Patents by Inventor Marc Boillat

Marc Boillat 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: 11709081
    Abstract: A fluid flow rate measurement device includes: a manifold element including a first fluid conduit extending from a surface thereof and terminating in a first port opening at a first lateral surface thereof and a second port opening at a second lateral surface thereof, and a second fluid conduit extending from a surface thereof and terminating in a third port opening at the first lateral surface and a fourth port opening at the second lateral surface; a fluid restriction element fixed to the first lateral surface and arranged to provide a sealed fluid pathway between the first port and the third port; and—a pressure sensor assembly fixed to the second lateral surface and including a first pressure sensor in fluidic communication with the second port, and a second pressure sensor in fluidic communication with the fourth port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: SEYONIC S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Boillat, Bart Van Der Schoot, Yari Luchessa
  • Publication number: 20210262840
    Abstract: A fluid flow rate measurement device includes: a manifold element including a first fluid conduit extending from a surface thereof and terminating in a first port opening at a first lateral surface thereof and a second port opening at a second lateral surface thereof, and a second fluid conduit extending from a surface thereof and terminating in a third port opening at the first lateral surface and a fourth port opening at the second lateral surface; a fluid restriction element fixed to the first lateral surface and arranged to provide a sealed fluid pathway between the first port and the third port; and—a pressure sensor assembly fixed to the second lateral surface and including a first pressure sensor in fluidic communication with the second port, and a second pressure sensor in fluidic communication with the fourth port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Marc BOILLAT, Bart VAN DER SCHOOT, Yari LUCHESSA
  • Patent number: 10139260
    Abstract: A method for controlling pipetting operations done by a pipetting device having a system for measuring the flow rate of the liquid suctioned or dispensed and electronics to communicate with a computer. The method is based on detection of flow rate variations and the moments at which those variations occur. The method includes obtaining a curve of liquid flow rate by the pipette as a function of time, computing the first deviation of the curve, identifying and recording the maximum and minimum values of the first deviation and the moments at which the maximum and minimum values occur, comparing the maximum and minimum values and the moments at which the maximum and minimum values occur with predetermined references for the values and the moments at which they occur, and based on the result of the comparison, providing a validation or error message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Seyonic S.A.
    Inventors: Bart van der Schoot, Yari Luchessa, Marc Boillat
  • Publication number: 20160273951
    Abstract: A method for controlling pipetting operations done by a pipetting device having a system for measuring the flow rate of the liquid suctioned or dispensed and electronics to communicate with a computer. The method is based on detection of flow rate variations and the moments at which those variations occur. The method includes obtaining a curve of liquid flow rate by the pipette as a function of time, computing the first deviation of the curve, identifying and recording the maximum and minimum values of the first deviation and the moments at which the maximum and minimum values occur, comparing the maximum and minimum values and the moments at which the maximum and minimum values occur with predetermined references for the values and the moments at which they occur, and based on the result of the comparison, providing a validation or error message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: Seyonic S.A.
    Inventors: Bart van der Schoot, Yari Luchessa, Marc Boillat
  • Patent number: 8850903
    Abstract: A liquid aspirating and dispensing apparatus and method of using the apparatus. Among other elements, the apparatus includes a liquid handling device having one or more channel members, each of which has a removable liquid holding tip attached, and a signal transmitting device. A signal transmitted from the signal transmitting device may be used in a variety of ways to yield information regarding the performance of the apparatus. This information may be provided via direct detection of the signal by an operator of the apparatus. Alternatively, the signal may be detected by a programmable signal detecting device, interpreted by the apparatus, and then displayed in a form that is understandable to the operator. Furthermore, the liquid holding tip may be modified to enable different forms of signal transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignees: Artel, Inc., Seyonic S.A.
    Inventors: Richard H. Curtis, Kirby Pilcher, David L. Bohnsack, Charles Ewing, George Rodrigues, John T. Bradshaw, Marc Boillat
  • Publication number: 20120104040
    Abstract: An air displacement liquid delivery system including a liquid delivery device, one or more sensors, a control unit, and a preprogrammable computing device, and a method for using the air displacement liquid delivery system. The one or more sensors are capable of obtaining information regarding conditions within and external to the liquid delivery device and sending this information to the control unit and/or the computing device. In turn, the control unit and/or computing device are capable of using this information to calculate one or more properties of gas contained within, and the air external to, the liquid delivery device, and one or more properties of a liquid that it is to be aspirated or dispensed by the liquid delivery device. The system may optimally control the performance of the liquid delivery device based upon any one or more of these calculated properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicants: SEYONIC SA, ARTEL, INC.
    Inventors: Richard H. Curtis, David L. Bohnsack, George Rodrigues, Marc Boillat
  • Patent number: 8096197
    Abstract: An air displacement liquid delivery system including a liquid delivery device, one or more sensors, a control unit, and a preprogrammable computing device, and a method for using the air displacement liquid delivery system. The one or more sensors are capable of obtaining information regarding conditions within and external to the liquid delivery device and sending this information to the control unit and/or the computing device. In turn, the control unit and/or computing device are capable of using this information to calculate one or more properties of gas contained within, and the air external to, the liquid delivery device, and one or more properties of a liquid that is to be aspirated or dispensed by the liquid delivery device. The system may optimally control the performance of the liquid delivery device based upon any one or more of these calculated properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Artel, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard H. Curtis, David L. Bohnsack, George Rodrigues, Marc Boillat
  • Publication number: 20110126645
    Abstract: A liquid aspirating and dispensing apparatus and method of using the apparatus. Among other elements, the apparatus includes a liquid handling device having one or more channel members, each of which has a removable liquid holding tip attached, and a signal transmitting device. A signal transmitted from the signal transmitting device may be used in a variety of ways to yield information regarding the performance of the apparatus. This information may be provided via direct detection of the signal by an operator of the apparatus. Alternatively, the signal may be detected by a programmable signal detecting device, interpreted by the apparatus, and then displayed in a form that is understandable to the operator. Furthermore, the liquid holding tip may be modified to enable different forms of signal transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicants: ARTEL, INC., SEYONIC SA
    Inventors: Richard H. Curtis, Kirby Pilcher, David L. Bohnsack, Charles Ewing, George Rodrigues, John T. Bradshaw, Marc Boillat
  • Patent number: 7870797
    Abstract: A liquid aspirating and dispensing apparatus and method of using the apparatus. Among other elements, the apparatus includes a liquid handling device having one or more channel members, each of which has a removable liquid holding tip attached, and a signal transmitting device. A signal transmitted from the signal transmitting device may be used in a variety of ways to yield information regarding the performance of the apparatus. This information may be provided via direct detection of the signal by an operator of the apparatus. Alternatively, the signal may be detected by a programmable signal detecting device, interpreted by the apparatus, and then displayed in a form that is understandable to the operator. Furthermore, the liquid holding tip may be modified to enable different forms of signal transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Artel, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard H. Curtis, Kirby Pilcher, David L. Bohnsack, Charles Ewing, George Rodrigues, John T. Bradshaw, Marc Boillat
  • Patent number: 7640787
    Abstract: Pipettes, widely used in clinical and pharmaceutical laboratories to transfer small volumes of liquid, may be subject to hidden performance degradation and operator error. Pipette performance cannot be accepted without monitoring. The present disclosure concerns a verification device for a pipette with a piston for aspirating then dispensing, using a shaft, a determined volume of liquid. This device may include: a first assembly for supplying a displaced volume measurement, comparing this measurement to a desired value and generating an indication of the difference between the measured volume and the desired value; and a second assembly, responding to the first assembly, for delivering information relating to the indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignees: Seyonic S.A., Artel Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Curtis, David Bohnsack, Marc Boillat
  • Patent number: 7303728
    Abstract: The invention concerns a fluid dispensing device, characterised in that it comprises: a dispensing member (10) including: a conduit (42, 44) allowing through a transporting liquid (52), a valve (48) fixed to one of the ends (38) of said conduit, a dispensing needle (12) arranged at the other end (38), means for measuring the flow rate (46) of the transporting liquid (52) in the conduit, control means (54) for circulating the said liquid through said conduit in one direction or the other, and electronic means (58, 60) reacting to said measuring means (46) and acting both on said valve (48) and said control means (54) to cause a specific amount of fluid (30) to be sucked into the needle (12), and then to be restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Seyonic SA
    Inventors: Marc Boillat, Bart Van Der Schoot, Bastien Droz, Xavier Tinguely
  • Publication number: 20070241130
    Abstract: An air displacement liquid delivery system including a liquid delivery device, one or more sensors, a control unit, and a preprogrammable computing device, and a method for using the air displacement liquid delivery system. The one or more sensors are capable of obtaining information regarding conditions within and external to the liquid delivery device and sending this information to the control unit and/or the computing device. In turn, the control unit and/or computing device are capable of using this information to calculate one or more properties of gas contained within, and the air external to, the liquid delivery device, and one or more properties of a liquid that it is to be aspirated or dispensed by the liquid delivery device. The system may optimally control the performance of the liquid delivery device based upon any one or more of these calculated properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicants: Artel, Inc., Seyonic SA
    Inventors: Richard H. Curtis, David L. Bohnsack, George Rodrigues, Marc Boillat
  • Publication number: 20070227271
    Abstract: A liquid aspirating and dispensing apparatus and method of using the apparatus. Among other elements, the apparatus includes a liquid handling device having one or more channel members, each of which has a removable liquid holding tip attached, and a signal transmitting device. A signal transmitted from the signal transmitting device may be used in a variety of ways to yield information regarding the performance of the apparatus. This information may be provided via direct detection of the signal by an operator of the apparatus. Alternatively, the signal may be detected by a programmable signal detecting device, interpreted by the apparatus, and then displayed in a form that is understandable to the operator. Furthermore, the liquid holding tip may be modified to enable different forms of signal transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicants: Artel, Inc., Seyonic SA
    Inventors: Richard H. Curtis, Kirby Pilcher, David L. Bohnsack, Charles Ewing, George Rodrigues, John T. Bradshaw, Marc Boillat
  • Publication number: 20070056351
    Abstract: Pipettes, widely used in clinical and pharmaceutical laboratories to transfer small volumes of liquid, may be subject to hidden performance degradation and operator error. Pipette performance cannot be accepted without monitoring. The present disclosure concerns a verification device for a pipette with a piston for aspirating then dispensing, using a shaft, a determined volume of liquid. This device may include: a first assembly for supplying a displaced volume measurement, comparing this measurement to a desired value and generating an indication of the difference between the measured volume and the desired value; and a second assembly, responding to the first assembly, for delivering information relating to the indication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventors: Richard Curtis, David Bohnsack, Marc Boillat
  • Patent number: 6904945
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-duct fluid dispenser for withdrawing liquid (14) from a plurality of cavities (12) formed in a reservoir platter (10) and spraying it onto a receiving platter (16). It comprises: a plurality of flexible ducts (26) arranged in a convergent bundle, the first ends of which are intended to be immersed in said cavities and the second ends of which are assembled in a miniaturized array, means of filling said ducts, from their first ends, with the liquid contained in the cavities, and means of expelling a drop of liquid from the second end of each duct toward the receiving platter. The ducts are formed in a plurality of flexible plates (18) joined together by their part (24) that comprises the second ends of the ducts. They are each formed of two polymer sheets (34, 36) sealed together and of which at least one is endowed with an array of convergent grooves forming the ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Seyonic SA
    Inventors: Marc Boillat, Bart Van Der Schoot, Andreas Kuoni, Roeland Papen, Nico De Rooij
  • Patent number: 6898981
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for measuring pressure in two points of a fluid flow, comprising: a frame (10) consisting of two plates (12, 14) comprising each two planar surfaces, one outer (12a, 14a) and the other inner (12b, 14b), and wherein one of the plates (12) is perforated with recess (22) closed by the other plate (14) to form an assembly of two chambers (28, 30) comprising two planar walls (24, 14b) parallel to the surfaces (12a, 14a) of the frame and a side wall (26) forming its periphery and a fluidic restriction channel (32) connecting the two chambers (28, 30) with each other, and means (16) for supplying a measurement of the pressure in each of the chambers (28, 30). In order to improve the accuracy of the measurement, the side wall (26) of the chambers (28, 30) is perpendicular to its two planar walls (24, 14b) and is configured such that the chambers (28, 20) are spindle-shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Seyonic SA
    Inventors: Marc Boillat, Bart Van Der Schoot, Nico De Rooij, Benedikt Guldimann
  • Publication number: 20040238064
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-duct fluid dispenser for withdrawing liquid (14) from a plurality of cavities (12) formed in a reservoir platter (10) and spraying it onto a receiving platter (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Marc Boillat, Bart Van Der Schoot, Andreas Kuoni, Roeland Papen, Nico De Rooij
  • Publication number: 20040020938
    Abstract: The invention concerns a fluid dispensing device, characterised in that it comprises: a dispensing member (10) including: a conduit (42, 44) allowing through a transporting liquid (52), a valve (48) fixed to one of the ends (38) of said conduit, a dispensing needle (12) arranged at the other end (38), means for measuring the flow rate (46) of the transporting liquid (52) in the conduit, control means (54) for circulating the said liquid through said conduit in one direction or the other, and electronic means (58, 60) reacting to said measuring means (46) and acting both on said valve (48) and said control means (54) to cause a specific amount of fluid (30) to be sucked into the needle (12), and then to be restored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Marc Boillat, Bart Van Der Schoot, Bastien Droz, Xavier Tinguely