The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 21, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 14, 1996
Stanley N Lapidus, Bedford, NH (US);
Anthony P Shuber, Milford, MA (US);
Kevin M Ulmer, Cohasset, MA (US);
Exact Laboratories, Inc., Maynard, MA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides methods for screening for the presence of a subpopulation of cancerous or precancerous cells in a heterogeneous cellular sample, such as a stool sample. The methods take advantage of the recognition that cellular debris from cancerous and precancerous cells is deposited onto only a longitudinal stripe of stool as the stool is forming in the colon. Accordingly, methods of the invention comprise obtaining a representative sample, such as a cross-sectional sample of stool in order to ensure that any cellular debris that is shed by colonic cells is obtained in the sample.