Patents Examined by James C. Housel
  • Patent number: 6143576
    Abstract: The assay devices, assay systems and device components of this invention comprise at least two opposing surfaces disposed a capillary distance apart, at least one of which is capable of immobilizing at least one target ligand or a conjugate in an amount related to the presence or amount of target ligand in the sample from a fluid sample in a zone for controlled fluid movement to, through or away the zone. The inventive device components may be incorporated into conventional assay devices with membranes or may be used in the inventive membrane-less devices herein described and claimed. These components include, flow control elements, measurement elements, time gates, elements for the elimination of pipetting steps, and generally, elements for the controlled flow, timing, delivery, incubation, separation, washing and other steps of the assay process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Biosite Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth F. Buechler
  • Patent number: 6139839
    Abstract: A method of controlling, in a warm-blooded animal, an infectious microorganism expressing a chorionic gonadotropin-like growth-regulating protein comprises modulating the activity of the protein by administering to the warm-blooded animal an effective amount of an antibody capable of inhibiting the activity of the protein, the chorionic gonadotropin-like growth-regulating protein itself such that the animal develops a neutralizing immune response, or peptides that block the receptors of the chorionic gonadotropin-like growth-regulating protein in the infectious microorganism. Candida albicans is one such microorganism that can be controlled by delivering an antibody against the growth-regulating protein, CaCGLP. Mycobacteria can also be controlled by this method. A method of inhibiting transition of Candida albicans blastospores in vitro by contacting the blastospores with an antibody against CaCGLP is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: William D. Odell, Jeanine T. Griffin, Sanjeev Grover, Omar Caticha, Douglas T. Carrell, Marion L. Woods, II
  • Patent number: 6139831
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for immobilizing molecules, particularly biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, or hormones onto a substrate such as glass or silica; patterns of immobilization can be made resulting in addressable, discrete arrays of molecules on a substrate, having applications in bioelectronics, DNA hybridization assays, drug assays, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: The Rockfeller University
    Inventors: Ganaganor Visweswara Shivashankar, Albert J. Libchaber
  • Patent number: 6140044
    Abstract: A body 300 having a cavity 310 for mounting a substrate 120 fabricated with probe sequences at known locations according to the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,854 and PCT WO 92/10092 or others, is provided. The cavity includes inlets 350 and 360 for introducing selected fluids into the cavity to contact the probes. Accordingly, a commercially feasible device for use in high throughput assay systems is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald M. Besemer, Virginia W. Goss, James L. Winkler
  • Patent number: 6140136
    Abstract: The present invention provides an analytical test device for conducting assays of biological fluids. Methods for carrying out the assays with the disclosed analytical test device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Syntron BioResearch, Inc.
    Inventor: Jin Po Lee
  • Patent number: 6140135
    Abstract: Array, and methods for the production thereof, of selected immobilized molecules for interaction analysis in which each molecule has a predetermined, identifiable position in the array. The array is obtainable by and the methods are characterized by the following steps: a) bundling and fixing together flat or elongated, thin carrier elements in a regular way, each element having immobilized thereto a selected molecule and having an identifiable position in the array, b) sectioning the bundles and optionally, c) depositing the sections on a support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Inventors: Ulf Landegren, Alexander Khorlin, Maritha Mendel-Hartvig, Ove Ohman
  • Patent number: 6136610
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for performing a lateral flow assay. The method includes depositing a sample on a test strip at an application region, detecting a first detection signal arising from the test strip in the first detection zone, and generating a baseline for the first measurement zone by interpolating between values of the detection signal outside of the first measurement zone and inside of the first detection zone. The method may include locating a beginning boundary and an ending boundary for the first measurement zone on the test strip. Additional detection zones having measurement zones may also be incorporated with the embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: PraxSys BioSystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan J. Polito, Richard M. Thayer, Robert K. DiNello, George H. Sierra, Dennis Nixon, Alan Phillips, Stuart Neubarth
  • Patent number: 6136552
    Abstract: A high-affinity salicylic acid-binding protein (SABP2) derivable from tobacco and Arabidopsis is disclosed. The tobacco protein has a molecular weight of approximately 25 kDa and reversibly binds SA with an apparent K.sub.d of approximately 90 nM and a B.sub.max of 10 fmol/mg protein. The SABP2 of the invention may be used to identify analogues of SA. Analogues so identified may be used in plants to augment disease-resistance response pathways or other SA-sensitive processes in which SA plays a role. Possible examples include flowering and alternative respiration. The SABP2 of the invention may also be used to identify and clone a gene or cDNA that encodes it, which then may be used to generate transgenic plants having altered SABP2 levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
    Inventors: Daniel F. Klessig, He Du
  • Patent number: 6136325
    Abstract: A salmonella live vaccine produced from at least one attenuated immunologic live vaccine strain, characterized in that the vaccine strain has an envelope marker which results in an increased sensitivity of the vaccine strain toward a specific therapeutically effective antibiotic and has at least one chromosomal antibiotic resistance mutation for the attenuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Lohmann Animal Health GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Linde, Jorg Beer, Barbel Pless
  • Patent number: 6136323
    Abstract: The subject invention concerns novel methods and compositions for thrombolytic therapy. More specifically, a receptor with high affinity for plasmin has been characterized, purified, cloned, and expressed. This receptor can be used in combination therapies where it is administered prior to, concurrently with, or after a plasminogen activator. Also, this receptor can be bound to plasmin and administered to humans or animals in need of fibrinolytic activity. Additionally, the invention pertains to a novel immobilized form of plasmin which advantageously accumulates at the point where antifibrinolytic activity is needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. P. Boyle, Richard Lottenberg, Christopher Broder, Gregory Von Mering
  • Patent number: 6136960
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of determining the ratio of the concentration or amounts of two or more chemical compounds and/or biopolymers, or of the relative amounts of sub-populations of closely structurally related compounds, in a multi-component mixture, extract, system, and the like using an analytical physicochemical process. The method is based on distribution of the components of the mixture (system, extract, etc.) between two or more immiscible phases and the subsequent determination of the total amounts (concentrations) of biopolymers (chemical compounds) or of the amounts (concentrations) of one or more component(s) or sub-populations of the system in the phases. The ratio between these concentrations is defined therein as the partition coefficient. The partition coefficient is used as a measure of the ratio of the amounts of two or more biopolymers (chemical compounds) or their sub-populations in a multi-component mixture (extract, system, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignees: Boris Y. Zaslavsky, Arnon Chait
    Inventors: Arnon Chait, Boris Y. Zaslavsky
  • Patent number: 6132775
    Abstract: Therapeutic methods using a purified isolated human bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein and biologically-active fragments thereof is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: New York University
    Inventors: Peter Elsbach, Jerrold Weiss
  • Patent number: 6132982
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of detecting the presence of a compound of interest (such as an enzyme), or the spatial distribution within a sample of a compound of interest. The method comprises the step of impregnating or coating a suitable base material with a marker substance capable of reacting or interacting with the compound of interest, the marker substance being labeled in a detectable manner (for example fluorescently, radioactively or being colored) and having a substantially different affinity for the base material than the product of the reaction or interaction thereof with the compound of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
    Inventor: Stephen Charles Fry
  • Patent number: 6132979
    Abstract: A cytotoxicity testing method of the present invention allows live cells to be directly and accurately counted one by one in order to determine the survival rate of cells. This allows the toxicity of a chemical substance to be quantized with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Toru Murakami
  • Patent number: 6132981
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for detecting a mammal's prior exposure to radiation or radiomimetic agents. Labeled antibodies are employed to determine the quantity of transferrin receptors on the red blood cells of the mammal. The quantity of transferrin receptors on the red blood cells of the mammal is correlated to the mammal's prior exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: The Research Foundation of State University of New York
    Inventors: Joseph K. Gong, Chester A. Glomski
  • Patent number: 6132550
    Abstract: The apparatus according to the present invention is capable of maintain a plasma at relatively high pressure while preventing a window from being heated or sputtered by the plasma. The reaction chamber includes (1) an entrance window for guiding an electromagnetic wave such as a microwave or an RF to the reaction chamber, (2) a reaction room where film formation or etching for a substrate is performed by exciting a gas with the electromagnetic wave such as the microwave or the RF, and (3) an intermediate room arranged between the reaction room and the entrance window and having a pressure higher than that in the reaction chamber. The gas in the intermediate room is not excited with the electromagnetic wave such as the microwave or the RF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromu Shiomi
  • Patent number: 6132977
    Abstract: SNAP-25 (synaptosomal associated protein) is purified from cerebrospinal or amniotic fluid for immunoassay and quantitation. Quantitation of these proteins is useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of brain disorders and diseases such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: University of New Mexico
    Inventors: Peter M. Thompson, Nora Perrone-Bizzozero
  • Patent number: 6129923
    Abstract: The application discloses a method for the treatment of Heliobacter infection in a mammalian host, which comprises administration to said infected host of an immunologically effective amount of one or more Heliobacter antigen(s), optionally in association with a mucosal adjuvant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignees: CSL Limited, The University of New South Wales
    Inventors: Christopher Vincent Doidge, Adrian Lee
  • Patent number: 6127151
    Abstract: A method of deriving an antigen from Bordetella pertussis, wherein the antigen is characterized by the following features: a relative molecular weight of about 67,000 to 73,000 as determined by 12%(w/w) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a proline:glutamic acid ratio of about 1:1 as determined by amino acid analysis. The method comprises: (a) culturing Bordetella pertussiscells; (b) treating the culture of (a) to obtain an outer membrane fraction; and (c) isolating the antigen from the outer membrane fraction of (b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Medeva Pharma Limited
    Inventors: Pavel Novotny, deceased, by Jaroslava Novotny, administrator, Juan Antonio Montaraz Crespo, Juraj Ivanyi
  • Patent number: 6123942
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel bacterial hemoglobin receptor protein and genes that encode such a protein. The invention is directed toward the isolation, characterization, diagnostic and therapeutic use of a bacterial hemoglobin receptor protein, nucleic acid encoding such a protein, recombinant expression constructs comprising such nucleic acids and cells transformed therewith, and antibodies and epitopes of such hemoglobin receptor proteins. The invention relates particularly to hemoglobin receptor proteins and genes encoding such proteins from Neisseria species, especially N. meningitidis. Methods for the diagnostic and therapeutic use of the proteins, epitopes, antibodies and nucleic acids of the invention are also provided, including the use of the proteins, epitopes, antibodies and nucleic acids of the invention for the production of vaccines effectinve in providing immunization of a human against infection by pathogenic bacteria of Neisseria species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Oregon Health Sciences University
    Inventors: Igor Stojiljkovic, Magdalene So, Vivian Hwa, Fred Heffron, Xavier Nassif