Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Sgs-thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.

Marco Angelo Bianchessi

Nadia Serina

Sandro Dalle Feste

Alessandro Cocci

Marco Angelici

Francesco Ferrara

Alessandro Paolo Bramanti

Lillo Raia

Maria Eloisa Castagna

Janko Mrsic-Flogel

Fabio Osnato

Marco Cereda

Danilo Pirola

Lorenzo Bruno

Pietro Ferrari

Zorislav Sojat

Davide Cucchi

Federica Guerinoni

Derek Martin Reynolds

Stefano Sala

Davide Sanguinetti

A microfluidic group includes a female connector and a male needle connector. The female connector has a connector chamber in a containment body; a duct extending in the containment body to a duct opening on a first face of the connector chamber; a needle entry hole extending from a lateral face of the containment body to a second face, not facing the first face of the connector chamber; and a gasket arranged in the connector chamber. The gasket has a side wall internally delimiting a cavity and extending in part adjacent to the second face of the connector chamber. The cavity of the gasket faces the first face of the connector chamber.

Microfluidic connector group, microfluidic device and manufacturing process thereof, in particular for a cartridge for sample preparation and molecule analysis

A sample treatment and molecule analysis cartridge is configured to be mounted in a treatment machine vertically. The cartridge has a sample inlet opening, a fluidic inlet, and a fluidic outlet. The cartridge houses an extraction chamber extending vertically from the sample inlet opening and connected to the fluidic inlet; a waste chamber extending vertically, alongside the extraction chamber; and a collector extending along the extraction chamber and the waste chamber and having a smaller height than the extraction chamber and the waste chamber. A fluidic circuit connects together the extraction chamber, the waste chamber, the collector, the fluidic inlet, and the fluidic outlet, and is configured to connect the fluidic outlet to vent openings of the extraction chamber, the waste chamber, and the collector, and to connect the bottom end of the extraction chamber to the fluidic inlet, the waste chamber, and the collector.

Cartridge for sample preparation and molecule analysis, cartridge control machine, sample preparation system and method using the cartridge

A method for sequencing a nucleic acid strand, comprising the steps of: providing a solution containing truncated strands having lengths different from one another terminating with a respective dideoxynucleotide from among ddATP, ddTTP, ddGTP, and ddCTP; functionalizing first masses by a donor molecule and second masses by an acceptor molecule such as to generate a light emission when they come into mutual contact; coupling a first mass to a first end of each truncated strand; coupling the second masses to a respective terminal dideoxynucleotide of each strand; applying an AC electrical field having variable frequencies that are such as to generate, on each second mass, a net movement directed towards the first mass; acquiring a plurality of light radiations for each frequency value; and associating each light radiation acquired to a respective dideoxynucleotide and, thus, to a respective nucleotide base.

Device for nucleic acid sequencing

An apparatus for nucleic acid sequencing includes: a base-detection device in a detection site, the base-detection device being configured to detect bases of a portion of a nucleic acid strand at the detection site; and a conveying device, configured to extend the nucleic acid strand and to cause the extended nucleic acid strand to slide through the detection site along a path. The base-detection device includes a plurality of field-effect nanowire detectors, arranged along the path and each including a respective nanowire and nucleic acid probes, which are defined by respective base sequences and are fixed to the respective nanowire.

Apparatus and method for nucleic acid sequencing based on nanowire detectors

An apparatus for nucleic acid sequencing includes a nanochannel and a conveying device, configured to move a nucleic acid strand through the nanochannel. The conveying device includes: a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, which are arranged along the nanochannel so as to be in contact with a fluid occupying the nanochannel, the second electrode being arranged between the first electrode and the third electrode; and a control unit configured to apply a first voltage, a second voltage, and a third voltage, respectively, to the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode, for controlling movement of the nucleic acid strand through the nanochannel.

Apparatus and method for nucleic acid sequencing based on nanochannels

A method of calibrating a temperature sensor of a chemical microreactor envisages: determining an airflow along a path in such a way as to cause a thermal exchange between the airflow and a chemical microreactor, which is provided with an on-board temperature sensor and is set along the path; and detecting a temperature in the airflow downstream of the microreactor, in conditions of thermal equilibrium.

Method of calibrating a temperature sensor of a chemical microreactor and analyzer for biochemical analyses

An analyzer for biochemical analysis includes a seat for receiving a recipient. A first light source and a second light source illuminate the recipient with a luminous radiation, respectively, in a first excitation band and in a second excitation band, including a first excitation wavelength and a second excitation wavelength of fluorophores of a first type and of a second type. A first image sensor and a second image sensor are oriented so as to receive light emitted by fluorophores contained in the recipient and are, respectively, provided with a first detection filter and a second detection filter, having, respectively, a first detection passband and a second detection passband, including, respectively, a first emission wavelength and a second emission wavelength of the fluorophores of the first type and of the second type.

Analyzer for biochemical analyses and method of determining concentrations of fluorescent substances in a solution

A microreactor includes a shell structure (), having a bottom wall () and a peripheral wall (); a layer (), accommodated in the shell structure () and having cavities () formed therein, the cavities being accessible form outside the shell structure (); reagents (), arranged between the bottom wall () and the layer (), at locations corresponding to the cavities (). The layer () is made of a meltable material that is solid at room temperature, has a melting point (T) lower than a maximum operative temperature (T) required by reactions performable through the microreactor () and is not miscible with water. The melting point (T) may be between 50&#xb0; C. and 70&#xb0; C. In one embodiment, the melting point (T) is lower than a minimum operative temperature (T) required by reactions performable through the microreactor ().

Self-sealing microreactor and method for carrying out a reaction

A pointing device for a computer system includes a displacement transducer of the pointing device, provided with: an inertial sensor, supplying acceleration signals indicative of an acceleration according to two axes of detection; and a processing unit, which, on the basis of the acceleration signals, generates velocity signals regarding the pointing device. The processing unit further includes: a state-recognition stage, for selectively recognizing a condition rest and a motion condition of the pointing device on the basis of the velocity signals; and an estimating module, controlled by the state-recognition stage for determining an estimate of stationary disturbance contained in the acceleration signals when the pointing device is in the rest condition.

Pointing device for a computer system with automatic detection of the state of motion, and a relative control method

The present invention provides methods of, computer programs for and apparatus for control and/or observation of a device with communication capabilities by a controller device with hypertext or hypermedia communication capabilities. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to methods of, computer programs for and apparatus for control and observation of a consumer electronics device with communications capability from a mobile controller device with hypertext or hypermedia communications capability over a proximity bearer.

Data communications

A digital circuit generates a phase synchronization signal for a digital input signal coded according to a biphase modulation. The phase synchronization signal is derived from a clock signal having a higher frequency than the maximum switching frequency of the digital input signal. The frequency of the clock signal is divided with a fully digital divider circuit having a non-integer ratio. The divider is self-synchronizing with the input digital signal. Control signals are used to enable or disable switching of the frequency divider. These control signals are generated by two circuits which sample the input signal with the master clock signal and analyze triplets of consecutive sampling values.

Decoding of a biphase modulated bitstream and relative self-synchronizing frequency divider with noninteger ratio

A sigma-delta modulator of second or higher order includes two or more integrating stages, and a comparator connected in cascade to the integration stages. A signal having a logic level &plus;1 is generated when an input signal to the sigma-delta modulator is positive, and a signal having a logic value &minus;1 is generated when the input signal is negative. Regardless of its absolute value, a feedback line includes a low-pass filter and an adder circuit for adding a feedback signal. The signal output by the last of the integrating stages is filtered by the low-pass filter. The sigma-delta modulator further includes a second comparator having an input connected in common to the input of the first comparator and an output connected to an input of the low-pass filter. The second comparator outputs a logic signal having a positive value when the input signal is positive, and outputs a logic signal having a negative value when the input signal is negative. The second comparator also outputs a signal having an increasing logic level when the input signal exceeds one or more predefined thresholds of increasing value.

Stabilization of single loop sigma-delta modulators of a high order

The ratio y(n) of two digital values, respectively a(n) and b(n), representing the n.sup.th elements of two respective sequences of digital input data representing two quantities slowly varying in time, is obtained by computing

Dynamic computation of the ratio between two bitstreams representing

Generation of symmetrical temperature compensated reference voltages in mixed type integrated circuits (digital and analog) having a superior PSRR is provided. Such a circuit includes a voltage-to-current conversion stage of a temperature independent bandgap voltage for producing a differential pair of currents that are applied as inputs to a pair of resistor feedback operational amplifiers. The feedback resistors are integrated in an interlaced form with a resistor employed in the conversion stage so that they have the same thermal gradient. Output of the operational amplifiers provides two temperature compensated low noise symmetrical reference voltages.

Generation of temperature compensated low noise symmetrical reference

A microphone device having input terminals for receiving an input analog signal and output terminals to produce an output digital signal. The microphone device includes a converter circuit having input terminals coupled to the input terminals of the microphone device and an output terminal coupled to the output terminals of the microphone and an output terminal coupled to the output terminals of the microphone device. The device includes an analog input interface having input terminals corresponding to the input terminals of the microphone device and first and second output terminals to produce an amplified analog voltage signal, a converter circuit having first and second input terminals corresponding respectively to the first and the second output terminals of the analog input interface and an output terminal to produce a digital voltage signal and a parallel to serial digital output interface having an input terminal corresponding to the output terminal of the converter circuit and output terminals corresponding to the output terminals of the microphone device. The converter circuit desirably includes a signal modulator circuit having an input terminal coupled to the input terminals of the converter circuit and an output terminal to produce an intermediate digital voltage signal and a signal sampler circuit having an input terminal corresponding to the output terminal of the signal modulator circuit and an output terminal corresponding to the output terminal of the converter circuit.

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Melzo, Italy

Marco Angelo Bianchessi