William D Mcmillan

6391541, May 21, 2002

May 30, 2000

09/583807

Kurt E. Petersen - Santa Jose CA, 95054
Michael T. Taylor - Newark CA, 94560
Farzad Pourahmadi - Fremont CA, 94539
William A. McMillan - Cupertino CA, 95014
Ronald Chang - Redwood City CA, 94063
Stanley H. Sakai - Cupertino CA, 95014
Jesus Ching - Santa Clara CA, 95054
Douglas B. Dority - Mill Valley CA, 94941
Phillip Belgrader - Manteca CA, 94336
M. Allen Northrup - Berkeley CA, 94708

G01N 3353

435 5, 435 72, 435 721, 435259, 4352871, 4352872, 4352882, 435810, 436164, 436165, 436514, 436518, 436526, 436527, 436805, 436806, 436807, 436809, 436829, 422 58, 422 56, 241 2

A cartridge for separating a desired analyte from a fluid sample has a sample flow path and a lysing chamber in the sample flow path. The lysing chamber contains at least one filter for capturing cells or viruses from the sample as the sample flows through the lysing chamber. Beads are also disposed in the lysing chamber for rupturing the cells or viruses to release the analyte therefrom. An analyte flow path extends from the lysing chamber and diverges from the sample flow path. The analyte flow path preferably leads to a reaction chamber for chemically reacting and optically detecting the analyte. The cartridge also includes at least one flow controller (e. g. , valves) for directing the sample into the waste chamber after the sample flows through the lysing chamber and for directing the analyte separated from the sample into the analyte flow path.

6431476, Aug 13, 2002

Dec 21, 1999

09/469724

Michael T. Taylor - Newark CA
Phillip Belgrader - Manteca CA
Farzad Pourahmadi - Fremont CA
William A. McMillan - Cupertino CA
Ronald Chang - Redwood City CA
Douglas B. Dority - Mill Valley CA

Cepheid - Sunnyvale CA

B02C 1900

241 1, 241 2, 241301

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for disrupting cells or viruses to release the nucleic acid therefrom. The apparatus includes a container having a chamber for holding the cells or viruses. The apparatus also includes an ultrasonic transducer for contacting a wall of the chamber and for transmitting ultrasonic energy into the chamber through the wall. A support structure holds the container and the transducer against each other such that the transducer contacts the wall of the chamber. The support structure includes an elastic body, such as a spring, for applying to the container or to the transducer a substantially constant force to press together the transducer and the wall. The chamber also preferably contains beads for enhancing the disruption of the cells or viruses. The apparatus performs rapid and consistent lysis of cells or viruses, often in as little time as 5 to 10 seconds.

6440725, Aug 27, 2002

Jun 25, 1999

09/331911

Farzad Pourahmadi - Fremont CA
William A. McMillan - Cupertino CA
Jesus Ching - Santa Clara CA
Ronald Chang - Redwood City CA
Lee A. Christel - Palo Alto CA
Gregory T. A. Kovacs - Stanford CA
M. Allen Northrup - Berkeley CA
Kurt E. Petersen - San Jose CA

Cepheid - Sunnyvale CA

C12M 134

4352885, 4352872, 4352886, 4353061, 4352865, 422 681, 422100, 422101, 422102

A cartridge ( ) for separating a desired analyte from a fluid sample includes a sample port ( ) and a sample flow path extending from the port through the body of the cartridge. The sample flow path includes at least one flow-through component ( ), e. g. , filter paper or a microfabricated chip, for capturing the desired analyte from the sample as the sample flows through the cartridge. The cartridge also includes an elution flow path for carrying elution fluid through the component ( ) to release captured analyte from the component into the elution fluid. The elution flow path diverges from the sample flow path after passing through the component ( ). Flow controllers ( A) and ( B) direct the remaining fluid sample into a waste chamber ( ) after the sample flows through the component ( ) and direct the elution fluid and eluted analyte into a reagent chamber ( ) and reaction chamber ( ). The continuous-flow design of the cartridge permits the rapid processing of a fluid sample that is larger in volume than any interactive region within the cartridge, allowing increased sensitivity in the detection of low copy concentrations of analytes, such as nucleic acid.

6664104, Dec 16, 2003

Nov 7, 2001

10/006850

Farzad Pourahmadi - Fremont CA
William A. McMillan - Cupertino CA
Jesus Ching - Santa Clara CA
Ronald Chang - Redwood City CA
Lee A. Christel - Palo Alto CA
Gregory T. A. Kovacs - Sanford CA
M. Allen Northrup - Berkeley CA
Kurt E. Petersen - Fremont CA

Cepheid - Sunnyvale CA

C12M 134

4352886, 4352872, 4352885, 422 70, 422101

A device for separating an analyte from a fluid sample comprises a cartridge incorporating a flow-through microfluidic chip. The microfluidic chip includes an extraction chamber having an array of microstructures for capturing the analyte and for subsequently releasing the captured analyte into an elution fluid. Each of the microstructures has an aspect ratio of at least 2:1. The cartridge also includes channels and at least one low controller (e. g. , one or more valves) for directing the flow of the sample and elution fluid through the microfluidic chip. The cartridge may optionally include a lysing region for lysing sample components (e. g. , cells spores, or microorganisms), a waste chamber for storing waste fluid, and reaction or detection chambers for amplifying or detecting the analyte.

6878540, Apr 12, 2005

Nov 7, 2001

10/006904

Farzad Pourahmadi - Fremont CA, US
William A. Mcmillan - Cupertino CA, US
Jesus Ching - Santa Clara CA, US
Ronald Chang - Redwood City CA, US
Christel A. Lee - Palo Alto CA, US
Gregory T.A. Kovacs - Stanford CA, US
Northrup M. Allen - Berkeley CA, US
Petersen E. Kurt - San Jose CA, US

Cepheid - Sunnyvale CA

C12M001/34

4352872, 4352885, 4352886, 4353061, 422 58, 422 681, 422101, 422104

A device for use with an ultrasonic transducer to lyse components of a fluid sample comprises a cartridge having a lysing chamber, an inlet port in fluid communication with the lysing chamber, and an outlet port for exit of the sample from the lysing chamber. The inlet and outlet ports are positioned to permit flow of the sample through the lysing chamber, and the chamber contains at least one solid phase for capturing the sample components to be lysed as the sample flows through the chamber. The lysing chamber is defined by at least one wall having an external surface for contacting the transducer to effect the transfer of ultrasonic energy to the chamber.

6893879, May 17, 2005

Nov 7, 2001

10/005685

Kurt E. Petersen - Fremont CA, US
William A. McMillan - Cupertino CA, US
Lee A. Christel - Palo Alto CA, US
Ronald Chang - Redwood City CA, US
Farzad Pourahmadi - Fremont CA, US
Jesus Ching - Santa Clara CA, US
Gregory T. A. Kovacs - Stanford CA, US
M. Allen Northrup - Berkeley CA, US

Cepheid - Sunnyvale CA

G01N001/18
C12Q001/68

436178, 435 6, 435 912, 4352872, 4352886, 435259

An analyte is separated from a fluid sample by introducing the sample into a cartridge having an extraction chamber containing capture material for capturing the analyte. The sample is forced to flow through the extraction chamber to capture the analyte with the capture material in the extraction chamber. The captured analyte is then eluted from the extraction chamber by forcing an elution fluid to flow through the extraction chamber. The cartridge may optionally include a lysing region for lysing sample components (e. g. , cells spores, or microorganisms), a waste chamber for storing waste fluid, and reaction or detection chambers for chemically reacting or detecting the eluted analyte.

6979424, Dec 27, 2005

Aug 13, 2001

09/929270

M. Allen Northrup - Berkeley CA, US
Kurt E. Petersen - San Jose CA, US
William A. McMillan - Cupertino CA, US
Gregory T. A. Kovacs - Stanford CA, US

Cepheid - Sunnyvale CA

G01N001/00
G01N015/00
B01J008/00
C12Q001/68

422 50, 422 681, 422129, 435 4, 435 6, 435 71

An analysis device comprises a body having a reaction chamber for chemically reacting a sample, a separation region for separating components of the sample, and a transition region connecting the reaction chamber to the separation region. The transition region includes at least one valve for controlling the flow of fluid between the reaction chamber and the separation region. Further, the transition region thermally isolates the reaction chamber from the separation region. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction chamber is an amplification chamber for amplifying nucleic acid in the sample, and the separation region comprises an electrophoresis channel containing a suitable matrix material, such as electrophoresis gel or buffer, for separating nucleic acid fragments. Electrodes are embedded in the body for separation of sample components. The body may also be surrounded by external, functional components such as an optical detector for detecting separated components of the sample.

6987018, Jan 17, 2006

Jul 30, 2002

10/208976

Michael T. Taylor - Newark CA, US
Phillip Belgrader - Manteca CA, US
Farzad Pourahmadi - Fremont CA, US
William A. McMillan - Cupertino CA, US
Ronald Chang - Redwood City CA, US
Douglas B. Dority - Mill Valley CA, US

Cepheid - Sunnyvale CA

C12M 1/34

4352867, 4352872, 4352883, 4353061, 422102, 241 2

A container for holding cells or viruses for disruption comprises a chamber defined by two spaced apart, opposing major walls and side walls connecting the major walls to each other. At least one of the major walls has an external surface to which the transducer may be coupled and is sufficiently flexible to flex in response to vibratory motion of the transducer. The container also has at least one port for introducing the cells or viruses into the chamber. In some embodiments, the chamber contains beads for aiding the disruption of the cells or viruses.