Becton Dickinson and Company Limited

Itek Graphix Corp.

Other

Donald E Gorelick

Mark A Talmer

Dwight Livingston

Robert L Campbell

Spencer Lovette

Thomas D Haubert

Tong Zhou

James A Prescott

Timothy Roy Hansen

Michael L Marshall

Gregory S Kramer

M Scott Ulrich

Kevin Bailey

Artis R Lockhart

Gerard J Sevigny

Andrea Liebmann-Vinson

Randy J Somerville

Kevin G Dolan

Ernie Ritchey

Jack Kessler

Scott N Danhof

Jack H Kessler

Ammon David Lentz

Peter R Ebner

Michael Justin Lizzi

Scott Nicholas Danhof

Andre Scherz

Wendy Dale Woodley

Christopher M Embres

Miroslaw Bartkowiak

Melody M H Kuroda

Adam C Curry

Kristin Weidemaier

Eric Fallows

David S Sebba

Erin Gooch Carruthers

John H Shaw

Emanual C Ebner, Jr

John M Rockstroh

Jeffrey S Ojala

John G Miller

Melody Mh Kuroda

David S Sebra

Eric A Fallows

Melody MH Kuroda

Provided herein are methods, systems, and devices for detecting and/or identifying one or more specific microorganisms in a culture sample. Indicator particles, such as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active nanoparticles, each having associated therewith one or more specific binding members having an affinity for the one or more microorganisms of interest, can form a complex with specific microorganisms in the culture sample. Further, agitating magnetic capture particles also having associated therewith one or more specific binding members having an affinity for the one or more microorganisms of interest can be used to capture the microorganism-indicator particle complex and concentrate the complex in a localized area of an assay vessel for subsequent detection and identification. The complex can be dispersed, pelleted, and redispersed so that the culture sample can be retested a number of times during incubation so as to allow for real-time monitoring of the culture sample.

Methods, systems, and devices for detecting and identifying microorganisms in microbiological culture samples

A system for automatically processing a biological specimen is provided that includes an elevator comprising a plurality of shelves configured to receive a plurality of sample trays. The trays may comprise a plurality of sample containers containing a sample and having a plurality of respective caps engaged therewith. The trays may further include a plurality of centrifuge tube racks each containing a plurality of centrifuge tubes. The system may include a first transport mechanism, a second transport mechanism and a third transport mechanism. The system may include a chain-of-custody device configured to read identifiers on each of the containers. The system may also include a pipetting device configured to remove a portion from the sample containers and dispense the sample into the centrifuge tubes.

System and method for automated sample preparation

In a phototypesetter, an array of light emitting diodes is energized in synchronization with an associated staggered array of fiber optic filaments. The array of filaments is slanted relative to the direction of movement, and type may be set in both forward and reverse directions. Type font data is stored in a compressed form in a first microprocessor subsystem. That compressed data is expanded in real time for each character in a high speed microprocessor subsystem. Character image data in the form of character contours is written into alternating RAM groups. The contour data is then read from the RAM groups on a slice basis and color data is generated. The alternate RAM groups allow for proper coloring of overlapping character images. The expanded data is then handled by a logic unit to allow for the staggered fiber optic filaments and for the slant of the fiber optic filament head in both forward and reverse directions. The data bits for each slice of type is divided into odd and even bytes which are in turn written into and read from a random access memory in a sequence determined by a programmable read only memory. Memory control bits in the high speed subsystem are obtained directly from a microinstruction memory.

Electronic control of imaging system

In a flexible, fiber optic belt 16 for the coherent transmission of light from an LED light source 22 a planar array of fiber optic filaments 34 extend along the length of the belt 16 and are positioned by transverse elements 79 along the major neutral plane of the belt. The fiber optic belt 16 is restrained to movement only in the direction normal to the major neutral plane by means of one or more rigid flat strips 25 parallel to the major neutral plane and the light source 22 is thermoelectrically cooled to improve the availability of light supplied by the diodes. In a method for producing the fiber optic cable, transverse positioning elements 79 are layered on a cable mold 56, one or more fiber optic filaments 34 are placed upon the transverse positioning elements 79. Fiber optic filaments 34 are pressed onto an adhesive layer adjacent to the LED's 48 and bonded by the melting of the adhesive. The fiber optic filaments 37 and transverse positioning elements 79 are later encapsulated in a molded flexible belt 16. An automated fiber optic cable producer is characterized by an elongated fiber optic mold 56, an emitter array 180 fixed to that mold, and a fiber feed mechanism mounted on a fiber carrier 94 for movement relative to the fiber optic cable mold 56. The carrier 94 is used for bonding the end of a fiber optic filament 34 on an emitter 48 in the emitter array 180 and routing the filament along the mold 56 to a transmitting head 26.

Optical fiber cable producer and method of bonding optical fibers to

A novel device for automatically deflating a blood pressure cuff with a standard two way valve is disclosed. An adjustable deflation rate consistent with normally accepted medical practice of two or three millimeters per heartbeat may be maintained. A two state valve and associated control circuitry for maintaining a constant deflation rate are described. This allows accurate sensing of Korotkoff sounds at different pressure levels.

Blood pressure cuff automatic deflation device

Growing community of inventors

Nashua, NH, United States of America

Donald E Gorelick