Active Impulse Systems, Inc.

Millipore Corporation

Perseptive Biosystems Inc.

Gpb Scientific, LLC

US Genomics, Inc.

The General Hospital Corporation

Verinata Health, Inc.

Other

Advandx, Inc.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Philips Electronics North America Corporation

Waters Investments Limited

Pathogenetix, Inc.

Martin Fuchs

John A Rogers

Matthew J Banet

Keith Adam Nelson

Mehmet Toner

Ravi Kapur

Eugene Y Chan

Zihua Wang

Michael Merion

John Hanselman

John L Harris

William W Carson

Fred E Regnier

Daniel D Shoemaker

Jeffrey D Randall

Dieter R Schmalzing

Michelle C Meltzer

Xiaojian (David) Zhao

Bijit Kundu

Jessica Kesty

Wassim A Nashabeh

Rudolf Gilmanshin

William R Jones

Steven R Gullans

Michael A Joffe

Lance B Koutny

Timothy F Crimmins

Jenny Ellen Rooke

Xian-Wei Yao

Todd A Taylor

Matt John Banet

Yung-Fong Cheng

Alexei Maznev

Mark Nadel

Dirk T Broeck

Lance Bryant Koutny

Melissa K Deck

Wassim Nashabeh

Dieter Schmalzing

Ray Meyer

Steve R Gullans

Ray Meyers

Ying-Xin Wang

Yi-Shuian Huang

Neil X Krueger

Roland Stoughton

Ronald W Davies

The present invention relates to methods for detecting, enriching, and analyzing rare cells that are present in the blood, e.g. fetal cells. The invention further features methods of analyzing rare cell(s) to determine the presence of an abnormality, disease or condition in a subject, e.g. a fetus by analyzing a cellular sample from the subject.

Methods for the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities

This invention pertains to devices, compositions and methods that can be used for the rapid determination of microorganisms, cells and other analytes of interest (e.g. a nucleic acid target) as well as associated properties of said microorganisms, cells and analytes. For example, said devices, compositions and/or methods can be applied to the determination of a trait of a microorganism present in a sample. Said devices, compositions and methods utilize matrix-forming prolonged-dissolution hydrophilic polymer to encapsulate hybridization probes and optionally other assay reagents within two or more reagent zones and/or matrix zones disposed on the surface of a substrate. Each reagent zone and/or matrix zone can be designed as a separate assay. Thus, a plurality of assays can be performed on a single substrate. In some embodiments, devices can be supplied in a form ready for a customer to rapidly perform one or a plurality of assays.

Devices, compositions and methods pertaining to microscopic analysis of microorganisms and other analytes of interest

The present invention features methods for selective lysis of endogenous cells in a biological sample. In preferred embodiments, the methods of the invention comprise contacting the biological sample with lysis solution, and subjecting the mixture to ultrasound, thereby selectively lysing the endogenous cells in the biological sample. The invention also features a lysis solution comprising Saponin and Proteinase.

Selective ultrasonic lysis of blood and other biological fluids and tissues

The invention features devices and methods for detecting, enriching, and analyzing circulating tumor cells and other particles. The invention further features methods of diagnosing a condition, e.g., cancer, in a subject by analyzing a cellular sample from the subject.

Devices and methods for enrichment and alteration of circulating tumor cells and other particles

The invention provides methods and systems for improved spatial resolution of signal detection, particularly as applied to the analysis of polymers such as biological polymers. Some of the methods and systems comprise differentially tagging polymers in order to increase resolution. Some of the methods and systems comprise techniques for improving the precision of separation distance measurements, without necessarily requiring improvements in the known detection resolution of prior art systems.

High resolution linear analysis of polymers

A detection system and methods for improving the ability of the detection system to recognize labels that are disposed on a polymer. Embodiments of the invention include schemes for selecting emitters and labels used within the system in a manner that allows an increase in the number of distinct labels that can be used together in a system. In other embodiments, the detection system and methods are directed to identifying portions of a detection signal that may be associated with extra labels residing within a detection zone. In other embodiments, the detection system and methods relate to using wide field imaging detectors while reducing out of focus noise contributions to detection signals of the system. Still, other embodiments relate to the use of linear array detectors to detect labels.

Systems and methods for detecting and analyzing polymers

The invention relates to methods for analyzing and characterizing single polymers such as nucleic acid molecules. In preferred embodiments, the single molecules are analyzed using single molecule detection and analysis systems.

Methods and apparati using single polymer analysis

The invention provides both a method and apparatus that measures a property of a structure that includes at least one layer. The apparatus features a laser (e.g., a microchip laser, described below) that generates an optical pulse, and a diffractive mask that receives the optical pulse and diffracts it to generate at least two excitation pulses. An optical system, (e.g., an achromat lens pair) receives the optical pulses and spatially and temporally overlaps them on or in the structure to form an excitation pattern that launches an acoustic wave. The acoustic wave modulates a property of the structure, e.g., it generates a time-dependent &ldquo;surface ripple&rdquo; or modulates an optical property such as the sample's refractive index or absorption coefficient. Surface ripple is defined as a time-dependent change in the morphology of the surface; its peak-to-null amplitude is typically a few angstroms or less. The apparatus also includes a light source that produces a probe beam that reflects off the modulated property to generate a signal beam. An optical detection system receives the reflected signal beam and in response generates a light-induced electrical signal. An analyzer analyzes the signal to measure the property of the structure.

Method and device for measuring thin films and semiconductor substrates using reflection mode geometry

A method for measuring a structure that contains overlying and underlying films in a region where the overlying film's thickness rapidly decreases until the underlying film is exposed (e.g., an edge-exclusion structure). The method includes the steps of: (1) exciting acoustic modes in a first portion of the region with at least one excitation laser beam; (2) detecting the acoustic modes with a probe laser beam that is either reflected or diffracted to generate a signal beam; (3) analyzing the signal beam to determine a property of the structure (e.g., the thickness of the overlying layer) in the first portion of the region; (4) translating the structure or the excitation and probe laser beams; and (5) repeating the exciting, detecting, and analyzing steps to determine a property of the structure in a second portion of the region.

Method and device for measuring the thickness of thin films near a sample's edge and in a damascene-type structure

A method for determining the thickness of a thin sample is described. The method includes the step of exciting time-dependent acoustic waveguide modes in the sample with an excitation radiation field. The acoustic waveguide modes are detected by diffracting probe radiation off a ripple morphology induced on the sample's surface by the acoustic waveguide modes. The diffracted probe radiation is then analyzed to measure phase velocities or frequencies of the acoustic waveguide modes. A thickness of the thin sample is determined by comparing the measured phase velocities or frequencies to the phase velocities or frequencies calculated from a mathematical model.

Method and device for measuring the thickness of opaque and transparent films

A method for measuring a structure that contains overlying and underlying films in a region where the overlying film's thickness rapidly decreases until the underlying film is exposed (e.g., an edge-exclusion structure). The method includes the steps of: (,) exciting acoustic modes in a first portion of the region with at least one excitation laser beam; (,) detecting the acoustic modes with a probe laser beam that is either reflected or diffracted to generate a signal beam; (,) analyzing the signal beam to determine a property of the structure (e.g., the thickness of the overlying layer) in the first portion of the region; (,) translating the structure or the excitation and probe laser beams; and (,) repeating the exciting, detecting, and analyzing steps to determine a property of the structure in a second portion of the region.

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Uxbridge, MA, United States of America

Martin Fuchs