Patents by Inventor Thomas John Pankratz

Thomas John Pankratz 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: 7229592
    Abstract: A method for determining not to reuse a previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette in an analyzer when an assay scheduled to be performed may be adversely affected by contaminants remaining in the cleaned reaction cuvette. If determined not to reuse a previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette, the previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette is replaced with an unused new reaction cuvette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Dade Behring Inc.
    Inventors: William Jackson Devlin, Sr., Stephen Lawrence Frye, David Jeffrey Miller, Thomas John Pankratz
  • Patent number: 6991764
    Abstract: A method for determining not to reuse a previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette in an analyzer when an assay scheduled to be performed may be adversely affected by contaminants remaining in the cleaned reaction cuvette. If determined not to reuse a previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette, the previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette is replaced with an unused new reaction cuvette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Dade Behring Inc.
    Inventors: William Jackson Devlin, Sr, Steven Lawrence Frye, David Jeffrey Miller, Thomas John Pankratz
  • Publication number: 20040115095
    Abstract: A method for determining not to reuse a previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette in an analyzer when an assay scheduled to be performed may be adversely affected by contaminants remaining in the cleaned reaction cuvette. If determined not to reuse a previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette, the previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette is replaced with an unused new reaction cuvette.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: William Jackson Devlin, Steven Lawrence Frye, David Jeffrey Miller, Thomas John Pankratz
  • Patent number: 6284472
    Abstract: Calibrating an immunoassay by generating two reaction rate measuring curves, from samples having higher and lower relative levels of antigen, extrapolating a combination of the curves to cover sample concentrations known to contain an excess of antigen relative to an amount of capture reagent and combining the low end linear potion of the higher reaction rate measuring curve with the higher end portion of the extrapolated reaction rate measuring curve, thereby eliminating measuring inaccuracies otherwise arising from the hook effect. For antigen concentrations higher than the assay range, a high antigen signal utilizing the two rates avoids reporting false results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Dade Behring Inc.
    Inventors: Tie Quan Wei, Thomas John Pankratz, Victor Pichai Chu
  • Patent number: 5876935
    Abstract: A luminescent specific binding assay method is used for detecting an analyte in whole blood. The assay is a heterogeneous sandwich or competitive assay in which a first binding reagent is labeled with a luminescent photoprotein and an immobilized second binding reagent serves as a capture reagent. The luminescent photoprotein, upon activation, emits light which may be detected by a luminescence detector. The assay is rapid, sensitive and may be performed on small sample volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Dade Behring Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas John Pankratz, Richard Wayne Stout
  • Patent number: 4039383
    Abstract: A multi-step process for producing maltopentaose involving the dissolution and dissociation of amylose in an organic solvent, the hydrolyzation of amylose into lower molecular weight components, the precipitation of those components, and the reaction of an aqueous solution of the precipitate with amylase obtained from Bacillus licheniformis to produce a solution containing a high concentration of maltopentaose. This solution is then fractionated to produce a maltopentaose rich solution which is dried to produce maltopentaose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1977
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Thomas John Pankratz
  • Patent number: 4029516
    Abstract: A multi-step process for producing soluble amylose involving the dissolution and dissociation of amylose in a first organic solvent, the hydrolyzation of amylose into lower molecular weight components, and the use of a second organic solvent to form a precipitate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1977
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Thomas John Pankratz