Patents Examined by Jan Ludlow
  • Patent number: 9339810
    Abstract: A hand-held, multi-channel pipettor has an electronically controlled motor to reposition pipette tips for different center to center spacing. Each repositionable tip fitting assembly has a cam following pin that is driven by cam tracks in a motor driven roller drum. Stationary ports for the multiple aspiration cylinders are strategically placed to simplify management of flexible tubes leading to the repositionable pipette tip fitting assemblies. The pipettor has a user interface that can be operated conveniently by one hand to reposition pipette tips. It has a pipette tip ejection mechanism with a sinusoidal stripper bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Integra Biosciences AG
    Inventors: David Earl Butz, Gregory Mathus, Richard Cote, George P. Kalmakis
  • Patent number: 9327262
    Abstract: A solid phase reaction method comprising an elongate material of (1) with a substance provided thereon through at least one reaction zone (2) and comprises at least one group for attachment to at least one linker species of said substance. The elongate material (1) may be a cord ribbon, thread or tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Swedish Biomimetics 3000 Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Richard Russell Prewer
  • Patent number: 9322511
    Abstract: A bridge comprises a first inlet port, a second inlet port, an outlet port, and a chamber for silicone oil. The oil is density-matched with the reactor droplets such that a neutrally buoyant environment is created within the chamber. The oil within the chamber is continuously replenished by the oil separating the reactor droplets. This causes the droplets to assume a stable capillary-suspended spherical form upon entering the chamber. The spherical shape grows until large enough to span the gap between the ports, forming an axisymmetric liquid bridge. The introduction of a second droplet from the second inlet port causes the formation of an unstable funicular bridge that quickly ruptures from the, finer, second inlet port, and the droplets combine at the liquid bridge. In another embodiment, a droplet segments into smaller droplets which bridge the gap between the inlet and outlet ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Stokes Bio Limited
    Inventors: Mark Davies, Tara Dalton, Kieran Curran
  • Patent number: 9314794
    Abstract: A liquid leakage between a needle and a needle port is prevented. To this end, a guide section, a passage section, and a tapered section are provided in an in-port path of a needle port. The guide section has an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of a body of a needle. The passage section has an inside diameter smaller than the outside diameter of the body of the needle and larger than the tip diameter of a tapered portion of the needle. The tapered section connects the guide section and the passage section. The taper angle ?2 of the tapered section is set to be larger than the taper angle ?1 of the tapered portion of the needle, and the width w of the tapered section is set to be smaller than half the difference between the outside diameter of the body and the tip diameter of the needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Yamazaki, Przemyslaw Stasica, Bob Boughtflower
  • Patent number: 9302234
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hand held pipette for aspirating and dispensing liquids including, a stirring device assembly, including a vibration inducing unit, a power source for the vibration inducing unit, and a control for the vibration inducing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Inventor: Kunio Misono
  • Patent number: 9289762
    Abstract: A method for dosing a liquid using a pipette with adjustable dosing step size and an indicating equipment and a syringe that can be operated using the pipette. The syringe is detachably connected to the pipette. The dosing step size is set, or the dosing step size set before is maintained. The dosing volume adjusted via the dosing step size is indicated. Liquid is aspirated into the syringe. Dosing steps are performed, counted and the number of performed dosing steps and/or the number of dosing steps still possible without refilling the syringe is determined and indicated. After performing the maximum number of dosing steps possible without refilling the syringe, either the syringe is detached, or the steps are performed again. The overall performed number of dosing steps with the set dosing step size is counted, and/or the number of dosing steps still possible without refilling is determined and indicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Herbert Belgardt, Peter Molitor, Burkhardt Reichmuth
  • Patent number: 9290862
    Abstract: An apparatus and system for contacting a mobile elongate solid phase, e.g. a ribbon with a flowing fluid phase, and a method for using the same in, for example solid phase synthesis. A particular apparatus comprises (i) a conduit which is of circular or non-circular transverse cross section and which defines a lumen to contain both the flowing fluid phase and the mobile elongate solid phase; (ii) fluid phase ports in communication with the lumen to allow the fluid phase to enter the lumen, flow through it and exit it; and (iii) solid phase ports in communication with the lumen to allow the mobile solid phase to enter the lumen, move through it and exit it, the apparatus being adapted to prevent fluid egress from its interior through the solid phase ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Swedish Biomimetics 3000 Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Richard Russell Prewer
  • Patent number: 9289699
    Abstract: The current invention is directed to a chromatography column separator which separates the chromatography column in an upper chromatography column chamber and a lower chromatography column chamber, and which has a variable position within the chromatography column, and which is embedded by the chromatography material. The separator allows the replacement of the chromatography material in the upper chromatography column chamber without the need to replace the chromatography column material in the lower chromatography column chamber and it allows also the combination of two different chromatography materials with different chromatographical functional groups in one chromatography column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Blaschyk, Roberto Falkenstein
  • Patent number: 9283495
    Abstract: An apparatus for capillary ion chromatography comprising a suppressor comprising flow-through ion exchange packing in a housing and capillary tubing formed of a permselective ion exchange membrane, and at least partially disposed in said ion exchange packing. Also, a recycle conduit for aqueous liquid from the detector to the packing. Further, the capillary tubing may have weakly acidic or weakly basic functional groups. Also, a method for using the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: DIONEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yan Liu, Victor Manuel Berber Barreto, Christopher A. Pohl, Nebojsa Avdalovic
  • Patent number: 9194847
    Abstract: A sample manager of a liquid chromatography system uses a sample tray having a base with side walls separated by a cross wall that divides the base into two compartments. The side walls and cross wall bound each compartment on three sides. A fourth side of each compartment is open. Each compartment is sized to closely receive a sample-vial carrier. Each compartment has a magnet affixed to a bottom surface at an edge of the open fourth side. Each of two drawers slides into the open fourth side of one compartment. Each drawer has a support surface with a magnet affixed at an edge of its bottom side, which aligns with the magnet affixed to the bottom surface of the compartment. The magnet of the drawer and the magnet of the compartment bias the drawer into its compartment when the magnets are brought into proximity of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua A. Burnett, James E. Usowicz, Daniel J. Gagne, Keith McGrath, Edwin Denecke
  • Patent number: 9188573
    Abstract: An ion chromatography housing for easy insertion and removal of a plurality of component cartridges is disclosed. Various components of the IC system are provided in the separate component cartridges. The IC housing includes a capillary separation column and may be connected to conventional-scale components of an IC system. A plurality of IC housings may be provided in a compartment with one or more separation columns. The columns may be capillary columns or conventional-scale columns. A method of using the ion chromatography system is also disclosed. The IC system may be utilized to perform two-dimensional ion chromatographic separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: DIONEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yan Liu, Glenn Masami Kuse, Victor Barreto, Gary L. Gleave, Christopher A. Pohl, William Dale Case, Khosro Moshfegh, Michael John McAdams
  • Patent number: 9164115
    Abstract: High-speed, automated analyzers for analyzes of biological fluids, such as whole blood or blood-derived components, include specialized analyzer and sample transfer features permitting injection-to-injection analysis times on the order of one minute. The analyzers are particularly designed for HPLC analysis for glycated and nonglycated proteinaceous species in blood samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Trinity Biotech, primus Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Davis, Roger L. Donley, Michael Farnet, Harold M. Donley, Seth Powers, Joshua Wears, Sam Schlageck
  • Patent number: 9153300
    Abstract: Chips that include one or more particle manipulation mechanisms, or force transduction elements, provided at specific locations to manipulate and localize particles proximal the substrate surface. In one embodiment, individually addressable magnetic control mechanisms such as electric coils are provided at specific locations to create a magnetic field to attract magnetic particles, such a magnetic or magnetizable beads, to those specific locations. In another embodiment, electrostatic control mechanisms such as electrodes are provided to attract and manipulate electrically charged micro-particles. A location may include a crater or well formed in the substrate, or it may include an element on the surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, one or more sensors are located proximal specific locations, e.g., specific craters, so as to analyze specific conditions at each location. In other embodiments, multiple locations share one or more sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Otillar, David Storek, Christer Johansson
  • Patent number: 9138741
    Abstract: Filter pipette tip with a small tube with a relatively large aperture at one end for attaching to a pipette, a relatively small aperture at the other end for the passage of liquid and a through-channel between the large aperture and the small aperture and a porous filter arranged in the through-channel, filling up a portion of the through-channel and comprising at least two layers arranged in series in the direction of the through-channel of which a fine-pore layer has a pore size of a maximum of approximately 20 ?m and a coarse-pore layer a pore size of approximately 20 to 50 ?m, the two layers having different pore sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Christian Ziegmann, Thomas Reimann
  • Patent number: 9134284
    Abstract: A gas analyzer system for analyzing and monitoring samples of compressed or ambient gas such as breathing air and informing the user as to the results of the sample's gas purity without the gas sample having to be physically transported to an accredited laboratory. The system comprises a gas analysis module situated at a user facility for receiving the contents of a gas sample and detecting gas impurity characteristics, and a server situated at a remote certification and monitoring center and electrically coupled to the gas analysis module via a bi-directional communications link such a computer network connection. The remote server receives and stores the gas purity characteristics in the form of computer-readable gas impurity data obtained from the analysis module. The server compares the impurity data with the contents of a database containing threshold gas purity parameters and provides the test results to the user facility by electronic messaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Lawrence Factor, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert M. Laughlin
  • Patent number: 9114383
    Abstract: The invention provides extraction columns for the purification of an analyte (e.g., a biological macromolecule, such as a peptide, protein or nucleic acid) from a sample solution, as well as methods for making and using such columns. The columns typically include a bed of extraction media positioned in the column between two frits. In some embodiments, the extraction columns employ modified pipette tips as column bodies. In some embodiments, the invention provides methods of storing columns in a wet state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: PhyNexus, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas T. Gjerde, Ronald Jones, Allen Burge, Christopher P. Hanna, Leon S. Yengoyan
  • Patent number: 9103757
    Abstract: The present invention generally discloses an extraction system that provides a locale for fluid processing and extraction on a post-microcapture transfer film. The extraction system includes a transfer film carrier and an extraction device forming a reservoir. The extraction system selectively excludes regions of the transfer film from the reservoir to advantageously reduce contamination due to matter adhered to the transfer film by non-specific transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas M. Baer, Robert H. Reamey, Keith E. Moravick, David F. Head, Bruce J. Richardson, Derrick A. Richardson
  • Patent number: 9103809
    Abstract: An automated liquid handling system is disclosed. A system includes a first pipetting group, which includes at least one pipettor, movably arranged on a first arm; and a second pipetting group, which includes at least one pipettor, movably arranged on a second arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm are movably arranged on at least one track such that the first arm and the second arm can independently move along the at least one track while keeping the first arm parallel with the second arm, wherein the at least one pipettor of the first pipetting group is arranged on a side of the first arm facing the second pipetting group, wherein the at least one pipettor of the second pipetting group is arranged on a side of the second arm facing the first pipetting group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel West, David Knorr, James E. Young, Kimberly Subrahmanyan, Nicholas Fleming, Randy K. Roushall
  • Patent number: 9095841
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a porous polycrystalline diamond structure that may be employed as a separation device in a separation apparatus for separating at least one reaction product of a chemical reaction, as a stationary phase support and/or stationary phase in chromatography or separation apparatuses, or as a chemical reaction apparatus for conducting a chemical reaction therein. A separation device includes a body of sintered diamond particles. The body includes a proximal inlet end, a distal outlet end, and an intermediate region therebetween. The body further includes a plurality of at least partially interconnected pores that extend between the proximal inlet end and the distal outlet end. The at least partially interconnected pores are capable of communicating fluid from the proximal inlet end to the distal outlet end. Separation apparatuses that utilize the separation device, such as gas or liquid chromatography apparatuses, and chemical reaction apparatuses are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: US Synthetic Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Vail
  • Patent number: 9097719
    Abstract: The present system relates to a system architecture that uses a single electron transistor (SET) to analyze base sequences of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at ultra high speed in real time. DNA represents the entire body of genetic information and consists of nucleotide units. There are a total of four types of nucleotides, and each nucleotide consists of an identical pentose (deoxyribose), phosphate group, and one of four types of bases (Adenine: A, Guanine: G, Cytosine: C, Thymine: T). A and G are purines having a bicyclic structure while C and T are pyrimidines having a monocyclic structure. Each has a different atomic arrangement, which signifies a different charge distribution from one another. Therefore, a system comprising a single electron transistor that is very sensitive to charges, a probe of a very small size that reacts to one nucleotide very effectively, and an extended gate that connects the SET with the probe, can be used to analyze DNA base sequences at ultra high speed in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: NanoChips, Inc.
    Inventors: Jung Bum Choi, Jong Jin Lee