor: Corey Alan Salzer
  • Patent number: 11806729
    Abstract: The present technology relates to improved device and methods of use of insulator-based dielectrophoresis. This device provides a multi-length scale element that provides enhanced resolution and separation. The device provides improved particle streamlines, trapping efficiency, and induces laterally similar environments. Also provided are methods of using the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Mark Hayes, Claire Crowther, Paul Jones
  • Patent number: 11808724
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor system including one or more sensors having a first container fluidly coupled to a second container, the second container being configured to receive a conductive media from the first container. A first movable element is slidingly engaged with the first container to cause the second container to receive the conductive media from the first container. A first electrode is positioned in the first cavity and electrically coupled to the conductive media. In some examples, a second electrode is electrically coupled to the first electrode and the conductive media. The sensor deposits the conductive media on a working electrode to form an electrochemical cell and obtain one or more material properties of the working electrode. In some examples, the sensor system includes an array of sensors which deposit the conducive media in multiple locations on a working electrode to generate a material property map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Patrick J. Kinlen
  • Patent number: 11808755
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device, system and method for sensing functional motions of a single protein molecule via direct attachment of one or more electrodes to the molecule. The present disclosure also relates to an array, a system comprising an array and method for sequencing a biopolymer using an array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: RECOGNITION ANALYTIX, INC.
    Inventors: Stuart Lindsay, Peiming Zhang