Hitachi of Tokyo has received US Patent No. 8,175,809, "Fluorescence analyzing method, fluorescence analyzing apparatus and image detecting method." A surface is provided consisting of different regions containing oligonucleotides spaced apart equidistantly in the vertical and horizontal directions. The patent describes a method of irradiating the surface with light for fluorescence measurement. The light-produced fluorescence is focused to form an image and detected with a two-dimensional sensor.
Canon of Tokyo has received US Patent No. 8,178,056, "Biochemical reaction cartridge and biochemical treatment equipment system." The described cartridge consists of a chemical reaction chamber that accommodates a solution for biochemically treating a sample, a reaction chamber for detecting the target substance in the sample, and a detection reaction information fetching section for obtaining information on whether or not the reaction has been performed. According to the patent, the cartridge includes a covering unit that can cover and expose the reaction information fetching section.
Affymetrix of Santa Clara, Calif., has received US Patent No. 8,178,278, "Miniaturized microparticles." A method for encoded microparticles is described. According to the patent, these encoded microparticles consist of a number of segments, some of which form a spatial code. A contrast coating that further encodes the molecule is also present, as is an outer surface that encloses the spatial code and contrast coating, while allowing each to remain detectable.
Harvard University of Cambridge, Mass., has received US Patent No. 8,178,316, "Evaluating proteins." A substrate is described that includes a nucleic acid encoding a hybrid amino acid sequence including a test amino acid sequence and an affinity tag, and a binding agent that recognizes the affinity tag. The substrate can be contacted with a translation effector to translate the hybrid amino acid sequence and is maintained under conditions permissive for the hybrid amino acid sequence to bind the binding agent. The nucleic acid is subsequently from the substrate.
George Liu of Collegeville, Penn., has received US Patent No. 8,178,344, "System and method for antigen structure-independent detection of antigens captured on antibody arrays." The method includes providing an array of antibodies, contacting the array with a sample containing antigens that may be captured by the antibodies on the array, and detecting the captured antigens using C1q, an agent that specifically binds to the antigen-bound antibodies on the array, allowing the antigens to be detected.
Institut Pasteur de Lille of Lille, France, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of Paris have received US Patent No. 8,178,474, "Functionalized solid support for α-oxoaldehyde synthesis." The patent relates to a functionalized solid support for the synthesis of compounds, including α-oxoaldehyde. A process for preparing the support is also claimed, as well as its use in applications such as the preparation of a library of organic compounds, of a diagnostic reagent, of a microtitration plate and of a biochip.
Accelr8 Technology of Denver has received US Patent No. 8,178,602, "Functional surface coating." Methods for preparing functional thin films or surface coatings with low non-specific binding are described. The thin films contain specified functional groups and non-specific binding repellant components and can be either covalently bound to or passively adsorbed to various solid substrates. In these methods, specified functional groups are anchored to the solid substrates through a spacer. Surface coatings are also described as having both non-specific protein binding properties combined with functional groups for specific binding activity providing surface coating that specifically recognize target proteins but limit binding to non-specific protein.
Illumina of San Diego has received US Patent No. 8,178,652, "Apparatus and method for separation of liquid phases of different density and for fluorous phase organic syntheses." A method is claimed for separating layers of immiscible or partially miscible liquids that is useful in high-throughput combinatorial organic synthesis or the parallel extraction of large libraries or megaarrays of organic compounds. According to the patent, the method is compatible with microtiter-plate-type arrays of reaction vessels.