Bioseparations, Inc.

Arizona Technology Development Corporation

Biospeparations, Inc.

David W Sammons

Joseph G Utermohlen

Garland E Twitty

Rizwan Sharnez

Ned B Egen

Michael Manley

Wen-jeng Ko

Yi-Cheng Liu

A system for separating nucleated cells from a blood sample includes a charge-flow separator (CFS), which separates blood into fractions according to the surface charge density characteristics coupled with an affinity-filtration separator which either outputs a separated blood fraction to the CFS or receives a separated blood fraction from the CFS. The system permits separation of nucleated fetal red blood cells, erythroid progenitor cells and other nucleated cells found in blood samples.

System for separation of nucleated fetal erythrocytes from maternal blood samples

A method and single solution denaturation and hybridization useful with probes for hybridizing DNA or RNA sequences. The inventive protocol employs a carbinol containing hybridization solution.

Situ and in vitro hybridization method and buffer

A method and single solution denaturation and hybridization solution useful with synthetic oligonucleotide probes for hybridizing DNA or RNA sequences by in situ hybridization. The inventive protocol employs synthetic oligonucleotide probes and a glycerol-based hybridization solution which is particularly useful in fluorescence labeling of chromosomes X, Y, 13, 18 and 21 in human lymphocytes, amniocytes and metaphase chromosomes, with the label being sufficiently stable to permit archival storage of the labeled sample for later hybridization or analysis.

Methods of in situ hybridization

A method for enriching rare cell populations from a whole blood sample by separating rare cell fractions from whole blood sample according to the relative charge density and/or the relative binding affinity for a leukocyte depletion solid phase matrix is described. The enrichment method may be operated stand alone, or as a pre or post-processing step in conjunction with a charge-flow separation method.

System and method for enrichment of rare cell population from whole

A charge-flow separation apparatus (CFS) for enriching rare cell populations, particularly fetal cells, from a whole blood sample by separating the rare cell fractions from whole fractions according to the relative-charge density and/or the relative binding affinity for a leukocyte depletion solid phase matrix is described. The apparatus having an internal cooling system allows for dissipating heat generated by the electric field of the apparatus. The internal cooling system, consisting of a plurality of cooling tubes to circulate coolant material, prevents cellular degradation typically associated with the high heat generated by the electric field and permits the use of a higher voltage gradient to shorten separation times.

Apparatus for separation of nucleated blood cells from a blood sample

A method for enriching rare cell populations from a whole blood sample by separating rare cell fractions from whole according to the relative charge density and/or the relative binding affinity for a leukocyte depletion solid phase matrix. The enrichment method may be operated stand alone, or as a pre or post-processing step in conjunction with a charge-flow separation method.

Method for enrichment of fetal cell population from maternal whole blood

A charge-flow separation apparatus (CFS) and method for enriching rare cell populations, particularly fetal cells, from a whole blood sample by separating the rare cell fractions from whole according to the relative charge density and/or the relative binding affinity for a leukocyte depletion solid phase matrix. The enrichment method may be operated stand alone, or as a pre- or post-processing step in conjunction with a charge-flow separation method.

Method for separation of nucleated fetal erythrocytes from maternal

An apparatus and method of continuous flow zone electrophoresis for separation of particulates or biological samples, including cells and sub-cellular components, in a separation chamber configured to enhance separation of the sample components. The peak-to-peak distance between sample components in a non-equilibrium continuous flow zone electrophoretic fractionator is amplified by selective manipulation of particle residence time within the separation chamber.

Apparatus and method for enhanced resolution continuous flow zone

A preparative scale electrical separator, which is matrix-free and may be operated in both a batch mode and a continuous, flow-through mode is provided. It may be scaled according to the solution quantities which are to be processed. An internal cooling system whereby the process fluid is always in close proximity to a chilled surface assures an efficient heat dissipation during the separation and concentration processes and also allows the use of higher voltage gradients and shorter separation times than prior designs of electrophoretic separators. Electroosmotic and convective mixing is reduced by providing internal, compartmentation of sample fractions, focusing is improved and focusing times are decreased. A counter-flow gradient focusing method using the electrophoretic separator allows for separation of cells from human or animal blood and tissues, cells from plants, bacteria and viruses. The counter-flow gradient focusing method employs both a counter-flow in a direction opposite from the electromobility of the charged components and a flow gradient resulting from the withdrawal of a fractional flow unit from each subcompartment in the apparatus.

Electrical separator apparatus and method of counterflow gradient

A preparative scale multi-mode electrical separator, which is matrix-free and may be operated in both a batch mode and a continuous, flow-through mode is provided. It may be scaled according to the solution quantities which are to be processed. An internal cooling system whereby the process fluid is always in close proximity to a chilled surface assures an efficient heat dissipation during the separation and concentration processes and also allows the use of higher voltage gradients and shorter separation times than prior designs of electrophoretic separators. Electroosmotic mixing is reduced by providing internal, compartmentation of sample fractions, focusing is improved and focusing times are decreased. Different electrophoretic methods, including zone electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, counterflow gradient focusing or electrodialysis, may be used with the separator. It may be applied to the purification of proteins, ions, and microorganisms, and for water purification.

Multi-modality electrical separator apparatus and method

This invention teaches a computerized method for use in data acquisition and manipulation of two-dimensional patterns in the fields of medicine, astronomy, chemistry, biology and biotechnology. The invention teaches an interactive computerized method for matching visual patterns of polypeptide spots in two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoretogram solubilized into polypeptide constituents that are separated by electrophoresis. The computerized method manipulates spot pixel coordinates using staged coordinate transformation techniques on spot markers and unknown study spots to reduce gel preparation distortions and allows a user to produce matching results in a manner that compares the transformed spot data using either a single reference gel or multiple reference gels approach for producing the matching results. The method also includes a spot matching verification step and a step to extract potentially mis-matched spots from reported matching results. The user can also resolve contradictions and perform spot matching analysis using isoelectric focusing (PI), and molecular weight (MW) dimensional separation data.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

David W Sammons