Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Western Digital Corporation

Tecan Trading Ag

Caliper Technologies Corporation

Caliper Life Sciences, Inc.

Qincar Corporation

Michael J Kennedy

Anne R Kopf-Sill

Andrea W Chow

Colin B Kennedy

Michael A Spaid

Morten Juel Jensen

Peter C Jann

Roger W Accurso

Ronald J Shanafelter

Ajay Gupta

Martin John McCaslin

Jiong Wu

Mahmoud Janbakhsh

Svitlana Y Berezhna

Richard G Kendall

Daryl Wong

Werner Hälg

Alexander A Gefter

Trevor David Shields

Robert John Fahey

Beat Bolli

James K Benning

Anthony Donetz

Mark G Dube

Marty McCaslin

Keith Mayberry

James A Janik

Adrian O'Connor

Ralph D Jansen

Gerard Doherty

John Greene

Jorge Haro

Torleif Ove Björnson

Werner HÄLG

Torleif Björnson

A rotary valve comprises a stator member with a stator face, the stator member having at least two stator channels for conducting a fluid and opening into the stator face; a rotor member with a rotor face facing and in contact with the stator face, the rotor member having a rotor channel in the rotor face, wherein the rotor member is rotatable with respect to the stator member about a rotation axis, such that in a conducting position, the rotor channel interconnects the at least two stator channels to be in fluid communication; and a rotary encoder assembly adapted for determining a rotary position of the rotor member, the rotary encoder assembly comprising an encoder member and an encoder module, which is adapted to sense a rotary position of the encoder member. The encoder member is rigidly connected to the rotor member and surrounds the rotor member.

Rotary valve with encoder on rotor

A rotary valve includes a stator member with a planar stator face, the stator member having a plurality of stator channels for conducting a fluid; and a rotor member with a planar rotor face facing and in contact with the stator face, the rotor member having a rotor channel; wherein the rotor member is rotatable with respect to the stator member about a rotation axis, such that in a conducting position, the rotor channel interconnects two of the stator channels and the two stator channels are in fluid communication; wherein at least one of the stator channels has a transverse channel section opening into the stator face and running transversely with respect to the rotation axis; wherein the rotor channel has a bottom, which at an intersection end of the rotor channel is inclined with respect to the rotation axis, such that the rotor channel elongates an inner surface of the stator channel, when the rotor member is in the conducting position.

Rotary valve with reduced flushing time

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems and methods. According to certain embodiments, provided is an integrated analysis system that includes a first module including a sample analysis component and a first internal container conveyor system. The integrated analysis system further includes a second module including a second internal container conveyor system. The first and second modules are positioned adjacent each other such that the first and second internal container conveyor systems are aligned and adapted to transport containers from the first module to the second module. Also provided are methods of analyzing and preparing samples (e.g., blood and body fluid samples), as well as components that find use within the analysis systems of the present disclosure.

Systems and methods for automated analysis

Slide caddy

Smear tape cartridge

Print tape cartridge

Methods and apparatuses for priming sample substrates such as DNA sipper chips are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a priming system that is suitable for priming a substrate which has a plurality of wells and at least one channel includes a base unit and a top unit. The base unit is arranged to accommodate, or support, the substrate. The top unit, which is substantially physically separate from the base unit, fits over the substrate when the substrate is held by the base unit. The top unit includes an adapter portion that interfaces with the substrate. Included in the adapter portion is a first cavity that is used to facilitate pressurizing a first well of the substrate when the adapter portion is interfaced with the substrate such that the first cavity is aligned with the first well.

Priming module for microfluidic chips

Analytical systems and methods that use a modular interface structure for providing an interface between a sample substrate and an analytical unit, where the analytical unit typically has a particular interface arrangement for implementing various analytical and control functions. Using a number of variants for each module of the modular interface structure advantageously provides cost effective and efficient ways to perform numerous tests using a particular substrate or class of substrates with a particular analytical and control systems interface arrangement. Improved optical illumination and detection system for simultaneously analyzing reactions or conditions in multiple parallel microchannels are also provided. Increased throughput and improved emissions detection is provided by the present invention by simultaneously illuminating multiple parallel microchannels at a non-normal incidence using an excitation beam including multiple excitation frequencies, and simultaneously detecting emissions from the substances in the microchannels in a direction normal to the substrate using a detection module with multiple detectors.

Ultra high throughput microfluidic analytical systems and methods

A servo track writer for a head disk assembly and a method of making the head disk assembly using the servo track writer are disclosed. The head disk assembly includes an enclosure having an opening and a base and an actuator arm coupled to the base and having a servo writer positioning arm facing surface. The servo track writer includes a platform for supporting the head disk assembly. The platform includes a base portion, a column extending substantially perpendicular to the base portion, and an elongated servo writer positioning arm for protruding through the opening and supported by the column. The positioning arm includes a main body, a tip having an actuator arm facing surface for abutting the positioning arm facing surface, and a vibration damper positioned between the main body and the tip. The vibration damper damps vibrations induced in the actuator arm by dissipating energy transferred between the platform and the actuator arm.

Servo track writer having a servo writer positioning arm with a

A head disk assembly (HDA) for a hard disk drive includes vibration damping structure. The HDA also includes an enclosure, a disk, a pivot bearing cartridge, and a head stack assembly (HSA). The enclosure includes a base that preferably includes integral side walls. The disk has a recording surface that has an annular landing zone. The pivot bearing cartridge includes a shaft fixed to the enclosure, and the head stack assembly is connected to the pivot bearing cartridge for rotation relative to the shaft. The HSA includes a head supported to be moved radially relative to the recording surface and to be brought to rest at a position in the landing zone. The base has a plurality of interior-facing surfaces including a major interior-facing surface parallel to the recording surface. Significantly, one of the interior-facing surfaces of the base serves as a bearing surface against which the vibration damping structure is compressed. The HDA also includes a unitary crash stop member and magnetic engaging structure. The unitary crash stop member has a mounting portion, a latch-supporting cantilevered arm extending parallel to the major interior surface, and a latch-supporting post supported by the latch-supporting cantilevered arm. The magnetic engaging structure is supported by the latch-supporting post, and includes an engaging end oriented to abut a plane perpendicular to the major interior-facing surface. The HSA also includes a tang having a tang surface for abutting the engaging end to provide an inner crash stop and latch. The HDA also includes structure for affixing the unitary crash stop member to the base such that a portion of the unitary crash stop member abuts the vibration damping means and compresses it against the bearing surface.

Head disk assembly with actuator latch vibration damper

A U-shaped sensor bracket for use in a magnetic tape cartridge drive is provided with resilient retaining members for holding sensors used in detecting end and beginning of tape holes in a tape and for sensing the condition of write protect apparatus in a tape cartridge.

Sensor bracket for magnetic tape cartridge drive

Growing community of inventors

Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Michael J Kennedy