Patents by Inventor Kristian P. Helmerson

Kristian P. Helmerson 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).

  • Optical trap for detection and quantitation of subzeptomolar quantities of analytes
    Patent number: 5620857
    Abstract: Tightly focused beams of laser light are used as "optical tweezers" to trap and manipulate polarizable objects such as microspheres of glass or latex with diameters on the order of 4.5 .mu.m. When analytes are allowed to adhere to the microspheres, small quantities of these analytes can be manipulated, thus allowing their detection and quantitation even when amounts and concentrations of the analytes are extremely small. Illustrative examples include measuring the strength needed to break antibody-antigen bonds and the detection of DNA sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce
    Inventors: Howard H. Weetall, Kristian P. Helmerson, Roni B. Kishore