Patents Examined by Sam P. Siefke
  • Patent number: 8926922
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heated reaction chamber for processing a biochip and to a method for controlling said reaction chamber. The heated reaction chamber for processing a biochip comprises a chamber wall, constituted by a flexible circuit board (10), a circuit path (10.3) being configured on the flexible circuit board (10) and being used as the heating device. The use of a flexible circuit board as the wall of a reaction chamber allows for a low thermal capacity of the reaction chamber in the area of the heating device, thereby allowing the chamber to be heated up quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Zenteris GmbH
    Inventors: Jana Lepschi, Jens Gohring, Stefan Heydenhaus, Manuel Ullrich
  • Patent number: 8916109
    Abstract: A diagnosis support method comprising: obtaining first blood glucose level information at a first time point and/or second blood glucose level information at a second time point which is later, by a predetermined period, than the first time point; placing a collection member, which is configured to collect a tissue fluid, on the skin of the subject for the predetermined period from the first time point to the second time point; obtaining glucose information about an amount of glucose contained in the tissue fluid collected by the collection member; and generating diagnosis support information for supporting a diagnosis of presence or absence of hypoglycemia in the subject, based on the first blood glucose level information and/or the second blood glucose level information and the glucose information. A diagnosis support system and a diagnosis support apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Seiki Okada, Toshiyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 8916108
    Abstract: A vial and particles for distributing reagent bound particles in a fluid, a kit, and methods for distributing particles in a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Biokit S.A.
    Inventor: Joan Francesc Guasch
  • Patent number: 8911679
    Abstract: A biological material test strip and adjacently-located reference color chart are affixed to a lid portion of an all-in-one specimen cup to perform color-based reaction testing of collected biological specimens in an uncalibrated environment. After specimen collection, the lid portion is secured to a container portion of the specimen cup. The cup may then be rotated into an upside down position causing the specimen, under the force of gravity, to pass from the container portion and into a volume of the lid portion, such that the test strip is exposed to the specimen as it is received into the volume of the lid portion. An image of the exposed test strip and adjacently-located reference color chart may then be captured and processed to identify any color matches between the individual test pads on the test strip and the corresponding sequences of reference color blocks on the reference chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Teco Diagnostics
    Inventors: Stephen L. Chen, KC Chen, Neeraj Kapoor
  • Patent number: 8911689
    Abstract: An interfacing cap for a reagent storage vessel is provided. The interfacing cap comprises a partitioning element having a structure corresponding to an opening of the reagent storage vessel, a projection fitting disposed on the partitioning element, a holder element, and a puncturing element coupled to the projection fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor Donald Samper, Christian Rensch, Christoph Boeld, Xavier Franci
  • Patent number: 8906307
    Abstract: A blood glucose meter having a compact housing, a display unit disposed on the housing, the display unit including a display light source to illuminate the display unit, an input unit disposed on the housing, the input unit configured to provide input functions for the blood glucose meter, and a power source provided within the housing for providing power to the blood glucose meter, where the housing includes a port integrated on said housing configured to receive a blood glucose test strip, and corresponding methods of measuring blood glucose meter is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.
    Inventors: Tae Wan Andrews, Stephen C. Bubrick, Sheilah S. Estoesta, Brad D. Etter, Hyoung Yoon Park, Gene Ming Pon, Christopher V. Reggiardo, Heber Saravia
  • Patent number: 8894933
    Abstract: A portable handheld medical diagnostic device includes a front housing and a rear housing opposite the front housing. The front housing and the rear housing form a protective enclosure. A main circuit board is located in the protective enclosure. The main circuit board includes a controller facilitating a physiologic measurement. A display device is connected to the main circuit board that displays information related to the physiologic measurement. A frame is located in the protective enclosure that carries the display device and locates the display device adjacent the front housing such that the display device can be viewed from outside the protective enclosure. The frame includes a strip port formed integrally therewith that is accessible from outside the protective enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel A. Cadio, Robert G. Davies, James R. Kurtock, Paul S. Rutkowski, Michael J. Blackburn, Randy J. Gardner, Stacia Davis
  • Patent number: 8883087
    Abstract: A biological sample measurement apparatus includes container (10) having an opening in a top surface thereof and right and left accommodation chambers (12) and (13) formed by separating an inner space and the opening in container (10) by partition wall (11a), measurement device (1) accommodated in accommodation chamber (12) of container (10), and a holder accommodated in accommodation chamber (13) of container (10) and holding measurement device (1). Provided are recesses (15, 16) configuring holding means holding measurement device (1) on an outer peripheral wall configuring accommodation chamber (12) or in accommodation chamber (12) in a state where sensor mounting section (4) of measurement device (1) is projected to an outside of accommodation chamber (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hamamoto, Akio Nagao, Masumi Aono
  • Patent number: 8877140
    Abstract: A biological material test strip and adjacently-located reference color chart are affixed to a lid portion of an all-in-one specimen cup to perform color-based reaction testing of collected biological specimens in an uncalibrated environment. After specimen collection, the lid portion is secured to a container portion of the specimen cup. The cup may then be rotated into an upside down position causing the specimen, under the force of gravity, to pass from the container portion and into a volume of the lid portion, such that the test strip is exposed to the specimen as it is received into the volume of the lid portion. An image of the exposed test strip and adjacently-located reference color chart may then be captured and processed to identify any color matches between the individual test pads on the test strip and the corresponding sequences of reference color blocks on the reference chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Teco Diagnostics
    Inventors: Stephen L. Chen, K C Chen, Neeraj Kapoor
  • Patent number: 8877130
    Abstract: A partition wall is provided between a display section and a sensor mount inside a main case. A control board housing chamber is disposed on the display unit side of the partition wall, and a measurement board housing chamber is disposed on the sensor mount side of the partition wall. A control board is housed in the control board housing chamber, and a measurement board and a temperature sensor are housed in the measurement board housing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Takeuchi, Toshiki Matsumoto, Eiji Okuda, Kiyohiro Horikawa, Takahiro Watanabe, Kaoru Shigematsu, Yoshinori Amano, Shinichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 8871155
    Abstract: A device for detecting the presence or amount of an analyte in a fluid sample and method thereof, comprises a sample collector and a receiving cup for receiving and holding the sample collector within the receiving cup. The sample collector contains a compressible absorbent member for collecting the fluid sample, and has a first position and a second, locked position within the receiving cup. The absorbent member is uncompressed in the first position and is compressed in the second, locked position. The sample collector or the receiving cup has at least one test element having reagents for detecting the presence or amount of the analyte in the fluid sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Alere Switzerland GmbH
    Inventors: Yuzhang Wu, Yun Ling, Jielin Dai
  • Patent number: 8865088
    Abstract: Disclosed is an assay device for use in the determination of the presence of at least one analyte of interest in a liquid sample; the device comprising a reaction zone in which a reagent reacts with the analyte of interest and a bibulous member which, when contacted with the liquid sample, draws liquid therefrom towards the reaction zone; the bibulous member comprising means to change color when wetted by the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Alere Switzerland GmbH
    Inventors: Barry Sinclair Brewster, Susan Catrin Day, Peter John Skelly, Jill Crawford
  • Patent number: 8852511
    Abstract: To be adapted to various types of latex reagents for detecting scattered light and thereby measuring agglutination reactions with high sensitivity while sufficiently ensuring integration time. To be adapted to various types of latex particles of different particle sizes, a plurality of light receivers are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the direction of cell movement by rotation of a cell disk. To ensure sufficient integration time, the angle between the optical axis of the irradiation light and each of a plurality of optical axes of scattered light viewed from above the cell is made equal to or less than 17.7° including a mounting error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sakuichiro Adachi, Muneo Maeshima, Isao Yamazaki, Tomonori Mimura
  • Patent number: 8852512
    Abstract: A monitor for monitoring the concentration of oxygen in a fuel or in an ullage over a fuel comprises (i) a sensing element comprising a luminescent substance comprising a luminophore and a support in which the luminophore is covalently bound to the support, (ii) a light source arranged to irradiate the sensing element with light, and (iii) a photosensor arranged to detect light emitted from the luminescent substance. The luminescent substance may be, for example, a platinum porphyrin covalently bound to silica.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Ltd
    Inventors: Joseph K-W Lam, David Osborne, Norman Mark Ratcliffe
  • Patent number: 8846409
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods of preparing cannabinoids in substantially pure form starting from plant material. Also described are substantially pure preparations of various cannabinoids and cannabinoid acids, and also extracts enriched in cannabinoids and cannabinoid acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: GW Pharma Limited
    Inventors: Ian R. Flockhart, Gary William Wheatley, Su Dring, Leslie Archer
  • Patent number: 8849459
    Abstract: A system for managing power consumption of a handheld diabetes management device and limiting effects of temperature on operations performed by the handheld diabetes management device comprises a blood glucose measuring module, a temperature sensing module, and a power management module. The blood glucose measuring module selectively measures blood glucose in a blood sample and generates a status signal indicating a status of operation of the blood glucose measuring module. The temperature sensing module senses an internal temperature of the handheld diabetes management device and estimates an ambient temperature external to the handheld diabetes management device. The power management module deactivates one or more components of the handheld diabetes management device based on the status of operation of the blood glucose measuring module when the internal temperature of the handheld diabetes management device exceeds a threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Blaine Edward Ramey, Michael C. McKee, Michael G. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 8828912
    Abstract: A microarray assembly for detection of a target molecule is disclosed. The microarray assemblies comprise an array chamber having a microarray located therein and features that facilitate liquid movement within the array chamber. Also disclosed are methods for making the microarray assembly using rollable films and methods for detecting microarray spots using an internal control fluorophore in the array spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Akonni Biosystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher G. Cooney
  • Patent number: 8821792
    Abstract: A system for managing treatment of a particular health condition afflicting a patient includes a health management application program that prompts a user for entry of health condition data, including patient physiological data, subjective patient health condition data, and medication delivery data, compiles the health condition data into a data summary, and transmits the data summary through a communication unit. A drop-down list related to subjective symptoms is provided, which includes stress and depression. A touch screen is provided for a graphical user interface. The health management program also provides prompts for the entry of diet data, and further displays drop-down lists related to daily activities and alerts for medication delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Drucker, Charles T. Liamos, Fredric C. Colman, W. Mark Lortz, Kelley Lipman, Feng Jiang, Henrik Bacho
  • Patent number: 8821790
    Abstract: The invention concerns a diagnostic tape unit with a test tape that can be wound onto a spool which comprises a transport tape and a plurality of test elements mounted thereon, where the test elements have an analytical reagent layer, a carrier foil supporting the reagent layer and a piece of adhesive tape connecting the carrier foil with the transport tape, and where the front side of the reagent layer facing away from the carrier foil is designed for the application of a sample substance. According to the invention it is proposed that the test elements in combination with the light transmitting transport tape in each case form an optical multi-layer system for a rear-side reflection-photometric measurement of the reagent layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Seelig, Helmut Leininger
  • Patent number: 8821789
    Abstract: A sample preparation assembly includes a torch configured for use with an inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy instrument. The torch includes at least two approximately cylindrical tubes arranged substantially concentrically. The sample preparation assembly also includes an injector configured for use with the inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy instrument. The injector includes an injection nozzle and a spray chamber. The sample preparation assembly further includes a heat sink element. The heat sink element includes a securing element. The securing element is configured to mate with a mounting element of the torch to mechanically support the heat sink element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Elemental Scientific, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Wiederin, Gary J. Barrett