Becton Dickinson and Company Limited

Donald W Copertino

Richard L Moore

Song Shi

Robert W Rosenstein

Nicholas Robert Bachur, Jr

James A Garrett

Gregory Tice

Paul Ernest Goldenbaum

Thomas M Gentle, Jr

Richard Ivey

Karen Eckert

Michael L Towns

James G Nadeau

Michael Justin Lizzi

Matthew P Collis

Thomas L Fort

Zhouxin Shen

Gary Siuzdak

Elizabeth J Want

Tobin J Hellyer

Ray A McMillian

A method includes providing a container, introducing a substance into the container, and introducing a readily dissolvable film into the container such that the dissolvable film overlies the substance within the container. An alternative method includes providing a container, providing a readily dissolvable film, the film comprising a substance carried by the film, and introducing the film into the container.

Dissolvable films and methods including the same

The present invention relates to methods for pretreating biological samples for extraction of nucleic acid therefrom. The present invention employs a combination of at least one protein denaturant with one or more of the following elements to form a reaction mixture for extraction of nucleic acid: (1) at least one aprotic solvent, (2) stepwise heating, and (3) sample dilution.

Pretreatment method for extraction of nucleic acid from biological samples and kits therefor

The early prediction or diagnosis of sepsis advantageously allows for clinical intervention before the disease rapidly progresses beyond initial stages to the more severe stages, such as severe sepsis or septic shock, which are associated with high mortality. Early prediction or diagnosis is accomplished using a molecular diagnostics approach, involving comparing an individual's profile of biomarker expression to profiles obtained from one or more control, or reference, populations, which may include a population who develops sepsis. Recognition of features in the individual's biomarker profile that are characteristic of the onset of sepsis allows a clinician to diagnose the onset of sepsis from a bodily fluid isolated at the individual at a single point in time. The necessity of monitoring the patient over a period of time is, therefore, avoided, advantageously allowing clinical intervention before the onset of serious symptoms. Further, because the biomarker expression is assayed for its profile, identification of the particular biomarkers is unnecessary. The comparison of an individual's biomarker profile to biomarker profiles of appropriate reference populations likewise can be used to diagnose SIRS in the individual.

Diagnosis of sepsis or SIRS using biomarker profiles

Mass spectrometry techniques for determining the status of sepsis in an individual are provided. A biomarker profile resolved from a biological sample, taken from the individual, using a mass spectrometry technique is compared to a reference biomarker profile. A single such comparison classifies the individual as belonging to or not belonging to a reference population. The individual's biomarker profile and the reference biomarker profile comprise a plurality of ions each having a mass-to-charge ratio of about 100 Daltons to about 1000 Daltons. The plurality of ions can be detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive mode. The comparison uses a decision rule, such as a classification tree, that determines the status of sepsis in the individual without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the biomarker profile from the individual and without requiring knowledge of the identity of the biomarkers in the reference biomarker profile.

Mass spectrometry techniques for determining the status of sepsis in an individual

Method of predicting the onset of sepsis in SIRS-positive individuals using mass spectrometry

The present invention relates to methods for pretreating biological samples for extraction of nucleic acid therefrom The present invention employs a combination of at least one protein denaturant with one or more of the following elements to form a reaction mixture for extraction of nucleic acid: (1) at least one aprotic solvent, (2) stepwise heating, and (3) sample dilution.

For use in nucleic acid amplification reactions, the detector oligonucleotides of the invention comprise a target binding sequence which is at least partially the same as the target binding sequence of an amplification primer present in the target amplification reaction, so that the detector oligonucleotide and the amplification primer compete for hybridization to the same sequence in the target. Hybridization of the amplification primer to the target upstream from the detector oligonucleotide generates a nickable restriction endonuclease recognition site. When this site is nicked and strand displacement occurs from the nick, both the,&prime; end of the amplification primer and the detector oligonucleotide are displaced. The displaced detector oligonucleotide may then be detected as an indication of the presence of the target sequence, for example by unfolding of a fluorescently labeled secondary structure present in the detector oligonucleotide to reduce fluorescence quenching.

Detection of nucleic acid amplification

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Catonsville, MD, United States of America

Donald W Copertino