International Dispensing Corporation

Union Scientific Corporation

Other

Orchid Biosciences, Inc.

Mitchell A Friedman

Michael T Boyce-Jacino

Stanley John Konopka

Yu-Hui Rogers

Shane Anthony Crabtree

Disclosed herein are a device and method for the easy removal of selected individual wells, selected groups/strips of wells, or all strips of wells quickly and safely from a well strip plate. A well strip extractor press may include a manually pivotable well strip plate carrier having an open bottom, and an adjustable well strip extractor assembly having multiple press arms positioned to engage the bottom of a well strip plate positioned in the well strip plate carrier. A user may manually position a selection of press arms to align with those well strips that the user wishes to remove from the well strip plate. The user may lower the plate carrier into a frame assembly that pivotably mounts the press arms, causing the selected well strips that are to be dislodged from the well strip plate to engage individual extractor pins on the selected press arms, in turn causing those extractor pins to push the bottom portions of the selected well strips upward so as to at least partially dislodge from their seating within the strip well plate. Thereafter, a user may slide the strip well plate out from the plate carrier and remove the selected well strips from the well strip plate with ease.

Well strip extractor press and method

A breath collection apparatus is provided that includes a facemask to cover the nose and mouth of a patient to direct the breath into a collection bag or collection vial. A valve assembly containing a flexible valve member is provided between the facemask and the collection container to direct a breath sample to the collection container while permitting fresh air to enter the facemask upon inhalation. Between the valve assembly and the collection container is a collection container attachment fitting for engaging the valve assembly with the collection container. The collection container attachment fitting can be a two-piece fitting designed to accommodate a flexible bladder used to accumulate multiple breath samples for subsequent delivery to the collection container.

Infant breath collector

A blending pump assembly for accurately maintaining the proper ratio of two fluid components. Flow of a first fluid is utilized to drive a fluid motor, which in turn drives a pumping mechanism to inject a proportional amount of a second fluid into the flow of the first fluid. The fluid motor and pump are sized so that a predetermined ratio between the two fluids is maintained regardless of changes in pressure and flow rate of such first fluid.

Blending pump assembly

Disclosed is a linear shaker apparatus capable of effectively mixing a wide variety of large volume liquid samples that provides a near linear mixing motion so as to allow for the easy break up of solids suspended in the fluid sample. The longer shaking distances and slower operating speeds employed by the linear shaker described herein, which resembles the motion a scientist or lab technician might employ when shaking such a vial by hand, does not lend itself to the electromagnetic technique employed in various prior art shakers. The linear shaker described herein employs an electric motor and linkage that allows varying the speed and stroke of the mixing operation to accommodate different laboratory protocols.

Linear specimen shaker

A method of mixing fluid samples using an electromagnetic multidirectional shaker is provided. The shaker has a first electromagnet driving a first support panel in a first direction, and a second electromagnet driving a second support panel in a second direction. The first electromagnet is affixed to a base and is operatively attached to the first support panel which is suspended from the base via one or more first spring members. The first spring members are configured to bias the first support panel to an at-rest position after it has been displaced by the first electromagnet. The second support panel is in turn supported above the first support panel by one or more second spring members. The second electromagnet is affixed to the first support panel, and is operatively attached to the second support panel. The second spring members are configured to bias the second support panel to an at-rest position after it has been displaced by the second electromagnet.

Multidirectional mixing of fluid samples

A dispensing valve for fluids is disclosed which provides for ease of use by requiring only a minimal force exerted on the valve actuator to maintain the valve in an open position. A resilient valve actuator having the characteristics of a nonlinear spring is provided at an actuator end of the valve body and operatively connected to a plunger; with the opposite end of the plunger mounting a resilient valve seal that serves to pen and close a plurality of port openings. The valve may be manufactured with a variety of port configurations to provide for the dispensing of fluids of varying viscosities. The valve body and actuator are formed to allow the dispensing valve to be sterilized through high levels of radiation and through high temperature steam and chemical sterilization processes without degrading the valve structure or operation.

Dispensing valve for fluids

Disclosed is a fluid dispensing system for precisely controlling the mixing of a first fluid (i.e., a diluent such as water) with a second fluid (i.e., a concentrate) at a mixing point within the fluid dispensing system. A valve is positioned in the dispensing system along the line of supply of the second fluid upstream of the mixing point, such valve being simultaneously actuated through application of positive and/or negative pressure to allow the second fluid to flow through the valve. The application of positive and/or negative pressure is generated from the first fluid to be dispensed by the system and mixed with the second, such that the termination of flow of the first fluid immediately terminates flow of the second fluid to ensure proper mixing of the two fluids in the final solution, thus preventing inadvertent leakage of the second fluid or collection of the second fluid within the flow system which may become subject to spoilage or contamination.

Fluid dispensing system and dual-mode, system fluid actuated valve for use therein

A portion control dispensing apparatus for dispensing precise portions of a product in a tightly controlled manner that minimizes waste caused by residual product left undispensed in a container. The device provides a dispenser for fluid products stored in a flexible container, enabling a portion control pump combined with an extrusion apparatus to squeeze the flexible container, thus continuously directing all remaining product in the container towards the dispensing end. A portion control pump removes product from the container by peristaltic action. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprises a frame with an upwardly spring biased carriage configured to removably hold a flexible container that holds product to be dispensed. A pair of rollers is preferably situated at the top of the frame and is positioned such that the carriage will pull the flexible container upward between the rollers as product is dispensed from the container.

Portion control dispenser

An electromagnetic vibratory microplate shaker is disclosed of simplified design and improved mixing capability over previously known microplate shaker devices, comprising an electromagnetic drive assembly mounted within a rigid base and operatively connected to a microplate support platform. The support platform is in turn supported by a plurality of horizontally arrayed leaf springs. During operation, an electromagnet is rapidly energized and de-energized causing an armature of the drive assembly to be pulled in and released up to 7,200 times per minute, in turn imparting a vertical reciprocating vibration to the support platform and the microplates or multi-tube racks held thereon. Means are provided for adjusting the amplitude of the vibration as necessary to enable the entire volume of liquid within each microplate well or tube to be vertically displaced within the well or tube during each vibration cycle, thus ensuring thorough mixing of the contents of each microplate well or tube irrespective of its diameter, while keeping suspended solids truly suspended during the mixing cycle. Also provided is a static indicia of amplitude of vibration fixedly mounted on the support platform to enable the user to determine the optimal vibrational amplitude to use for a particular series of microplates or multi-tube racks being vibrated.

Vertical electromagnetic shaker for biological and chemical specimens

An electromagnetic vibratory microplate shaker is disclosed of simplified design and improved mixing capability over previously known microplate shaker devices, comprising an electromagnetic drive assembly mounted within a rigid base and operatively connected to a microplate support tray. The support tray is in turn supported from below by a plurality of leaf springs which are tilted approximately 20&deg; from vertical. During operation, an electromagnet is rapidly energized and de-energized causing an armature of the drive assembly to be pulled in and released up to 7,200 times per minute, in turn imparting a reciprocating vibration to the support platform and the microplates held thereon. Such a vibration causes eddy currents to be created within the individual microplate wells which have both horizontal and vertical components, thus ensuring thorough mixing of the contents of each microplate well irrespective of the diameter of the well, while keeping suspended solids truly suspended during the mixing cycle.

Electromagnetic vibratory microplate shaker

A dispensing valve is disclosed which requires only a minimal force exerted on the valve actuator to maintain the valve in an open position. A resilient valve actuator having the characteristics of a nonlinear spring is provided at an actuator end of the valve body and operatively connected to a plunger, with the opposite end of the plunger mounting a resilient valve seal which serves to open and close a plurality of port openings. The valve is configured so as to allow it to be sterilized through high levels of radiation and through high temperature steam and chemical sterilization processes without degrading the valve structure or operation.

A microplate cover seal applicator comprising a downwardly spring-biased roller mounted in a pivotal arm which pivots the roller into and out of operative contact with the top face of a microplate. The lower face of the microplate is seated in a well formed in a horizontally moveable platen which is supported on a table-top frame. The platen is manipulated by a rotary handle to repetitively translate the platen in a horizontal forwards and back direction. Suction cups are provided at the base of the frame for temporarily affixing the frame to a work surface, such as a table top surface.

Microplate cover seal applicator

The invention concerns an apparatus for printing arrays of molecules and methods for printing these arrays. More particularly, the invention relates to a gene pen apparatus that may be used for delivering arrays of oligonucleotides on solid supports from a multiplicity of reagent reservoirs through flow controlling means. The flow controlling means may for example, be either a pin valve means or a wicking means.

Growing community of inventors

Randallstown, MD, United States of America

Mitchell A Friedman