Qvella Corporation

Other

Jds Uniphase Corporation

Electrophotonics Corporation

Robert Maaskant

Samad Talebpour

Tino Alavie

Aye Aye Khine

Stephen Wesley Leonard

Cyrus Robert Etemad-Moghadam

Sanjesh Yasotharan

Alexander Zahn

Keith Beckley

A Tino Alavie

Frank Faqiu Liang

Nigel Copner

Shangyuan Huang

Andrew Hudson

Myo Myint Ohn

William Yang

Michael J LeBlanc

Raymond M Measures

Devices and methods are provided for electrically lysing cells and releasing macromolecules from the cells. A microfluidic device is provided that includes a planar channel having a thickness on a submillimeter scale, and including electrodes on its upper and lower inner surfaces. After filling the channel with a liquid, such that the channel contains cells within the liquid, a series of voltage pulses of alternating polarity are applied between the channel electrodes, where the amplitude of the voltage pulses and a pulse width of the voltage pulses are effective for causing irreversible electroporation of the cells. The channel is configured to possess thermal properties such that the application of the voltage produces a rapid temperature rise as a result of Joule heating for releasing the macromolecules from the electroplated cells. The channel may also include an internal filter for capturing and concentrating the cells prior to electrical processing.

Methods and devices for electrical sample preparation

Systems, methods and devices are provided for the automated centrifugal processing of samples. In some embodiments, an integrated fluidic processing cartridge is provided, in which a centrifugation chamber is fluidically interfaced, through a lateral surface thereof, with a microfluidic device, and wherein the integrated fluidic processing cartridge is configured to be inserted into a centrifuge for centrifugation. A cartridge interfacing assembly may be employed to interface with the integrated fluidic processing cartridge for performing various fluidic processing steps, such as controlling the flow of fluids into and out of the centrifugation chamber, and controlling the flow of fluids into the microfluidic device, and optionally for the further fluidic processing of fluids extracted to the microfluidic device. The integrated fluidic processing cartridge may include a supernatant chamber the extraction of a supernatant thereto, and a diluent chamber for diluting a suspension collected in the centrifugation chamber.

Apparatus, system and method for performing automated centrifugal separation

Methods and devices are provided for pretreatment of a sample containing microbial cells. In some embodiments, the pretreatment of the sample is performed via the initial selective lysis, within a sample pretreatment vessel, of non-microbial cells (such as blood cells) and the subsequent centrifugal separation of the sample to remove the resulting debris and concentrate the microbial cells. An immiscible and dense cushioning liquid may be included for collecting the microbial cells adjacent to the liquid interface formed by the cushioning liquid upon centrifugation of the pretreatment vessel. After removal of a substantial quantity of the supernatant, resuspension of the collected microbial cells, and re-establishment of the cushioning liquid interface, at least a portion of the remaining suspension may be removed without substantially removing the cushioning liquid. One or more intermediate wash cycles may be performed prior to extraction of the remaining suspension, which provides a 'pretreated' sample.

Method for pretreatment of microbial cells

The present invention provides a microfluidic devices and methods of use thereof for the concentration and capture of cells. A pulsed non Faradaic electric field is applied relative to a sample under laminar flow, which results to the concentration and capture of charged analyte. Advantageously, pulse timing is selected to avoid problems associated with ionic screening within the channel. At least one of the electrodes within the channel is coated with an insulating layer to prevent a Faradaic current from flowing in the channel. Under pulsed application of a unipolar voltage to the electrodes, charged analyte within the sample is moved towards one of the electrodes via a transient electrophoretic force.

Cell concentration, capture and lysis devices and methods of use thereof

Systems, methods and devices are provided for the automated centrifugal processing of samples. In some embodiments, an integrated fluidic processing cartridge is provided, in which a centrifugation chamber is fluidically interfaced, through a lateral surface thereof, with a microfluidic device, and wherein the integrated fluidic processing cartridge is configured to be inserted into a centrifuge for centrifugation. A cartridge interfacing assembly may be employed to interface with the integrated fluidic processing cartridge for performing various fluidic processing steps, such as controlling the flow of fluids into and out of the centrifugation chamber, and controlling the flow of fluids into the microfluidic device, and optionally for the further fluidic processing of fluids extracted to the micro-fluidic device. The integrated fluidic processing cartridge may include a supernatant chamber the extraction of a supernatant thereto, and a dilutent chamber for diluting a suspension collected in the centrifugation chamber.

Methods and devices are provided for pre-treatment of a sample containing microbial cells. In some embodiments, the pre-treatment of the sample is performed via the initial selective lysis, within a sample pre-treatment vessel, of non-microbial cells, such as blood cells, and the subsequent centrifugal separation of the sample to remove the resulting debris and concentrate the microbial cells. An immiscible and dense cushioning liquid may be included for collecting the microbial cells adjacent to the liquid interface formed by the cushioning liquid upon centrifugation of the pre-treatment vessel. After removal of a substantial quantity of the supernatant, resuspension of the collected microbial cells, and re-establishment of the cushioning liquid interface, at least a portion of the remaining suspension may be removed without substantially removing the cushioning liquid. One or more intermediate wash cycles may be performed prior to extraction of the remaining suspension, which provides a 'pretreated' sample.

Apparatus and method for extracting microbial cells

Devices and methods are provided for electrically lysing cells and releasing macromolecules from the cells. A microfluidic device is provided that includes a planar channel having a thickness on a submillimeter scale, and including electrodes on its upper and lower inner surfaces. After filling the channel with a liquid, such that the channel contains cells within the liquid, a series of voltage pulses of alternating polarity are applied between the channel electrodes, where the amplitude of the voltage pulses and a pulsewidth of the voltage pulses are effective for causing irreversible electroporation of the cells. The channel is configured to possess thermal properties such that the application of the voltage produces a rapid temperature rise as a result of Joule heating for releasing the macromolecules from the electroplated cells. The channel may also include an internal filter for capturing and concentrating the cells prior to electrical processing.

Method for pretreatment of microbial samples

The present invention provides a microfluidic devices and methods of use thereof for the concentration and capture of cells. A pulsed non-Faradaic electric field is applied relative to a sample under laminar flow, which results to the concentration and capture of charged analyte. Advantageously, pulse timing is selected to avoid problems associated with ionic screening within the channel. At least one of the electrodes within the channel is coated with an insulating layer to prevent a Faradaic current from flowing in the channel. Under pulsed application of a unipolar voltage to the electrodes, charged analyte within the sample is moved towards one of the electrodes via a transient electrophoretic force.

Methods and devices are provided for pretreatment of a sample containing microbial cells. In some embodiments, the pretreatment of the sample is performed via the initial selective lysis, within a sample pretreatment vessel, of non-microbial cells (such as blood cells) and the subsequent centrifugation of the sample to remove the resulting debris and concentrate the microbial cells. An immiscible and dense cushioning liquid may be included, for collecting the microbial cells adjacent to a liquid interface formed by the cushioning liquid, upon centrifugation of the pretreatment vessel. After removal of a substantial quantity of the supernatant, resuspension of the collected microbial cells, and re-establishment of the liquid interface, at least a portion of the remaining suspension may be removed without substantially removing the cushioning liquid. One or more intermediate wash cycles may be performed to prior to extraction of the pretreated sample.

The present invention provides a bar-code driven, completely automated, microplate-based analyzer system for performing chemical, biochemical or biological assays. The analyzer is a modular, bench-top instrument that compactly integrates subsystems for sample dispensing, liquid handling, microplate transport, thermal incubation, vortexing, solid phase separation and optical reading. An internal processor is included for automating the instrument, and a user interface to facilitate communication with the operator via a touch-sensitive liquid-crystal display (LCD), and communicating with a remote network via multiple protocols. The analyzer includes firmware resident within the processing system and the user interface allows the operator to select pre-defined assay batch protocols and the user interface is configured in such as way so as to restrict an operator from programming the firmware.

Automated analyzer

An optical performance monitor having a tunable fiber grating sandwiched between the first and second reflective surfaces of a fiber etalon provides high sensitivity, while simultaneously monitoring an optical data signal. Individual channels within the optical data signal are monitored by tuning the fiber grating over the wavelength range of the optical data signal to measure an intensity of each channel. As the tunable grating scans the wavelength range of interest, it simultaneously changes the resonant cavity length of the etalon, thus allowing the etalon to effectively monitor the tunable grating with a wavelength outside the wavelength range of the optical data signal.

Optical performance monitor

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the detailed strain field imposed on a guided-wave Bragg grating. The spectral and temporal form of radiant energy traveling down optical fibers is important in many fields, including communications and sensing. The spectral distribution and center wavelength of short optical pulses is of particular importance. In the communication field the information carrying capacity of an optical fiber can be limited by the dispersion experienced by short pulses as they propagate along an optical fiber. Chirped fiber optic intracore Bragg gratings can be used to compensate for this dispersion. However, a grating with a different degree of chirp would be required for each particular communication system. This control of the intra-grating strain distribution allows the grating to be tuned over a broad spectral range or chirped in a manner that permits it to compensate for a wide range of dispersion with or without a shift in the grating center wavelength. In addition, precise control of the strain distribution along a grating can be used to manufacture a variety of spectral filters.

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King City, CA, United States of America

Robert Maaskant