Capital Biochip Company and Tsinghua University of Beijing received US Patent No. 6,703,203, “Integrated microarray devices.” The patent covers an integrated microarray device as well as a temperature controller.
The American Registry of Pathology of Washington, DC, received US Patent No. 6,703,247, “Apparatus and methods for efficient processing of biological samples on slides.” The patent covers slide-holder devices that hold multiple slides and are designed in conjunction with specialized trays for rapidly processing the mounted biological samples such as for immunocytochemical staining. The device has a cover with a soft top to aid in the prevention of tissue degradation by minimizing pressure buildup during PCR. The system results in very low background signals and allows for manually processing many times the number of slides typically possible with other current manual methods, the inventors say. The system uses predried reagents in wells, and external controls that can be placed on a membrane affixed to the slide.
Proteomic Systems of Sunnyvale, Calif., received US Patent No. 6,699,719, “Biosensor arrays and methods.”The patent covers a surface detector array device suitable for use with a biosensor. The device is formed of a substrate having a surface with one or more bilayer barrier regions, which contain selected receptors or biomolecules. The patent includes multiplexed assays using the surface detector, as well as automated methods for making the surface detector array.
Spectrumedix of State College, Pa., received US Patent No. 6,704,104, “Multi-wavelength array reader for biological assay.” The patent covers an array reader with an excitation light, and a substrate containing two-dimensional arrays configured to support a sample. The device includes a reader configured to determine which sites are illuminated at any given instant and a detector comprising a two-dimensional array of light-sensitive elements, a transmission grating beam splitter disposed along an optical path between the substrate and the detector, and a single light-focusing element.