Patents by Inventor Daniel Y. Chu
Daniel Y. Chu 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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Patent number: 8784753Abstract: A thermal cycling instrument for PCR and other reactions performed on multiple samples with temperature changes between sequential stages in the reaction procedure is supplied with a thermal block to provide rapid changes and close control over the temperature in each sample vessel and a pressure plate incorporated into a motorized lid that detects anomalies in the reaction vessels or in their positioning over the thermal block, and automatically adjusts the plate position to achieve an even force distribution over the sample vessels.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2012Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Jeffry M. Ceremony, Daniel Y. Chu, Deepak K. Doshi, Rhoel Rumbaoa, Dennis W. Loring, Paul J. Patt, Cliff Baldwin
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Publication number: 20140024107Abstract: Biological cells in a liquid suspension are counted in an automated cell counter that focuses an image of the suspension on a digital imaging sensor that contains at least 4,000000 pixels each having an area of 2×2 ?m or less and that images a field of view of at least 3 mm2. The sensor enables the counter to compress the optical components into an optical path of less than 20 cm in height when arranged vertically with no changes in direction of the optical path as a whole, and the entire instrument has a footprint of less than 300 cm2. Activation of the light source, automated focusing of the sensor image, and digital cell counting are all initiated by the simple insertion of the sample holder into the instrument. The suspension is placed in a sample chamber in the form of a slide that is shaped to ensure proper orientation of the slide in the cell counter.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2013Publication date: January 23, 2014Applicant: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Tom McCOLLUM, Paul PATT, Frank SHEN, Daniel Y. CHU, Don FLORY, Mike GRIFFIN, Xin HENG, Eli HEFNER
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Patent number: 8570370Abstract: Biological cells in a liquid suspension are counted in an automated cell counter that focuses an image of the suspension on a digital imaging sensor that contains at least 4,000,000 pixels each having an area of 2×2 ?m or less and that images a field of view of at least 3 mm2. The sensor enables the counter to compress the optical components into an optical path of less than 20 cm in height when arranged vertically with no changes in direction of the optical path as a whole, and the entire instrument has a footprint of less than 300 cm2. Activation of the light source, automated focusing of the sensor image, and digital cell counting are all initiated by the simple insertion of the sample holder into the instrument. The suspension is placed in a sample chamber in the form of a slide that is shaped to ensure proper orientation of the slide in the cell counter.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2010Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Tom McCollum, Paul Patt, Frank Shen, Daniel Y. Chu, Don Flory, Mike Griffin, Xin Heng, Eli Hefner
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Publication number: 20130143272Abstract: Rapid and uniform temperature changes in the wells of a microplate or any thin-walled plate that contains an array of reaction wells or sample receptacles are achieved by the use of heating and cooling elements with a vapor chamber interposed between such elements and the microplate. The upper surface of the vapor chamber and the underside of the sample plate in certain embodiments are complementary in shape, i.e., they have identical but oppositely directed contours in the areas around each of the sample receptacles, to provide continuous surface contact along the surface of each receptacle. In other embodiments, an intermediary plate is placed between the vapor chamber and the well plate, with the top surface of the intermediary plate being complementary in shape to the underside of the well plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2012Publication date: June 6, 2013Applicant: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Kun Guo, Daniel Y. Chu, Paul Patt, Amir Sadri, Roger Tong
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Publication number: 20120279954Abstract: A thermal cycling instrument for PCR and other reactions performed on multiple samples with temperature changes between sequential stages in the reaction procedure is supplied with a thermal block to provide rapid changes and close control over the temperature in each sample vessel and a pressure plate incorporated into a motorized lid that detects anomalies in the reaction vessels or in their positioning over the thermal block, and automatically adjusts the plate position to achieve an even force distribution over the sample vessels.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2012Publication date: November 8, 2012Applicant: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., LSG - GXD DivisionInventors: Jeffry M. Ceremony, Daniel Y. Chu, Deepak K. Doshi, Rhoel Rumbaoa, Dennis W. Loring, Paul J. Patt, Cliff Baldwin
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Patent number: 8262889Abstract: Horizontal electrophoresis is performed in a cell that includes a tank and a pair of electrodes, each mounted on an electrode support that is easily inserted into and removed from the tank, and once inserted, is secured in position by one or more spring-loaded, manual-release locking features.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2010Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: German Arciniegas, Eric Wallace, Daniel Y. Chu, Jason McKee
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Patent number: 8247217Abstract: A thermal cycling instrument for PCR and other reactions performed on multiple samples with temperature changes between sequential stages in the reaction procedure is supplied with a thermal block to provide rapid changes and close control over the temperature in each sample vessel and a pressure plate incorporated into a motorized lid that detects anomalies in the reaction vessels or in their positioning over the thermal block, and automatically adjusts the plate position to achieve an even force distribution over the sample vessels.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2009Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Jeffry M. Ceremony, Daniel Y. Chu, Deepak K. Doshi, Rhoel Rumbaoa, Dennis W. Loring, Paul J. Patt, Cliff Baldwin
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Publication number: 20110211058Abstract: Biological cells in a liquid suspension are counted in an automated cell counter that focuses an image of the suspension on a digital imaging sensor that contains at least 4,000,000 pixels each having an area of 2×2 ?m or less and that images a field of view of at least 3 mm2. The sensor enables the counter to compress the optical components into an optical path of less than 20 cm in height when arranged vertically with no changes in direction of the optical path as a whole, and the entire instrument has a footprint of less than 300 cm2. Activation of the light source, automated focusing of the sensor image, and digital cell counting are all initiated by the simple insertion of the sample holder into the instrument. The suspension is placed in a sample chamber in the form of a slide that is shaped to ensure proper orientation of the slide in the cell counter.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2010Publication date: September 1, 2011Applicant: BIO-RAD LABORATORIES, INC.Inventors: Tom McCollum, Paul Patt, Frank Shen, Daniel Y. Chu, Don Flory, Mike Griffin, Xin Heng, Eli Hefner
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Publication number: 20100264030Abstract: Horizontal electrophoresis is performed in a cell that includes a tank and a pair of electrodes, each mounted on an electrode support that is easily inserted into and removed from the tank, and once inserted, is secured in position by one or more spring-loaded, manual-release locking features.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2010Publication date: October 21, 2010Applicant: BIO-RAD LABORATORIES, INC., a corporation of the state of DelawareInventors: German Arciniegas, Eric Wallace, Daniel Y. Chu, Jason McKee
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Patent number: 7771933Abstract: Individual temperature control in multiple reactions performed simultaneously in a spatial array such as a multi-well plate is achieved by thermoelectric modules with individual control, with each module supplying heat to or drawing heat from a single region within the array, the region containing either a single reaction vessel or a group of reaction vessels.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2004Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: German Arciniegas, Jeff Ceremony, Daniel Y. Chu, Charles W. Ragsdale
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Publication number: 20100099581Abstract: Individual temperature control in multiple reactions performed simultaneously in a spatial array such as a multi-well plate is achieved by thermoelectric modules with individual control, with each module supplying heat to or drawing heat from a single region within the array, the region containing either a single reaction vessel or a group of reaction vessels.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2010Publication date: April 22, 2010Applicant: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: German Arciniegas, Jeff Ceremony, Daniel Y. Chu, Charles W. Ragsdale
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Patent number: 7661593Abstract: A moving coil actuator contains a magnet assembly that is movable to shift the range of motion of the coil. The magnet assembly moves between two or more positions along a path of travel that is parallel to the path of travel of the reciprocating motion of the coil. With this feature, the width of an area scanned by a scanning head affixed to the coil can be increased by multiples allowing a simple moving coil actuator to be used for any scanning width.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2005Date of Patent: February 16, 2010Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventor: Daniel Y. Chu
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Publication number: 20100028988Abstract: A multi-well plate with wells having ultra-thin walls and yet with sufficient structural rigidity to allow reliable use of the plate in automated instrumentation is formed by first forming a plate blank by injection molding, the blank being of a thickness that provides the desired rigidity, and then subjecting the blank to vacuum forming to stretch designated areas in the blank to form wells or to extend wells already formed, the stretching resulting in a reduction in thickness of the molded resin at the walls of the wells only.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2009Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: BIO-RAD LABORATORIES, INC., a corporation of the state of DelawareInventors: Daniel Y. Chu, Hui Du
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Publication number: 20090269835Abstract: A thermal cycling instrument for PCR and other reactions performed on multiple samples with temperature changes between sequential stages in the reaction procedure is supplied with a thermal block to provide rapid changes and close control over the temperature in each sample vessel and a pressure plate incorporated into a motorized lid that detects anomalies in the reaction vessels or in their positioning over the thermal block, and automatically adjusts the plate position to achieve an even force distribution over the sample vessels.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2009Publication date: October 29, 2009Applicant: BIO-RAD LABORATORIES, INC. a corporation of the state of DelawareInventors: Jeffry M. Ceremony, Daniel Y. Chu, Deepak K. Doshi, Rhoel Rumbaoa, Dennis W. Loring, Paul J. Patt, Cliff Baldwin
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Patent number: 7560075Abstract: A multi-well plate such as a microtiter plate is secured from its well side in a manner that corrects or compensates for any deviations of the plate base from a planar configuration. This is achieved by an apparatus that includes an array of posts with exposed tips that define a plane, a plurality of movable collets that, when appropriately actuated, seize the walls of selected wells, and a biasing means to urge the collets in a direction that forces the wells of the microtiter plate against the exposed tips of the posts.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2006Date of Patent: July 14, 2009Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventor: Daniel Y. Chu
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Patent number: 7516934Abstract: A platform that supports a sample plate such as a microtiter plate, a multi-well plate of any size, or a glass slide with sample spots distributed over its surface, and presents the plate for assay detection by a movable scanning head that has a field depth on the millimeter scale is leveled or otherwise adjusted in a planar orientation by an apparatus that includes a rocker plate, position sensors, and motorized risers arranged on the apparatus to provide the rocker plate with tilting capability along either or both or two orthogonal axes.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Y. Chu, Paul J. Patt, Jeffry M. Ceremony
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Patent number: 7478571Abstract: Translational motion of a scanning head relative to a planar target, or vice versa, is achieved by a belt and pulley system with a counterweight that is also driven by a belt and pulley system at the same speed but in the opposite direction as the scanning head. The components and belt and pulley system are oriented such that all moving components remain on one side of the target and remain so during their entire range of movement.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2007Date of Patent: January 20, 2009Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Y. Chu, Paul J. Patt
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Publication number: 20080199365Abstract: A multi-well plate such as a microtiter plate is secured from its well side in a manner that corrects or compensates for any deviations of the plate base from a planar configuration. This is achieved by an apparatus that includes an array of posts with exposed tips that define a plane, a plurality of movable collets that, when appropriately actuated, seize the walls of selected wells, and a biasing means to urge the collets in a direction that forces the wells of the microtiter plate against the exposed tips of the posts.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2006Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: BIO-RAD LABORATORIES, INC.Inventor: Daniel Y. Chu
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Patent number: 7279814Abstract: A moving coil actuator that moves in a rapid back-and-forth motion is constructed with a magnet assembly that concentrates the magnetic flux in a region of limited length and with a coiled electric conductor that includes two separated regions of densely wound coil, the assembly and conductor arranged such that only one of the coil regions resides in a concentrated flux region at either end of the actuator stroke. This is achieved with either a single region of concentrated flux or two spatially separated regions of concentrated flux. In either case, the force constant, i.e., the motor force generated in each coil per unit of current through the coil, is non-linear, with a maximal force at each end of the stroke and a minimal force at the stroke mid-point. The result is an efficient use of the electric current and relatively small amounts of materials of construction, and accordingly less weight for the actuator to carry during its travel and its changes of direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2005Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Paul J. Patt, Daniel Y. Chu, Jeffry Ceremony
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Patent number: 5626735Abstract: Gradient gels are formed in a slab gel enclosure by introducing gel solution through a channel in one of the two or more spacers which set the thickness of the gel. The channel opens into the gel space through an aperture in the inner longitudinal edge of the spacer at approximately mid-length along the edge, and filling of the gel space with the solution is performed with the enclosure rotated onto its side. In certain embodiments of the invention, the opposing spacer contains an aperture as well, plus a channel leading from the aperture to the exterior of the enclosure, for venting of air from the gel space as the space is being filled with the gel-forming liquid.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 1994Date of Patent: May 6, 1997Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Inventor: Daniel Y. Chu