Patents by Inventor Sebastian J. Maerkl
Sebastian J. Maerkl 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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Patent number: 9714443Abstract: High-density microfluidic chips contain plumbing networks with thousands of micromechanical valves and hundreds of individually addressable chambers. These fluidic devices are analogous to electronic integrated circuits fabricated using large scale integration (LSI). A component of these networks is the fluidic multiplexor, which is a combinatorial array of binary valve patterns that exponentially increases the processing power of a network by allowing complex fluid manipulations with a minimal number of inputs. These integrated microfluidic networks can be used to construct a variety of highly complex microfluidic devices, for example the microfluidic analog of a comparator array, and a microfluidic memory storage device resembling electronic random access memories.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2012Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Sebastian J. Maerkl, Todd A. Thorsen, Xiaoyan Bao, Stephen R. Quake, Vincent Studer
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Patent number: 9329179Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for surface patterning the substrate of a microfluidic device, and for detection and analysis of interactions between molecules by mechanically trapping a molecular complex while substantially expelling solvent and unbound solute molecules. Examples of molecular complexes include protein-protein complexes and protein-nucleic acid complexes.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2011Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Stephen R. Quake, Sebastian J. Maerkl
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Patent number: 8220494Abstract: Using basic physical arguments, a design and method for the fabrication of microfluidic valves using multilayer soft lithography is presented. Embodiments of valves in accordance with the present invention feature elastomer membrane portions of substantially constant thickness, allowing the membranes to experience similar resistance to an applied pressure across their entire width. Such on-off valves fabricated with upwardly- or downwardly-deflectable membranes can have extremely low actuation pressures, and can be used to implement active functions such as pumps and mixers in integrated microfluidic chips. Valve performance was characterized by measuring both the actuation pressure and flow resistance over a wide range of design parameters, and comparing them to both finite element simulations and alternative valve geometries.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2004Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Vincent Studer, Stephen R. Quake, W. French Anderson, Sebastian J. Maerkl
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Publication number: 20120129719Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for surface patterning the substrate of a microfluidic device, and for detection and analysis of interactions between molecules by mechanically trapping a molecular complex while substantially expelling solvent and unbound solute molecules. Examples of molecular complexes include protein-protein complexes and protein-nucleic acid complexes.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2011Publication date: May 24, 2012Applicant: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Stephen R. Quake, Sebastian J. Maerkl
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Patent number: 8039269Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for surface patterning the substrate of a microfluidic device, and for detection and analysis of interactions between molecules by mechanically trapping a molecular complex while substantially expelling solvent and unbound solute molecules. Examples of molecular complexes include protein-protein complexes and protein-nucleic acid complexes.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2007Date of Patent: October 18, 2011Assignee: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Sebastian J. Maerkl, Stephen R. Quake
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Publication number: 20100154890Abstract: High-density microfluidic chips contain plumbing networks with thousands of micromechanical valves and hundreds of individually addressable chambers. These fluidic devices are analogous to electronic integrated circuits fabricated using large scale integration (LSI). A component of these networks is the fluidic multiplexor, which is a combinatorial array of binary valve patterns that exponentially increases the processing power of a network by allowing complex fluid manipulations with a minimal number of inputs. These integrated microfluidic networks can be used to construct a variety of highly complex microfluidic devices, for example the microfluidic analog of a comparator array, and a microfluidic memory storage device resembling electronic random access memories.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2009Publication date: June 24, 2010Applicant: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Sebastian J. Maerkl, Todd A. Thorsen, Xiaoyan Bao, Stephen R. Quake, Vincent Studer
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Publication number: 20080029169Abstract: High-density microfluidic chips contain plumbing networks with thousands of micromechanical valves and hundreds of individually addressable chambers. These fluidic devices are analogous to electronic integrated circuits fabricated using large scale integration (LSI). A component of these networks is the fluidic multiplexor, which is a combinatorial array of binary valve patterns that exponentially increases the processing power of a network by allowing complex fluid manipulations with a minimal number of inputs. These integrated microfluidic networks can be used to construct a variety of highly complex microfluidic devices, for example the microfluidic analog of a comparator array, and a microfluidic memory storage device resembling electronic random access memories.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2006Publication date: February 7, 2008Applicant: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Sebastian J. Maerkl, Todd A. Thorsen, Xiaoyan Bao, Stephen R. Quake, Vincent Studer
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Patent number: 7143785Abstract: High-density microfluidic chips contain plumbing networks with thousands of micromechanical valves and hundreds of individually addressable chambers. These fluidic devices are analogous to electronic integrated circuits fabricated using large scale integration (LSI). A component of these networks is the fluidic multiplexor, which is a combinatorial array of binary valve patterns that exponentially increases the processing power of a network by allowing complex fluid manipulations with a minimal number of inputs. These integrated microfluidic networks can be used to construct a variety of highly complex microfluidic devices, for example the microfluidic analog of a comparator array, and a microfluidic memory storage device resembling electronic random access memories.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2003Date of Patent: December 5, 2006Assignee: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Sebastian J. Maerkl, Todd A. Thorsen, Xiaoyan Bao, Stephen R. Quake, Vincent Studer
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Publication number: 20040112442Abstract: High-density microfluidic chips contain plumbing networks with thousands of micromechanical valves and hundreds of individually addressable chambers. These fluidic devices are analogous to electronic integrated circuits fabricated using large scale integration (LSI). A component of these networks is the fluidic multiplexor, which is a combinatorial array of binary valve patterns that exponentially increases the processing power of a network by allowing complex fluid manipulations with a minimal number of inputs. These integrated microfluidic networks can be used to construct a variety of highly complex microfluidic devices, for example the microfluidic analog of a comparator array, and a microfluidic memory storage device resembling electronic random access memories.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2003Publication date: June 17, 2004Applicant: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Sebastian J. Maerkl, Todd A. Thorsen, Xiaoyan Bao, Stephen R. Quake, Vincent Studer