Patents by Inventor Joseph D. Michienzi

Joseph D. Michienzi 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: 12259369
    Abstract: Sample preparation and separation can be performed using a sample cartridge (201). The cartridge includes a barrel (204) with a first and second end, a column segment (209) connected to the second end of the barrel, and a column (205) containing a sorbent material. The sorbent material includes particles that have antibodies attached to them to selectively retain analytes, proteins attached to them to retain certain classes of antibodies, or enzymes attached to them to perform specific modifications to certain classes of molecules. The column segment can be in thermal communication with a temperature control device in order to control the temperature of the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Gilar, Thomas S. McDonald, Joseph D. Michienzi, Jeffrey Musacchio, Rachel Mumma, Keith Fadgen, Geoff C. Gerhardt
  • Patent number: 12247962
    Abstract: Methods and devices for the washing, extraction, and separation of a sample in a disposable chromatography cartridge (201) comprising a barrel (204) and a column (205), and especially including reinforcement to the column permitting high-pressure separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Gilar, Thomas S. McDonald, Joseph D. Michienzi, Jeffrey Musacchio, Rachel Mumma, Keith Fadgen, Geoff C. Gerhardt
  • Patent number: 12222339
    Abstract: A clamp assembly includes a rail extending along the length and configured to receive a first fluidic assembly, and a carriage movably attachable to the rail such that the carriage moves along the rail, the carriage configured to receive a second fluidic assembly, the carriage including an actuator and a stop mechanism. The stop mechanism is configured to selectively prevent and allow movement of the carriage relative to the rail. The stop mechanism is configured to be independently operable from the actuator assembly, and the actuator is configured: to move a chromatography column received by the clamp assembly relative to the rail to create a first fluid tight seal between the chromatography column and the first fluidic assembly, and move the second fluidic assembly relative to the carriage body to create a second fluid tight seal between the second fluidic assembly and the chromatography column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Wade P. Leveille, Joseph D. Michienzi, Joseph D. Antocci, Jeffrey Musacchio
  • Publication number: 20250027911
    Abstract: A frit and a chromatography column that includes the frit are described. The frit is formed as a disk having a porosity, a radius and a thickness. The disk has a variation in porosity, thickness, or both porosity and thickness along a radial direction. A flow of a liquid through an outer region of the disk is advanced at an outlet end of the disk relative to a flow of the liquid through an inner region of the disk. The frit is configured to be disposed at one end of a column bed of a liquid chromatography column where the advance in the flow in the outer region relative to the flow in the inner region is predetermined to at least partially compensate for a radial variation in the linear velocity of the flow through the column bed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Wade P. Leveille, Fabrice Gritti, Jason F. Hill, Sornanathan Meyyappan, Joseph D. Michienzi
  • Patent number: 12181453
    Abstract: The exemplary embodiments provide chromatography column positioning assemblies that can ensure that the distance between face seals or other sealing surfaces/mechanisms at the respective ends of a liquid chromatography column is a desired distance (i.e., the length of the liquid chromatography column). The exemplary embodiments can adjust the separation between the face seals to accommodate different length liquid chromatography columns. For example, a chromatography column positioning assembly of an exemplary embodiment can set the distance between face seals to accommodate a 25 mm column, a 50 mm column or a 100 mm column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Wade P. Leveille, Joseph D. Michienzi, Jeffrey Musacchio, Michael O. Fogwill
  • Patent number: 12163934
    Abstract: The exemplary embodiments may provide a collective insulating sleeve for a plurality of chromatography columns or may provide separate insulating sleeve for each of the chromatography columns in a plurality. As a result, column ovens are not needed, and pre-heaters may not be required for each chromatography column in some exemplary embodiments. Thus, parallel column arrangements in the exemplary embodiments may be more compact than conventional arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael O. Fogwill, Martin Gilar, Joseph D. Michienzi, Wade P. Leveille, Geoff C. Gerhardt, Jeffrey Musacchio, Jason F. Hill, Sylvain G. Cormier
  • Publication number: 20240393299
    Abstract: A device for sealing to a chromatographic column includes an insertion body and a tip assembly. The insertion body has an attachment end, a tip opposite to the attachment end and a fluidic channel extending between the attachment end and the tip. An attachment feature located near the attachment end secures the insertion body to an actuator. An axially movable sheath may be provided at the tip to protect the tip assembly prior to and during coupling to a column end nut and to assist in aligning the device to the column end nut. The device can be loaded by manual clamping or by an automated clamp mechanism to achieve sufficient force for a fluid tight seal in the column end nut. Devices are column agnostic and may be used in a column oven to enable a chromatography system to be quickly configured with a wide variety of columns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: Michael Scanlon, Joseph D. Michienzi, Wade P. Leveille
  • Publication number: 20240302335
    Abstract: Threaded conventional column end fittings for liquid chromatography columns do not have face seals that enable them to be used with clamping fluidic connectors. The exemplary embodiments may provide adapters that interface with conventional threaded column end fittings so that the column assembly may now be used with the clamping fluidic connectors. The adapters of the exemplary embodiments may include lock nuts for securing the adapters to column end fittings of a liquid chromatography columns. The lock nuts may include threads that bear the load of the adapter rather than the column end fitting of the chromatography column. The threads of the lock nut become the load bearing surfaces, and the load is distributed over the surfaces where the threads of the adapter engage with the threads of the lock nut.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Inventors: Michael Scanlon, Wade P. Leveille, Joseph D. Michienzi
  • Patent number: 12051582
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments may deploy a valve that introduces a sample of a calibrant coaxially with flow exiting a source of a mobile phase flow, such as a liquid chromatography (LC) column, on a path to an ion source for the mass spectrometer (MS). The valve may be positioned remotely on a branch that has a junction with the path leading form the source of the mobile phase flow to the ion source. Alternatively, the valve may be positioned in line on the flow path from the source of the mobile phase flow to the ion source of the MS. A novel five port valve design may be employed. With this valve design, a first position of the valve allows a sample loop for the calibrant to be filled. In a second position, the calibrant is added coaxially to the flow from the source of the mobile phase to the MS. In a third position of the valve, diversion of or infusion to a post-source flow is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael O. Fogwill, Joseph D. Michienzi, Sylvain Gilles Cormier
  • Patent number: 12007370
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments may compensate for expected frictional heating or Joule-Thomson cooling in chromatography columns. Frictional heating or Joule Thomson cooling are the same thing for a fluid decompressing along a porous material. Either heat is absorbed from or released to the external environment. The exemplary embodiments may cool the mobile phase to a sub-ambient temperature before the mobile phase passes through a chromatography column to compensate for the frictional heating or heat the mobile phase to a super-ambient temperature to compensate for Joule-Thomson cooling. The amount of temperature increase expected from the frictional heating or the amount of temperature decrease expected from the Joule-Thomson cooling may be calculated or estimated. Based on the amount of temperature increase or decrease expected, the set point for the heater/cooler may be determined and applied to the mobile phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael O. Fogwill, Wade P. Leveille, Joseph D. Michienzi, Fabrice Gritti
  • Patent number: 11994500
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for thermally controlled interfaces for separation devices and optical flow cell devices with minimized post-column volumes are described. In one embodiment, for example, a column-optical cell assembly may include an insulating device, a chromatography column arranged within the insulating device, and an optical flow cell in fluid communication with the chromatography column, the chromatography column arranged within a minimum distance of the optical flow cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Mark J. Basile, Jeffrey Musacchio, Michael O. Fogwill, Sebastien Besner, Joseph D. Michienzi, Wade P. Leveille
  • Patent number: 11986751
    Abstract: Described are apparatuses, devices, and systems implementing seals for separation devices. An apparatus for a separation device may include an end nut shaped to be positioned on one of an inlet side and an outlet side of the separation device. The end nut may be further shaped to mate with a connecting fitting. The apparatus may further include a face seal having a device side and a fitting side. The face seal may be positioned, at least in part, in the end nut on the device side of the face seal. The face seal may be positioned to interface with the connecting fitting on the fitting side of the face seal upon the end nut being mated with the connecting fitting. The apparatus may also include a face seal bore of the face seal being axially alignable with at least one of an inlet and an outlet of the separation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Belanger, Wade P. Leveille, Sr., Michael O. Fogwill, Joseph D. Michienzi, Jeffrey Musacchio
  • Patent number: 11951475
    Abstract: Described is a multi-channel fluidic device that includes a diffusion-bonded body having a device surface and a plurality of fluid channels. Each fluid channel includes a channel segment defined in a plane that is parallel to the device surface and parallel to each of the planes of the other channel segments. The plane of each channel segment is at a depth below the device surface that is different from the depth below the device surface for the other planes. Each channel segment may have a volume equal to the volume of each of the other channel segments. One of the fluid channels may include a plurality of channel segments serially connected to each other and each defined in a plane that is different from the planes of the other channel segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sylvain Gilles Cormier, Charles T. Murphy, Joseph D. Michienzi
  • Publication number: 20240079223
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments may deploy a valve that introduces a sample of a calibrant coaxially with flow exiting a source of a mobile phase flow, such as a liquid chromatography (LC) column, on a path to an ion source for the mass spectrometer (MS). The valve may be positioned remotely on a branch that has a junction with the path leading form the source of the mobile phase flow to the ion source. Alternatively, the valve may be positioned in line on the flow path from the source of the mobile phase flow to the ion source of the MS. A novel five port valve design may be employed. With this valve design, a first position of the valve allows a sample loop for the calibrant to be filled. In a second position, the calibrant is added coaxially to the flow from the source of the mobile phase to the MS. In a third position of the valve, diversion of or infusion to a post-source flow is enabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Michael O. Fogwill, Joseph D. Michienzi, Sylvain Gilles Cormier
  • Publication number: 20240044852
    Abstract: A clamp assembly includes a rail extending along the length and configured to receive a first fluidic assembly, and a carriage movably attachable to the rail such that the carriage moves along the rail, the carriage configured to receive a second fluidic assembly, the carriage including an actuator and a stop mechanism. The stop mechanism is configured to selectively prevent and allow movement of the carriage relative to the rail. The stop mechanism is configured to be independently operable from the actuator assembly, and the actuator is configured: to move a chromatography column received by the clamp assembly relative to the rail to create a first fluid tight seal between the chromatography column and the first fluidic assembly, and move the second fluidic assembly relative to the carriage body to create a second fluid tight seal between the second fluidic assembly and the chromatography column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Wade P. Leveille, Joseph D. Michienzi, Joseph D. Antocci, Jeffrey Musacchio
  • Publication number: 20240033756
    Abstract: A sprayer assembly for an ion source is disclosed. The sprayer includes a capillary having an outlet, a sheath for the capillary, and an elastic member. The sheath can move relative to the capillary between a first position in which the sheath covers the outlet of the capillary and a second position in which the outlet of the capillary is exposed. When the sheath moves from the first position to or towards the second position, the elastic member provides a restoring force that acts to restore the position of the sheath to or towards the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Wade P. Leveille, Joseph D. Michienzi, Jeffrey Musacchio, Emrys Jones, Steven Derek Pringle, Stephen Hattan, Gregory T. Roman
  • Patent number: 11794200
    Abstract: A sprayer assembly for an ion source is disclosed. The sprayer includes a capillary having an outlet, a sheath for the capillary, and an elastic member. The sheath can move relative to the capillary between a first position in which the sheath covers the outlet of the capillary and a second position in which the outlet of the capillary is exposed. When the sheath moves from the first position to or towards the second position, the elastic member provides a restoring force that acts to restore the position of the sheath to or towards the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Wade P. Leveille, Joseph D. Michienzi, Jeffrey Musacchio, Emrys Jones, Steven Derek Pringle, Stephen Hattan, Gregory T. Roman
  • Patent number: 11796516
    Abstract: A clamp assembly includes a rail extending along the length and configured to receive a first fluidic assembly, and a carriage movably attachable to the rail such that the carriage moves along the rail, the carriage configured to receive a second fluidic assembly, the carriage including an actuator and a stop mechanism. The stop mechanism is configured to selectively prevent and allow movement of the carriage relative to the rail. The stop mechanism is configured to be independently operable from the actuator assembly, and the actuator is configured: to move a chromatography column received by the clamp assembly relative to the rail to create a first fluid tight seal between the chromatography column and the first fluidic assembly, and move the second fluidic assembly relative to the carriage body to create a second fluid tight seal between the second fluidic assembly and the chromatography column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: WATERS TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wade P. Leveille, Joseph D. Michienzi, Joseph D. Antocci, Jeffrey Musacchio
  • Patent number: 11764049
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments may deploy a valve that introduces a sample of a calibrant coaxially with flow exiting a source of a mobile phase flow, such as a liquid chromatography (LC) column, on a path to an ion source for the mass spectrometer (MS). The valve may be positioned remotely on a branch that has a junction with the path leading form the source of the mobile phase flow to the ion source. Alternatively, the valve may be positioned in line on the flow path from the source of the mobile phase flow to the ion source of the MS. A novel five port valve design may be employed. With this valve design, a first position of the valve allows a sample loop for the calibrant to be filled. In a second position, the calibrant is added coaxially to the flow from the source of the mobile phase to the MS. In a third position of the valve, diversion of or infusion to a post-source flow is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael O. Fogwill, Joseph D. Michienzi, Sylvain Gilles Cormier
  • Patent number: 11733216
    Abstract: Thermally modulated variable restrictors used in chromatography systems enable independent control of system pressure and linear velocity of a compressible mobile phase passing through a chromatography column. A method for configuring a chromatography system with independent control of system pressure and mass flow rate of a compressible mobile phase includes determining a type of chromatography separation column to be used in the chromatography system, matching a thermally modulated variable restrictor to the type of chromatography separation column for use together during operation of the chromatography system, and bundling the chromatography column with its matching thermally modulated variable restrictor for distribution as a single package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael O. Fogwill, Joseph D. Michienzi, Geoff Gerhardt, James P. Murphy