Patents by Inventor Judith K. Atwood, legal representative

Judith K. Atwood, legal representative 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).

  • Instrument for monitoring polymerase chain reaction of DNA
    Patent number: 7183103
    Abstract: An optical instrument monitors PCR replication of DNA in a reaction apparatus having a temperature cycled block with vials of reaction ingredients including dye that fluoresces in presence of double-stranded DNA. A beam splitter passes an excitation beam to the vials to fluoresce the dye. An emission beam from the dye is passed by the beam splitter to a CCD detector from which a processor computes DNA concentration. A reference strip with a plurality of reference emitters emit reference beams of different intensity, from which the processor selects an optimum emitter for compensating for drift. Exposure time is automatically adjusted for keeping within optimum dynamic ranges of the CCD and processor. A module of the beam splitter and associated optical filters is associated with selected dye, and is replaceable for different dyes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Applera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Gambini, Susan Atwood Stone, legal representative, Judith K. Atwood, legal representative, Eugene F. Young, Edward J. Lakatos, Anthony L. Cerrone, John G. Atwood, deceased
  • Instrument for monitoring polymerase chain reaction of DNA
    Patent number: 7008789
    Abstract: An optical instrument monitors PCR replication of DNA in a reaction apparatus having a temperature cycled block with vials of reaction ingredients including dye that fluoresces in presence of double-stranded DNA. A beam splitter passes an excitation beam to the vials to fluoresce the dye. An emission beam from the dye is passed by the beam splitter to a CCD detector from which a processor computes DNA concentration. A reference strip with a plurality of reference emitters emit reference beams of different intensity, from which the processor selects an optimum emitter for compensating for drift. Exposure time is automatically adjusted for keeping within optimum dynamic ranges of the CCD and processor. A module of the beam splitter and associated optical filters is associated with selected dye, and is replaceable for different dyes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Applera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Gambini, Susan Atwood Stone, legal representative, Judith K. Atwood, legal representative, Eugene F. Young, Edward J. Lakatos, Anthony L. Cerrone, John G. Atwood, deceased