Patents by Inventor Erik William Anthon

Erik William Anthon 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).

  • Fluorescence station for biological sample testing machine
    Patent number: 5925884
    Abstract: A sample card transport station moves a test sample card from an incubation station for the card to a transmittance and fluorescence optical station in a sample testing machine. The sample card transport station has a drive belt and an associated stepper motor. The belt supports the card from one side of the card. A ledge having a card slot is disposed above the belt. The card is snugly received within the card slot, and supported from below by the drive belt and rollers for the belt. When the motor turns the belt, the belt grips the card and slide the card along the slot to the optical stations, without any slippage between the belt and the card. This construction provides for precise control over the movement of the card.The fluorescence station has a linear flash lamp that illuminates a column of the wells of the cards simultaneously. A reference detector and dichromatic beam splitter design is used to insure that the fluorescence measurements are independent of lamp output changes over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: bioMerieux, Inc.
    Inventors: Ron Robinson, David B. Shine, Craig Drager, Richard James Ryall, Erik William Anthon
  • Optical reader and sample card transport stations for biological sample testing machine
    Patent number: 5888455
    Abstract: A sample card transport station moves a test sample card from an incubation station for the card to a transmittance and fluorescence optical station in a sample testing machine. The sample card transport station has a drive belt and an associated stepper motor. The belt supports the card from one side of the card. A ledge having a card slot is disposed above the belt. The card is snugly received within the card slot, and supported from below by the drive belt and rollers for the belt. When the motor turns the belt, the belt grips the card and slides the card along the slot to the optical stations, without any slippage between the belt and the card. This construction provides for precise control over the movement of the card.The fluorescence station has a linear flash lamp that illuminates a column of the wells of the cards simultaneously. A reference detector and dichromatic beam splitter design is used to insure that the fluorescence measurements are independent of lamp output changes over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: bioMerieux, Inc.
    Inventors: William Ernest Seaton, Mark Joseph Fanning, Ron Robinson, David B. Shine, Craig Drager, Richard James Ryall, Erik William Anthon