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).
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Publication number: 20230321658Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2022Publication date: October 12, 2023Inventors: Christoph A. MERTEN, Daniel FRENZEL
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Patent number: 11524294Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 20, 2017Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORYInventors: Christoph A. Merten, Daniel Frenzel
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Patent number: 11371917Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 9, 2019Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: European Molecular Biology LaboratoryInventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
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Patent number: 10745741Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 27, 2016Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORYInventors: Ramesh Utharala, Chawaree Chaipan, Lukas Nögel, Christoph A. Merten
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Patent number: 10710078Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 29, 2016Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORYInventors: Christoph A. Merten, Hongxing Hu, David Eustace
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Patent number: 10569272Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 24, 2016Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORYInventors: Christoph Merten, Qingzong Tseng, Ramesh Utharala, Lukas Frese
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Publication number: 20190262834Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2017Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Christoph A. MERTEN, Daniel FRENZEL
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Publication number: 20190154552Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2019Publication date: May 23, 2019Applicant: EMBLInventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
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Patent number: 10215671Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 6, 2017Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: EMBLInventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
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Publication number: 20190022645Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2017Publication date: January 24, 2019Inventors: Hongxing HU, Samantha SEAH, Christoph A. MERTEN
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Publication number: 20180355407Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2016Publication date: December 13, 2018Inventors: Ramesh UTHARALA, Chawaree CHAIPAN, Lukas NÖGEL, Christoph A. MERTEN
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Publication number: 20180104693Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2016Publication date: April 19, 2018Applicant: EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORYInventors: CHRISTOPH A. MERTEN, HONGXING HU, DAVID EUSTACE
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Publication number: 20180104691Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2016Publication date: April 19, 2018Inventors: Christoph Merten, Qingzong Tseng, Ramesh Utharala, Lukas Frese
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Publication number: 20180095014Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Applicant: EMBLInventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
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Patent number: 9810607Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: EMBLInventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
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Publication number: 20170282145Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2015Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventors: Christoph Merten, Dominic Eicher, Ramesh Utharala
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Publication number: 20140332083Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: November 13, 2014Inventors: Christoph Merten, Ramesh Utharala
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Publication number: 20130072404Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2010Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicants: UNIVERSITE DE STRASBOURG, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUEInventors: Oliver Jon Miller, Lucas Frenz, Andrew David Griffiths, Christoph Merten, Abdeslam El Harrak
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Publication number: 20120015382Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2011Publication date: January 19, 2012Applicants: President and Fellows of Harvard College, The General Hospital Corporation d/b/a Massachusetts General HospitalInventors: David A. Weitz, Andrew Griffiths, Sarah Koester, Vamsi K. Mootha, Honey Duan, Jeremy Agresti, Christoph Merten, John Heyman, John R. Gilbert
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Publication number: 20090068170Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2008Publication date: March 12, 2009Applicant: President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeInventors: David A. Weitz, Andrew Griffiths, Sarah Koester, Vamsi K. Mootha, Honey Duan, Jeremy Agresti, Christoph Merten, John Heyman, John R. Gilbert