Patents by Inventor Andrea Pierce

Andrea Pierce has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Devices and methods for using centripetal acceleration to drive fluid movement in a microfluidics system for performing biological fluid assays
    Publication number: 20040089616
    Abstract: This invention provides methods and apparatus for performing microanalytic and microsynthetic analyses and procedures. Specifically, the invention provides a microsystem platform for use with a micromanipulation device to manipulate the platform by rotation, thereby utilizing the centripetal force resulting from rotation of the platform to motivate fluid movement through microchannels embedded in the microplatform. The microsystem platforms of the invention are also provided having microfluidics components, resistive heating elements, temperature sensing elements, mixing structures, capillary and sacrificial valves, and methods for using these microsystems platforms for performing biological, enzymatic, immunological and chemical assays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Gregory Kellogg, Stephen G. Kieffer-Higgins, Mona D. Jensen, Shari Ommert, Mikayla Kob, Andrea Pierce, Keith Morneau, Hsin Chiang Lin
  • Devices and methods for using centripetal acceleration to drive fluid movement in a microfluidics system for performing biological fluid assays
    Patent number: 6632399
    Abstract: This invention provides methods and apparatus for performing microanalytic and microsynthetic analyses and procedures. Specifically, the invention provides a microsystem platform for use with a micromanipulation device to manipulate the platform by rotation, thereby utilizing the centripetal force resulting from rotation of the platform to motivate fluid movement through microchannels embedded in the microplatform. The microsystem platforms of the invention are also provided having microfluidics components, resistive heating elements, temperature sensing elements, mixing structures, capillary and sacrificial valves, and methods for using these microsystems platforms for performing biological, enzymatic, immunological and chemical assays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Tecan Trading AG
    Inventors: Gregory Kellogg, Stephen G. Kieffer-Higgins, Mona D. Jensen, Shari Ommert, Mikayla Kob, Andrea Pierce, Keith Morneau, Hsin Chiang Lin