Patents Examined by Robert T. Crow
  • Patent number: 9315853
    Abstract: Provided herein is technology related to the chemical modification and purification of DNA. Specifically, the technology provides methods for performing a bisulfate conversion reaction on small amounts of single-stranded, fragmented DNA and performing the subsequent desulfonation and purification steps on magnetic beads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: EXACT SCIENCES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael J. Domanico, Hatim Allawi, Graham P. Lidgard, Brian Aizenstein, Oliver Hunt, Tobias Charles Zutz
  • Patent number: 9310378
    Abstract: The invention provides a novel additive for improved analysis by mass spectrometry. More specifically, ascorbic acid has been found to reduce or eliminate the presence of adducts commonly present in mass spectra. The improved processes and compositions of the invention allow for increased accuracy, sensitivity and throughput for samples analyzed by mass spectrometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Agena Bioscience, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Becker
  • Patent number: 9309569
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and compositions, and systems for determining the identity of nucleic acids in nucleotide sequences, including sequences with one or more homopolymer regions. The methods of the invention include improvements so as to accurately identify sequences, including the difficult homopolymer sequences that are encountered during nucleotide sequencing, such as pyrosequencing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Intelligent Bio-Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Gordon, Jerzy Olejnik
  • Patent number: 9301521
    Abstract: Chemical attractants to Osmia lignaria and other bees are provided herein along with methods of using the attractants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Theresa Pitts Singer, William P. Kemp, David Moreland, Steve Peterson, James S. Buckner, Marcia M. Hagen
  • Patent number: 9295681
    Abstract: A two-part aqueous composition for treating skin ailments, such as acne vulgaris, includes an acidic part having salicylic acid and an ?-hydroxy acid, and an alkaline part having an alkaline nitrite salt. The ?-hydroxy acid is preferably glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, mandelic acid or a combination thereof. The alkaline nitrite salt is preferably sodium nitrite. The acidic part and the alkaline part are an acidic aqueous solution and an alkaline aqueous solution, respectively, which may either be mixed with one another then applied to an affected portion of a patient's skin or, alternatively, may be sequentially applied to the affected portion of the patient's skin, preferably within 15 minutes of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Kantian Sciences Corporation
    Inventor: Robert D. Kross
  • Patent number: 9290807
    Abstract: This invention relates to the identification of modified cytosine residues, such as 5-methylcytosine (5mC), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and 5-formylcytosine (5fC) to be distinguished from cytosine (C) in a sample nucleotide sequence. Methods may comprise oxidizing or reducing a first portion of polynucleotides which comprise the sample nucleotide sequence; treating the oxidized or reduced first portion and a second portion of polynucleotides with bisulfite; sequencing the polynucleotides in the first and second portions of the population following steps ii) and iii) to produce first and second nucleotide sequences, respectively and; identifying the residue in the first and second nucleotide sequences which corresponds to a cytosine residue in the sample nucleotide sequence. These methods may be useful, for example in the analysis of genomic DNA and/or of RNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Cambridge Epigenetix Limited
    Inventors: Michael John Booth, Shankar Balasubramanian
  • Patent number: 9291567
    Abstract: A microfluidic system has a monolithic biocompatible substrate with both a surface having an ordered array of nano-scale elements for plasmonic response monitoring and a network of microchannels. Advantageously, low-volume consumption, rapid low-cost fabrication of molds with easily interchangeable microfluidic channel layouts, mass production, and in situ label-free real-time detection of cellular response, viability, behavior and biomolecular binding using plasmonic techniques can be provided. A ratio of greater than 0.2 of the cross-sectional dimension and the spacing between the nano-scale elements is useful for plasmonic response monitoring. Producing such a system involves a master mold with the nano-scale elements etched into a hard substrate, and the network provided in a soft membrane bonded to the hard substrate. A stamp may be created by setting a settable liquid polymer or metal placed in the master mold. Features of the intended device can be transferred to a polymeric substrate using the stamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Inventors: Lidija Malic, Keith Morton, Teodor Veres
  • Patent number: 9283249
    Abstract: Provided herein are pharmaceutically acceptable sodium nitrite and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. Also provided herein are methods for determining the total non-volatile organic carbon in a sodium nitrite-containing sample. Further provided herein are methods for producing pharmaceutically acceptable sodium nitrite. Still further provided herein are methods of treatment comprising the administration of pharmaceutically acceptable sodium nitrite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Hope Medical Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Sherman, Anthony James Lepine, Catherine Marie Smith, Kevin Robert Wirtz, Erich Schulze
  • Patent number: 9284599
    Abstract: A method of testing for the presence of a preselected target nucleic acid, protein or antigen in a biological sample by exposing nucleic acids, proteins or antigens to a probe having a catalytic element and binding element. The catalytic element catalyses at least one reaction that results in a physical change such that identifiable elements provide an indication of the presence of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Eluceda Limited
    Inventors: Ian Eastwood, Andrew Reid, Mark Saw
  • Patent number: 9274087
    Abstract: A piezoelectric microcantilever for sensing compounds or molecules. The piezoelectric microcantilever, may include at least one electrode, an insulation layer, a receptor, an immobilization layer, a non-piezoelectric layer and a piezoelectric layer The sensor is capable of self actuation and detection. The piezoelectric layer may be constructed from a highly piezoelectric thin lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate film, a highly piezoelectric thin zirconate titanate film, a highly piezoelectric lead-free film. Methods of using the sensors and flow cells and arrays including the sensors are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Drexel University
    Inventors: Wan Y. Shih, Wei-Heng Shih, Zuyan Shen, John-Paul McGovern, Qing Zhu, Joseph Capobianco
  • Patent number: 9260551
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition in the form of an emulsion, advantageously a Pickering emulsion, comprising a hydrophobic phase dispersed in an aqueous phase, which composition contains emulsifying particles capable of stabilizing said emulsion, at least some of said particles consisting of cellulose nanocrystals having an elongated shape, which have the following features: a length between 25 nm to 1 ?m, and a width between 5 to 30 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE
    Inventors: Bernard Cathala, Isabelle Capron, Hervé Bizot, Alain Buleon, Irina Kalashnikova
  • Patent number: 9260751
    Abstract: Modulation of the viscosity of the oil phase of a microemulsion used for amplification of DNA on a bead increases the homogeneity of product beads and the amount of amplified DNA per bead. Moreover the number of separate microemulsion populations that can be formed in parallel is increased using multi-well plates and mixer mill disrupter machines designed to lyse biological samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Frank Diehl, Kenneth W. Kinzler, Bert Vogelstein
  • Patent number: 9248110
    Abstract: Compositions and methods for treating and preventing cancer, particularly lung cancer, lymphangioleiomyomatosis and asthma are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Inventor: Steven Lehrer
  • Patent number: 9249461
    Abstract: The invention provides particle compositions having applications in nucleic acid analysis. Nucleic acid polymer particles of the invention allow polynucleotides to be attached throughout their volumes for higher loading capacities than those achievable solely with surface attachment. In one aspect, nucleic acid polymer particles of the invention comprise polyacrylamide particles with uniform size distributions having low coefficients of variations, which result in reduced particle-to-particle variation in analytical assays. Such particle compositions are used in various amplification reactions to make amplicon libraries from nucleic acid fragment libraries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hinz, John Leamon, David Light, Jonathan M. Rothberg
  • Patent number: 9200027
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dried oligonucleotide composition and a method for producing the same. More specifically, it relates to a dried oligonucleotide composition produced by the steps comprising adding a substance for preventing the oligonucleotide from being separated and lost, which is adhesive to a storage container containing the oligonucleotide composition, in order to prevent the oligonucleotide from being separated and lost during manufacturing and distributing the dried oligonucleotide composition, optionally adding a non-reactive dye substance, and drying the resulting solution. The dried oligonucleotide composition of the present invention can be prevented from being separated and lost during manufacturing step, or transporting step after packaging, and the presence or absence of the oligonucleotide in the storage container can be easily confirmed with naked eyes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: BIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Han Oh Park, Jae Ha Kim
  • Patent number: 9194007
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a double-stranded probe intended for the fluorescent detection of at least one single-stranded or double-stranded target nucleic acid, comprising: —a first strand of formula X1-(L1)a-S1-S?1-(L?1)b-Y1 intended for the detection of a first strand of the target nucleic acid which comprises a sequence of formula T?1-T1; —a second strand of formula X2-(L2)c-S2-S?2-(L?2)d-Y2 intended for the detection of a second strand of the target nucleic acid, if present, the second strand of the target nucleic acid comprising a sequence of formula T?2-T2; wherein two of X1, X2, Y1, and Y2 represent a fluorescent donor, while the two others represent a fluorescent acceptor, and X1 and Y2 can not both represent a fluorescent donor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: BIO-RAD INNOVATIONS
    Inventors: Typhaine Dagland, Francois Rieunier
  • Patent number: 9193996
    Abstract: A detection apparatus having a read head including a plurality of microfluorometers positioned to simultaneously acquire a plurality of the wide-field images in a common plane; and (b) a translation stage configured to move the read head along a substrate that is in the common plane. The substrate can be a flow cell that is included in a cartridge, the cartridge also including a housing for (i) a sample reservoir; (ii) a fluidic line between the sample reservoir and the flow cell; (iii) several reagent reservoirs in fluid communication with the flow cell, (iv) at least one valve configured to mediate fluid communication between the reservoirs and the flow cell; and (v) at least one pressure source configured to move liquids from the reservoirs to the flow cell. The detection apparatus and cartridge can be used together or independent of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Illumina, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Buermann, John A. Moon, Bryan Crane, Mark Wang, Stanley S. Hong, Jason Harris, Matthew Hage, Mark J. Nibbe
  • Patent number: 9185904
    Abstract: Animal attractant compositions, devices, systems and methods that can be deployed to attract game animals, such as deer by stimulating several of the animal's senses to attract animals to a desired location. The invention can use a combination of ultraviolet brighteners for visual interest and one or more of deer urine based scents, foods, mineral or salt. The invention capitalizes on the link between many animals' ability to see ultraviolet light with their desire to visualize urine territory markers left by other animals of the same species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Thought Streams, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Kuhn, Joseph J. Gizdic, III
  • Patent number: 9180191
    Abstract: The invention concerns methods of treating suicidal ideation or behavior in a subject in need thereof, comprising decreasing endogenous nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) activity in the subject; therapeutic packages for treating suicidal ideation or behavior; and methods for determining the efficacy of a treatment for suicidal ideation or behavior. In some embodiments, the treatment methods comprise administering to the subject an effective amount of an inhibitor of a nAChR, such as a lithium compound, mecamylamine, clozapine, or asenapine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
    Inventors: David Vincent Sheehan, Roland Douglas Shytle
  • Patent number: 9164053
    Abstract: A single molecule sensing device includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) connected to the first and second electrodes. At least one linker molecule having first and second functional groups is functionalized with a sidewall of the SWNT, the at least one linker molecule having the first functional group non-covalently functionalized with a sidewall of the single-walled carbon nanotube. A single sensitizing molecule having at least one functional group is functionalized with the second functional group of the at least one linker molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Philip G. Collins, Gregory A. Weiss, Yongki Choi, Issa S. Moody