Patents by Inventor Christoph Merten

Christoph Merten 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).

  • Publication number: 20230321658
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to devices and methods for sorting objects in microfluidic channels. These devices and methods allow for fast and robust sorting in two-way and multi-way setups. They also enable sorting over extended periods of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Christoph A. MERTEN, Daniel FRENZEL
  • Patent number: 11524294
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to devices and methods for sorting objects in microfluidic channels. These devices and methods allow for fast and robust sorting in two-way and multi-way setups. They also enable sorting over extended periods of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY
    Inventors: Christoph A. Merten, Daniel Frenzel
  • Patent number: 11371917
    Abstract: The present disclosure teaches an apparatus and a method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network. The microfluidic apparatus includes valves for switching the one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network. The apparatus can be used to generate a sequence of the one or more substance liquids as individual droplets in an immiscible separation liquid wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between the separation liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: European Molecular Biology Laboratory
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
  • Patent number: 10745741
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to methods for co-localizing a particle comprising DNA and/or RNA with a known barcode oligonucleotide. Thereby, the transcriptome or DNA of a cell can be barcoded and correlated to a cell phenotype or examined for the effect of a drug on the cell. The invention also provides microfluidic devices and systems having properties which make them particularly suitable for use in the methods of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY
    Inventors: Ramesh Utharala, Chawaree Chaipan, Lukas Nögel, Christoph A. Merten
  • Patent number: 10710078
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to methods for detecting microfluidic droplets and particles within droplets, as well as sorting the droplets. These methods allow for quantifying properties and activities of the particles within the droplets. For this purpose, the invention provides microfluidic droplets comprising suitably labelled particles. The invention also provides microfluidic devices and systems having properties which make them particularly suitable for use in the methods of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY
    Inventors: Christoph A. Merten, Hongxing Hu, David Eustace
  • Patent number: 10569272
    Abstract: A sorting device (10) is disclosed comprising a channel (40) adapted to allow passage of a plurality of samples in a fluid to a first side of a sorting junction (50) and a plurality of Braille valves (105) connected by a plurality of connectors to the sorting junction (50). An analysis device (80), such as a camera, is used for analysing ones of the plurality of the samples and adapted to control ones of the plurality of Braille valves depending on properties of the analysed ones of the plurality of the samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Qingzong Tseng, Ramesh Utharala, Lukas Frese
  • Publication number: 20190262834
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to devices and methods for sorting objects in microfluidic channels. These devices and methods allow for fast and robust sorting in two-way and multi-way setups. They also enable sorting over extended periods of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Christoph A. MERTEN, Daniel FRENZEL
  • Publication number: 20190154552
    Abstract: The present disclosure teaches an apparatus and a method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network. The microfluidic apparatus includes valves for switching the one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network. The apparatus can be used to generate a sequence of the one or more substance liquids as individual droplets in an immiscible separation liquid wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between the separation liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: EMBL
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
  • Patent number: 10215671
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The microfluidic apparatus includes valves for switching the one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The apparatus can be used to generate a sequence of the one or more substance liquids as individual droplets in an immiscible separation liquid wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between the separation liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: EMBL
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
  • Publication number: 20190022645
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to analysing the gene expression of a cell in response to a ligand expressed in the same microfluidic compartment. By barcoding the transcriptome of the cell and of the expression system generating the ligand, the effect of the ligand on the cell expression can be discerned. The invention provides microfluidic compartments and methods for this purpose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Hongxing HU, Samantha SEAH, Christoph A. MERTEN
  • Publication number: 20180355407
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to methods for co-localizing a particle comprising DNA and/or RNA with a known barcode oligonucleotide. Thereby, the transcriptome or DNA of a cell can be barcoded and correlated to a cell phenotype or examined for the effect of a drug on the cell. The invention also provides microfluidic devices and systems having properties which make them particularly suitable for use in the methods of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Ramesh UTHARALA, Chawaree CHAIPAN, Lukas NÖGEL, Christoph A. MERTEN
  • Publication number: 20180104693
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to methods for detecting microfluidic droplets and particles within droplets, as well as sorting the droplets. These methods allow for quantifying properties and activities of the particles within the droplets. For this purpose, the invention provides microfluidic droplets comprising suitably labelled particles. The invention also provides microfluidic devices and systems having properties which make them particularly suitable for use in the methods of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY
    Inventors: CHRISTOPH A. MERTEN, HONGXING HU, DAVID EUSTACE
  • Publication number: 20180104691
    Abstract: A sorting device (10) is disclosed comprising a channel (40) adapted to allow passage of a plurality of samples in a fluid to a first side of a sorting junction (50) and a plurality of Braille valves (105) connected by a plurality of connectors to the sorting junction (50). An analysis device (80), such as a camera, is used for analysing ones of the plurality of the samples and adapted to control ones of the plurality of Braille valves depending on properties of the analysed ones of the plurality of the samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Qingzong Tseng, Ramesh Utharala, Lukas Frese
  • Publication number: 20180095014
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The microfluidic apparatus includes valves for switching the one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The apparatus can be used to generate a sequence of the one or more substance liquids as individual droplets in an immiscible separation liquid wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between the separation liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: EMBL
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
  • Patent number: 9810607
    Abstract: The present disclosure teaches an apparatus and a method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The microfluidic apparatus includes valves for switching the one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The apparatus can be used to generate a sequence of the one or more substance liquids as individual droplets in an immiscible separation liquid wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between the separation liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: EMBL
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
  • Publication number: 20170282145
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic device and a method allowing the generating and screening of combinatorial samples. A microfluidic device for producing droplets of at least one sample into an immiscible phase is provided, the device comprising a droplet maker connecting an immiscible phase channel and a sample channel having at least one sample inlet connected to at least one sample inlet channel injecting the at least one sample into the sample channel, wherein the injection of the at least one sample is controlled by at least one sample valve, so that the at least one sample flows either towards a sample waste outlet or into the at least one sample inlet channel, wherein different sample inlet channel of the at least one sample inlet channel have the same hydrodynamic resistance resulting from the length, height and width of each sample inlet channel upstream of the droplet maker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Dominic Eicher, Ramesh Utharala
  • Publication number: 20140332083
    Abstract: The present disclosure teaches an apparatus and a method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The microfluidic apparatus includes valves for switching the one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The apparatus can be used to generate a sequence of the one or more substance liquids as individual droplets in an immiscible separation liquid wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between the separation liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
  • Publication number: 20130072404
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for generating microdroplets with varying concentrations of a particular solute from a solution at fixed concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicants: UNIVERSITE DE STRASBOURG, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
    Inventors: Oliver Jon Miller, Lucas Frenz, Andrew David Griffiths, Christoph Merten, Abdeslam El Harrak
  • Publication number: 20120015382
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to fluidic droplets, and techniques for screening or sorting such fluidic droplets. In some embodiments, the fluidic droplets may contain cells (e.g., hybridoma cells) that can secrete various species, such as antibodies, for example. In one aspect, a plurality of fluidic droplets containing cells is screened to determine proteins, antibodies, polypeptides, peptides, nucleic acids, or the like. For example, cells able to secrete species such as antibodies may be selected according to certain embodiments of the invention. Examples of such cells include, for instance, immortal cells such as hybridomas, or non-immortal cells such as B-cells. For instance, blood cells may be encapsulated within a plurality of fluidic droplets, and the cells able to produce antibodies may be determined. In some cases, expression or secretion levels may be determined using signaling entities, for example, determinable microparticles present within the fluidic droplet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicants: President and Fellows of Harvard College, The General Hospital Corporation d/b/a Massachusetts General Hospital
    Inventors: David A. Weitz, Andrew Griffiths, Sarah Koester, Vamsi K. Mootha, Honey Duan, Jeremy Agresti, Christoph Merten, John Heyman, John R. Gilbert
  • Publication number: 20090068170
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to fluidic droplets, and techniques for screening or sorting such fluidic droplets. In some embodiments, the fluidic droplets may contain cells (e.g., hybridoma cells) that can secrete various species, such as antibodies, for example. In one aspect, a plurality of fluidic droplets containing cells is screened to determine proteins, antibodies, polypeptides, peptides, nucleic acids, or the like. For example, cells able to secrete species such as antibodies may be selected according to certain embodiments of the invention. Examples of such cells include, for instance, immortal cells such as hybridomas, or non-immortal cells such as B-cells. For instance, blood cells may be encapsulated within a plurality of fluidic droplets, and the cells able to produce antibodies may be determined. In some cases, expression or secretion levels may be determined using signaling entities, for example, determinable microparticles present within the fluidic droplet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: David A. Weitz, Andrew Griffiths, Sarah Koester, Vamsi K. Mootha, Honey Duan, Jeremy Agresti, Christoph Merten, John Heyman, John R. Gilbert