Ia, Inc.

Other

Kms Fusion, Inc.

Accumed Radial Systems, LLC

University of Louisville Research Foundation

James G Downward, Iv

Judith Louise Erb

John R Erb-Downward

Nallaperumal Chidambaram

Joseph R Korotko

Theodore B Ladewski

Mauricio Gabriel Cohen

James Patrick Ryan

Charles D Lysogorski

Paul G Gottschalk

Garland E Busch

Otho Ulrich

Garland F Busch

James L Witliff

James L Wittliff

The apparatus and method for hemostasis that informs the provider as to whether the appropriate magnitude of pressure is being applied to a puncture site on a patient. A visual pulse indicator can visually convey whether or not there is proper blood flow at the puncture site based on the pulsing motion encountered by the visual pulse indicator on the puncture site. The visual pulse indicator can potentially factor in a variety of different input parameters in displaying information that is useful to providers.

Hemostasis apparatus and method

There is provided an apparatus for screening pharmacological agents for agents which induce regression of cancer. The apparatus includes an evanescent sensing device, at least one sensor having affixed to its surface molecules of a first type, which have affinity for molecules of a biological receptor, the surface molecule and receptor molecule combination having the effect that, in vivo, the binding affects the rate of transcription of gene products, and a molecular tag wherein the molecular tag is bound to the sensor wherein the binding between molecules of the first type and molecules the biological receptor cause the tag to produce a alteration in signal recorded by the evanescent sensing device, the tag also being bound to molecules of a second type, the molecules of the second type having affinity for the receptor molecules. Also provided is a method for screening pharmacological agents to determine agents which induce regression of cancer by contacting extract from a tumor tissue biopsy with a molecular tag, thereby causing the tag to bind to receptor molecules present in the tumor tissue biopsy, flowing the tag sample extract through a sensor, as set forth above, and recording the time course of signal observed by the evanescent sensing device, introducing pharmacological agents to be accessed to the tag sample extract, flowing the tag sample extract through the sensor again and recoding the time course of signal observed by the evanescent sensing device, and using the data to evaluate the impact of the pharmacological agents on the rate of transcription of gene products.

Method and apparatus for measurement of the effect of test compounds on signal transduction at the level of biological receptors

A testing apparatus having an absorbent matrix , including a membrane which contains a plurality of counter-ions Chromionophore (or fluorionophore)s and affinophores compete to carry ions into the membrane and neutralize the charge of the counter-ions Biological recognition molecules bind to a portion of the affinophores and prevent them from entering the membrane thereby allowing more chromionophore (or fluorionophore)s to enter the membrane The portion of affinophores bound to the biological recognition molecules is inversely proportional to the amount or concentration of analyte occurring within the solution or medium The result of this is that the color of the membrane-covered matrix changes in a manner related to the concentration of the analyte. One application of this apparatus is a strip test for prediction of ovulation.

Immunologically based strip test utilizing ionophore membranes

A testing apparatus,having an absorbent matrix,including a membrane,which contains a plurality of counter-ions,Chromionophore (or fluorionophore)s,and affinophores,compete to carry ions into the membrane,and neutralize the charge of the counter-ions,Biological recognition molecules,bind to a portion of the affinophores,and prevent them from entering the membrane,thereby allowing more chromionophore (or fluorionophore)s,to enter the membrane,The portion of affinophores,bound to the biological recognition molecules,is inversely proportional to the amount or concentration of analyte,occurring within the solution or medium,The result of this is that the color of the membrane-covered matrix changes in a manner related to the concentration of the analyte. One application of this apparatus is a strip test for prediction of ovulation.

A method and apparatus for measuring binding between a plurality of molecules of a biological receptor protein and a plurality of molecules of a type which binds to said biological receptor is presented. Apparatus utilizes a sensor possessing a waveguide to which have been attached in close proximity to its surface, features resembling molecules having binding affinity for said biological receptor. Light is injected into said waveguide so as to produce an evanescent field at its surface. Molecules of receptor protein are tagged with a tag belonging to that class of chemicals which alters a characteristic of light, when said light passes through said chemical tag. Apparatus utilizes a rapid means of monitoring the change in optical signal coming from the waveguide as binding proceeds between tagged receptor protein and the binding molecular feature of the waveguide. This allows direct measurement of binding and dissociation rates between the receptor and the binding feature of the waveguide. By using a waveguide having a feature resembling a ligand for the receptor, the potential hormonal activity of a test substance may be evaluated from its ability to compete with the waveguide for binding with the receptor. The effect of a test compound on binding of receptor protein to a subsequent element in a hormonal signal transduction mechanism is evaluated by measuring the impact of the test compound on binding between receptor protein and a feature resembling said next element of the signal transduction mechanism. Methods are provided whereby such data may be used to compute affinity constants, binding activity, complex affinity constants resulting from cooperativity, and kinetic parameters for the receptor and test ligand and for the receptor and the next element of the signal transduction mechanism. Preferred embodiments of the invention illustrate application of the method and apparatus to measuring binding between biological receptors and their nuclear response elements, and the use of this type of measurement for assessment of the activity of estrogen mimics present in a test sample, and for evaluation of pharmaceuticals intended to treat hormone dependent cancers.

A method and apparatus for measuring binding between a plurality of molecules of a first type and a plurality of molecules of a second type is presented. Apparatus utilizes a sensor possessing a waveguide to which have been attached in close proximity to its surface, features resembling molecules of said first type. Light is injected into said waveguide so as to produce an evanescent field at its surface. Molecules of said second type are tagged with a tag belonging to that class of chemicals which alters a characteristic of light, when said light passes through said chemical tag. Apparatus utilizes a rapid means of monitoring the change in optical signal coming from said waveguide as binding proceeds between tagged molecules of type 2 and the feature resembling molecules of type 1 on said waveguide. This allows direct measurement of binding and dissociation rates between the two types of molecules. Methods are provided whereby such data may be used to compute affinity constants, binding activity, complex affinity constants resulting from cooperativity, and kinetic parameters for the molecular pair. Preferred embodiments of the invention illustrate application of the method and apparatus to measuring binding between biological receptors and their nuclear response elements, and the use of this type of measurement for assessment of the activity of hormonal mimics present in a sample, for evaluation of pharmaceuticals intended to treat hormone dependent cancers, and for evaluation of tissue biopsy samples to detect mutant forms of the p53 protein.

Method and apparatus for measurement of binding between a protein and a nucleotide

A testing apparatus 10 having an absorbent matrix 12, including a membrane 14 which contains a plurality of counter-ions 16. Chromoionophore (or fluorionophore)s 18 and affinophores 22 compete to carry ions into the membrane 14 and neutralize the charge of the counter-ions 16. Biological recognition molecules 42 bind to a portion of the affinophores 22 and prevent them from entering the membrane 14, thereby allowing more chromoionophore (or fluorionophore)s 18 to enter the membrane 14. The portion of affinophores 22 bound to the biological recognition molecules 42 is inversely proportional to the amount or concentration of analyte 40 occurring within the solution or medium 30. The result of this is that the color of the membrane-covered matrix changes in a manner related to the concentration of the analyte. One application of this apparatus is a strip test for prediction of ovulation.

A biological sensor 10 having a beam/light shaper 30 which is adapted to inject light into the sensor at substantially the critical angle with respect to the side surface of the sensor. The sensor 10, of the preferred embodiment of the invention, further may undergo a surface treatment which reduces/eliminates non-specific binding to the sensor surface and a treatment process to reduce light energy losses occurring by mounting and/or inserting the fiber portion of the sensor into the medium of interest. Both the light injection and surface treatment methodologies have utility apart from the biological immunoassay sensor embodiment described and claimed in this Application and may be independently applied to a biological sensor.

Surface treatment and light injection method and apparatus

A method and system for gauging deviations of a surface of a test part from a preselected nominal surface profile is disclosed. The system includes a support having a master surface that is substantially a matched or mating surface of the nominal surface profile of the test part and a thin layer of an attenuating medium such as a dye liquid between the master and test surfaces. Electromagnetic radiation is directed through the support and master surface and through the attenuating layer onto the reflective surface of the test part. An image sensor such as a camera is positioned to receive an image of the radiation reflected by the test part surface back through the attenuating layer and support, with the intensity of such radiation across the image varying as a function of the deviation of the test part surface from the nominal surface profile. The sensor output is digitized to form a series of digital signals indicative of the intensity of radiation associated with each location of the reflected image, and the digitized pixel signals are stored in digital electronic memory and/or displayed on a screen. Computer programming corrects the digitized intensity signals for sensor gain, bias and variations in part reflectivity, and presents a quantitative measurement of the deviations in test surface profile from the master surface profile over the entire surface being measured.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

James G Downward, Iv