Analog Devices,inc.

Altratech Limited

Silicon Laboratories Inc.

Timothy J Cummins

Brian O'Farrell

Cian Desmond O'Sullivan

Brian Paul Murray

Dara Joseph Brannick

Colm J Prendergast

Christian Willibald Bohm

Jorge Álvarez-Vicente

Patrick Michael Mitchell

Philip A Curran

Eamonn J Byrne

John O'Driscoll

Paul Free

Moira Mccarthy

John Walshe

Brian John O'Mara

An analyte in a liquid sample is detected using a capacitive sensor having electrodes and a sensor surface, and a signal processor. The sample is dried to reduce its liquid content, and capacitive measurements are made after the drying and preferably also before the drying. The sample may include particles, and the analyte is part of or attached to the particles, and the particles provide a major part of the capacitance change compared to absence of particles. In another example the particles are degenerative and form an integral mass upon application of heat, enhancing the extent of capacitance change.

Capacitive sensor and method of use

A portable diagnostic device has a lysate stage with a port for receiving a sample and containing magnetic beads with a probe, and an outlet port. A series of assay stages are linked with the lysate vessel, each with a reservoir linked by channels. The final stage has a sensor for detecting beads attached to analyte molecules which have been conveyed according to attachment to probes on beads. Larger transport beads cause reporter beads which are tethered by target NA and probes to be transported to the final sensor stage, where they are released and detected when the transport beads have been removed.

Diagnostic device and system

A method of preparing a nucleic acid sample with target enrichment uses a reaction vessel, within which is added a chelating agent to a sample with heating to about 99&#xb0; C. to provide a crude lysate. A PNA probe is provided at a concentration sufficient for binding and capture of discernible levels of target nucleic acid. The PNA probe may be attached to beads which are initially embedded in a wax body and are released during the heating so that the y are free to move and come into contact with the PNA probe and target DNA. After binding has occurred, the beads are magnetically attracted back into a pocket along with the wax, which is allowed to solidify before they are removed from the reaction vessel.

Sample preparation method and apparatus

Methods of detecting target nucleic acid is a sample are described. A first probe is attached to first beads, and the first beads are placed in the sample so that any target nucleic acid attaches to the first probe. A second probe also attaches to the target nucleic acid so that any of the target nucleic acid links or 'tethers' the first and second probes. A capacitive sensor detects capacitance of the beads and processes capacitance data to quantify target nucleic acid presence in the sample. The second probe may be immobilised on the sensor surface. Alternatively the second beads are introduced into the sample with the second probe attached, and the extent of tethering of the first beads to the second beads is indicative of the extent of target NA present.

Nucleic acid analysis method and apparatus

A method of preparing a nucleic acid sample with target enrichment uses a reaction vessel (), within which is added a chelating agent to a sample with heating to about 99&#xb0; C. to provide a crude lysate. A PNA probe is provided at a concentration sufficient for binding and capture of discernible levels of target nucleic acid. The PNA probe may be attached to beads () which are initially embedded in a wax body () and are released during the heating so that they are free to move and come into contact with the PNA probe and target DNA. After binding has occurred, the beads are magnetically attracted back into a pocket () along with the wax (), which is allowed to solidify before they are removed from the reaction vessel.

A single chip wireless sensor () comprises a microcontroller () connected by a transmit/receive interface () to a wireless antenna (). The microcontroller () is also connected to an 8 kB RAM (), a USB interface (), an RS232 interface (), 64 kB flash memory (), and a 32 kHz crystal (). The device () senses humidity and temperature, and a humidity sensor () is connected by an 18 bit &#x3a3;&#x394; A-to-D converter () to the microcontroller () and a temperature sensor () is connected by a 12 bit SAR A-to-D converter () to the microcontroller (). The device () is an integrated chip manufactured in a single process in which both the electronics and sensor components are manufactured using standard CMOS processing techniques, applied to achieve both electronic and sensing components in an integrated process.

Integrated CMOS porous sensor

A single chip wireless sensor comprises a microcontroller connected by a transmit/receive interface to a wireless antenna. The microcontroller is also connected to an 8 kB RAM, a USB interface, an RS232 interface, 64 kB flash memory, and a 32 kHz crystal. The device senses humidity and temperature, and a humidity sensor is connected by an 18 bit &#x3a3;&#x394; A-to-D converter to the microcontroller and a temperature sensor is connected by a 12 bit SAR A-to-D converter to the microcontroller. The device is an integrated chip manufactured in a single process in which both the electronics and sensor components are manufactured using standard CMOS processing techniques, applied to achieve both electronic and sensing components in an integrated process.

Integrated CMOS porous sensor having sensor electrodes formed with the interconnect conductors of a MOS circuit

A single chip wireless sensor comprises a microcontroller connected by a transmit/receive interface to a wireless antenna. The microcontroller is also connected to an 8 kB RAM, a USB interface, an RS232 interface, 64kB flash memory, and a 32kHz crystal. The device senses humidity and temperature, and a humidity sensor is connected by an 18 bit &#x3a3;&#x394; A-to-D converter to the microcontroller and a temperature sensor is connected by a 12 bit SAR A-to-D converter to the microcontroller. The device is an integrated chip manufactured in a single process in which both the electronics and sensor components are manufactured using standard CMOS processing techniques, applied to achieve both electronic and sensing components in an integrated process.

Sensor device having MOS circuits, a gas or humidity sensor and a temperature sensor

Integrated MOS gas or humidity sensor having a wireless transceiver

A single chip wireless sensor comprises a microcontroller connected to a transmit/receive interface, which is coupled to a wireless antenna by an L-C matching circuit. The sensor senses gas or humidity and temperature. The device is an integrated chip manufactured in a single process in which both the electronics and sensor components are manufactured using standard CMOS processing techniques, applied to achieve both electronic and sensing components in an integrated process. A Low-K material with an organic polymer component is spun onto the wafer to form a top layer incorporating also sensing electrodes. This material is cured at 300&#xb0; C., which is much lower than CVD temperatures. The polyimide when cured becomes thermoset, and the lower mass-to-volume ratio resulting in K, its dielectric constant, reducing to 2.9. The thermoset dielectric, while not regarded as porous in the conventional sense, has sufficient free space volume to admit enough gas or humidity for sensing.

A single chip wireless sensor () comprises a microcontroller () connected to a transmit/receive interface (), which is coupled to a wireless antenna () by an L-C matching circuit. The sensor () senses gas or humidity and temperature. The device () is an integrated chip manufactured in a single process in which both the electronics and sensor components are manufactured using standard CMOS processing techniques, applied to achieve both electronic and sensing components in an integrated process. A Low-K material () with an organic polymer component is spun onto the wafer to form a top layer incorporating also sensing electrodes (). This material is cured at 300&#xb0; C., which is much lower than CVD temperatures. The polyimide when cured becomes thermoset, and the lower mass-to-volume ratio resulting in K, its dielectric constant, reducing to 2.9. The thermoset dielectric, while not regarded as porous in the conventional sense, has sufficient free space volume to admit enough gas or humidity for sensing.

Integrated electronic sensor

An emulator couplable to an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including a micro controller, a DMA controller, memory means and an ADC and the emulator being operable to read a block of data stored in a plurality of memory locations of the memory means and graphically to display a representation of at least a portion of the block of data. An integrated circuit including an ADC and reprogrammable non-volatile memory means, the ADC being arranged to read calibration values from the non-volatile memory means. An integrated circuit including a microcontroller, a DAC selected from a group consisting of a string DAC and a current source DAC and an operational amplifier coupled to the DAC output. An integrated circuit includes analog and digital circuitry, and has only two polysilicon layers on a C-MOS substrate.

Integrated circuit with a high resolution analog to digital convertor, a microcontroller and high density memory and an emulator for an integrated circuit

Growing community of inventors

Cratloe, Ireland

Timothy J Cummins