Patents by Inventor Ann L Lee

Ann L Lee 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).

  • Patent number: 7326555
    Abstract: A process for purifying virus particles, especially recombinant adenovirus vector particles, is presented. The process relies on various combinations of cell lysis, detergent-based precipitation of host cell contaminants away from the virus, depth filtration or centrifugation, ultrafiltration, nuclease digestion and chromatography to robustly and economically produce highly purified product. This process results in contaminating DNA levels which are consistently below detectable levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Merck & Co., Inc.
    Inventors: John O. Konz, Jr., Ann L. Lee, Chi Shung Brian To, Aaron R Goerke
  • Publication number: 20020001829
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for the large scale isolation and purification of plasmid DNA from large scale microbial fermentations. All three forms of plasmid DNA; supercoil (form I), nicked or relaxed circle (form II), and linearized (form III), are individually isolatable using the disclosed process. Highly purified DNA suitable for inclusion in a pharmaceutical composition is provided by the disclosed process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Applicant: Merck & Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Ann L. Lee, Sangeetha Sagar
  • Patent number: 6197553
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for the large scale isolation and purification of plasmid DNA from large scale microbial fermentations. The process exploits a rapid heating method to induce cell lysis and precipitate genomic DNA, proteins and other debris while keeping the plasmid in solution. Suspending the microbial cells in buffer and then heating the suspension to about 70-100° C. in a flow-through heat exchanger results in excellent lysis. Continuous flow or batch-wise centrifugation of the lysate effects a pellet that contains the cell debris, protein and most of the genomic DNA while the plasmid remains in the supernatant. This invention offers a number of advantages including higher product recovery than by chemical lyses, inactivation of Dnases, operational simplicity and scaleability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Merck & Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Ann L Lee, Sangeetha Sagar
  • Patent number: 5314811
    Abstract: A process for converting lipid-containing bacterial capsular polysaccharide, such as lipo-polyribosyl ribitol phosphate, lipo-PRP, into lipid-free, endotoxin-free polysaccharide, such as polyribosyl ribitol phosphate, PRP, by solubilizing polysaccharide-containing powder derived from culture media of bacteria, such as Haemophilus influenzae type b, cleaving covalently bound fatty acids from the polysaccharide, and removing the lipids, and endotoxin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: Merck & Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Ann L. Lee, Mark S. Rienstra, Walter E. Manger, Robert D. Sitrin