| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090044812 | Strap fastening system for a disposable respirator providing improved donning - A disposable respirator comprising a strap fastening system that facilitates ease of donning and comfort during wear is disclosed. More specifically, the respirator includes a pull-strap fastening component and a strap configuration that provides a tight seal over the mouth and nose of the user, yet be easily donned and comfortable to wear. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090155770 | IMPLANTABLE DEVICES FOR FIBER OPTIC BASED DETECTION OF NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION - Disclosed are methods and devices for continuous in vivo monitoring of a potential infection site. Disclosed devices may be utilized to alert patients and/or health care providers to the presence of a pathogen at an early stage of a hospital acquired infection, thereby providing for earlier intervention and improved recovery rates from bacterial infection. Disclosed methods utilize implantable devices for location at an in vivo site. The implantable device is held in conjunction with an optical fiber that detects and transmits an optically detectable signal generated in the presence of a pathogen. Upon generation of the emission, the optically detectable emission signal may be transmitted to a portable detection/analysis device. Analysis of the characteristics of the emission signal produced may be used to determine the presence or concentration of pathogens at the site of inquiry, following which real time information may be transmitted to medical personnel, for instance via a wireless transmission system. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090156943 | FIBER OPTIC BASED DETECTION OF AUTOFLUORESCENT BACTERIAL PATHOGENS - Disclosed are methods and devices for continuous in vivo monitoring of a potential bacterial infection site. Disclosed devices may be utilized to alert patients and/or health care providers to the presence of pathogenic bacteria at an early stage of a hospital acquired infection, thereby providing for earlier intervention and improved recovery rates from bacterial infection. Disclosed methods utilize optical fibers to deliver an excitation signal to an area in which pathogenic bacteria may exist. In the presence of the excitation signal, bacterial pathogens may autofluoresce with a unique spectral signature. Upon generation of a fluorescent emission, an optically detectable emission signal may be transmitted to a detection/analysis device. Analysis of the characteristics of the emission signal produced in response to the excitation signal may be used to determine the presence or concentration of pathogens at the site of inquiry, following which real time information may be transmitted to medical personnel via a wireless transmission system. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20100015658 | Meter Strip and Method for Lateral Flow Assay Devices - A diagnostic method and associated test kit for detecting an analyte residing in a test sample is provided. The kit includes a housing, and a membrane disposed within the housing having a detection region and a collection region. A blood sample meter is provided having a first end for absorption of a blood sample, a filtering section adjacent to the first end that filters red blood cell components from the blood sample, and a storage section adjacent to the filtering section that receives plasma or serum from the filtering section. An opening in the housing is sized for insertion of the sample meter into the housing such that the storage section of the sample meter is disposed in fluid communication with the collection region of the membrane. The plasma or serum is transferred from the storage section of the sample meter to the collection region of the membrane for subsequent migration to the detection region. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100159599 | LATERAL-FLOW POROUS MEMBRANE ASSAY WITH FLOW RATE CONTROL - Various modifications to a porous substrate, such as employed in lateral flow assay devices, to regulate or modify the flow rate and/or flow path pattern of a fluid through the porous substrate is described. The lateral flow assay device has a porous substrate matrix in fluid communication with a flow-rate control zone having a number of flow-rate control devices arranged as features in or on a substrate surface or laminates thereof in a body. The flow-rate control devices may include: a density gradient, porosity gradient, ion affinity gradient, micro-channels, and combinations thereof. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100204056 | QUALITY-CONTROL AND ALIGNMENT ELEMENT FOR ASSAY SUBSTRATES - A method for fabricating and assessing the quality of printing on substrates used for chemical or biological array testing, and method for ascertaining relative consistency of the deposit reproducibility is described. Generally, the method involves: providing a substrate, providing a solution mixture of a capture moiety and a colorant; depositing an amount of said solution mixture onto said substrate, monitoring the substrate such that the visible indicator colorant manifests in a co-extensive fashion as with the capture moiety on the substrate. In another aspect, the invention relates to a sensor or assay device comprising a physical complex of a number of capture agents and an amount of colorants adhere to least a part of a surface of a substrate. | 08-12-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20100323392 | Metering Technique for Lateral Flow Assay Devices - A diagnostic test kit for detecting an analyte residing in a test sample is provided. The kit employs a lateral flow device that contains a membrane. A metering channel is formed in the membrane that is capable of delivering a controlled volume of the test sample to a detection zone upon initiation of the assay. Such a metering channel is particularly effective for embodiments in which the test sample has a relatively low volume, such as less than about 100 microliters, in some embodiments from about 0.5 to about 25 microliters, and in some embodiments, from about 1 to about 10 microliters. For example, whole blood drops obtained from patients with a lancet typically have a volume of less than about 3 microliters. Despite their low volume, the present inventors have discovered that the blood drops may still be accurately analyzed for the presence of an analyte using lateral flow detection techniques. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110097734 | Flow Control Technique for Assay Devices - A method for controlling fluid flow in an assay device that employs a membrane is provided. Specifically, one or more recessed regions are formed in the membrane by applying a solvent treatment thereto. The solvent treatment is selected based on its particular dissolving capacity for the material used to form the membrane. For example, an alcohol-based solvent, such as methanol, may be used as a solvent for nitrocellulose membranes. Upon contact with the solvent treatment, a recessed region is formed that may serve a variety of different functions relating to flow control. In one particular embodiment, the recessed region may function as a metering channel that is capable of delivering a controlled volume of the test sample to a detection zone upon initiation of the assay. | 04-28-2011 |