Patents by Inventor Paul Hetherington
Paul Hetherington 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).
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Publication number: 20090213382Abstract: An array surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis instrument comprising a reflective SPR sensor array, a light source assembly arranged to project a collimated beam of light onto the reflective SPR sensor array to provide a reflected array image of the sensor array, and to scan the incident angle of the collimated beam of light over an angular range, and a detector assembly oriented to receive the reflected array image of the sensor array over the angular range, the detector assembly comprises a two-dimensional detector sensing element that is tilted with respect to the optical axis of the lens assembly in accordance with the Scheimpflug condition, and a lens assembly for focusing the reflected array image of said SPR sensor array onto said tilted detector sensing element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2008Publication date: August 27, 2009Applicant: GE HEALTHCARE BIO-SCIENCES ABInventors: David H. Tracy, Jennifer M. Brockman, Keith S. Ferrara, Martin Shenker, Robert Kersten, Steven E. Cohen, Gary Bodley, Patrick Tuxbury, Paul Hetherington, Enrico Picozza
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Publication number: 20070230535Abstract: An instrument for performing highly accurate PCR employing an assembly, a heated cover, and an internal computer, is provided. The assembly is made up of a sample block, a number of Peltier thermal electric devices, and a heat sink, clamped together. A control algorithm manipulates the current supplied to thermoelectric coolers such that the dynamic thermal performance of a block can be controlled so that pre-defined thermal profiles of sample temperature can be executed. The sample temperature is calculated instead of measured using a design specific model and equations. The control software includes calibration diagnostics which permit variation in the performance of thermoelectric coolers from instrument to instrument to be compensated for such that all instruments perform identically. The block/heat sink assembly can be changed to another of the same or different design.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2007Publication date: October 4, 2007Applicant: Applera CorporationInventors: John Atwood, Adrian Fawcett, Keith Ferrara, Paul Hetherington, Richard Noreiks, Douglas Olsen, John Widomski, Charles Wittmer
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Publication number: 20070117200Abstract: An instrument for performing highly accurate PCR employing an assembly, a heated cover and an internal computer. The assembly is made up of a sample block, a number of Peltier thermal electric devices and heat sink, clamped together. The sample block temperature is changed exclusively by the thermoelectric devices controlled by the computer. The sample block is of low thermal mass and is constructed of silver. The Peltier devices are designed to provide fast temperature excursions over a wide range. The heat sink has a perimeter trench to minimize edge losses and is adjacent to a continuously variable fan. A perimeter heater is used to improve the thermal uniformity across the sample block to approximately ±0.2° C. A heated platen pushes down onto the tube caps to apply a minimum acceptable force for seating the tubes into the block, ensuring good thermal contact with the block. The force is applied about the periphery of the tube caps to prevent distortion of the caps during thermal cycling.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2007Publication date: May 24, 2007Applicant: Applera CorporationInventors: John Atwood, Adrian Fawcett, Keith Ferrara, Paul Hetherington, Richard Noreiks, Douglas Olsen, John Widomski, Charles Wittmer
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Publication number: 20070113880Abstract: An instrument for performing highly accurate PCR employing an assembly, a heated cover and an internal computer. The assembly is made up of a sample block, a number of Peltier thermal electric devices and heat sink, clamped together. The sample block temperature is changed exclusively by the thermoelectric devices controlled by the computer. The sample block is of low thermal mass and is constructed of silver. The Peltier devices are designed to provide fast temperature excursions over a wide range. The heat sink has a perimeter trench to minimize edge losses and is adjacent to a continuously variable fan. A perimeter heater is used to improve the thermal uniformity across the sample block to approximately ±0.2° C. A heated platen pushes down onto the tube caps to apply a minimum acceptable force for seating the tubes into the block, ensuring good thermal contact with the block. The force is applied about the periphery of the tube caps to prevent distortion of the caps during thermal cycling.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2007Publication date: May 24, 2007Applicant: Applera CorporationInventors: John Atwood, Adrian Fawcett, Keith Ferrara, Paul Hetherington, Richard Noreiks, Douglas Olsen, John Widomski, Charles Wittmer
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Publication number: 20070109542Abstract: An optical analysis unit especially suitable for performing grating coupled surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging features a pivoting light source capable of scanning through a range of angles of incident light projected onto a stationary target sensor, such as an SPR sensor. The reflected image from the illuminated sensor is detected, e.g., by a CCD camera and the image and angular scan data are processed, for example by a fitting algorithm, to provide real time analysis of reactions taking place on the surface of the sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2004Publication date: May 17, 2007Inventors: David Tracy, Jennifer Brockman, Keith Ferrara, Martin Shenker, Robert Kersten, Steven Cohen, Gary Bodley, Patrick Tuxbury, Paul Hetherington, Enrico Picozza
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Publication number: 20050145273Abstract: An instrument for performing highly accurate PCR employing an assembly, a heated cover and an internal computer. The assembly is made up of a sample block, a number of Peltier thermal electric devices and heat sink, clamped together. The sample block temperature is changed exclusively by the thermoelectric devices controlled by the computer. The sample block is of low thermal mass and is constructed of silver. The Peltier devices are designed to provide fast temperature excursions over a wide range. The heat sink has a perimeter trench to minimize edge losses and is adjacent to a continuously variable fan. A perimeter heater is used to improve the thermal uniformity across the sample block to approximately ±0.2° C. A heated platen pushes down onto the tube caps to apply a minimum acceptable force for seating the tubes into the block, ensuring good thermal contact with the block. The force is applied about the periphery of the tube caps to prevent distortion of the caps during thermal cycling.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2005Publication date: July 7, 2005Inventors: John Atwood, Adrian Fawcett, Keith Ferrara, Paul Hetherington, Richard Noreiks, Douglas Olsen, John Widomski, Charles Wittmer