Micronics
To Receive Patents On Miniaturized Flow Cytometry Technology
REDMOND, Wash., USA (February 27, 2003) - BusinessWire - Micronics,
Inc. today announced that it has received notices of allowance from
the United States Patent and Trademark Office that two of its exclusively
licensed patent applications that relate to flow cytometry will
issue as U.S. patents.
Micronics, Inc. is an emerging leader in the development of point-of-use
systems that allow real-time answers to health questions while at
the physician's office, home, workplace, school, and other public
places. These systems include portable and handheld units with integrated
laboratory-tests-on-a-card ("lab cards"), as well as stand
alone, single use lab cards being developed to provide rapid, cost-effective
results in infectious diseases testing, nucleic acid testing, blood
type analysis, cancer testing, and respiratory disease testing.
One of the applications that Micronics is pursuing with its technology
platforms is the development of a credit-card sized flow cytometer
lab card that enables analysis of changes in an individual's white
blood cells as a result of exposure to chemical or biological agents.
Micronics' flow cytometer lab card also is intended for use by both
public and private sector personnel in detecting pathogens and toxins
in air, soil and water samples. Micronics' flow cytometer platform
employs single use, disposable lab cards into which untreated sample,
such as a droplet of whole blood, may be placed directly. Reagents
and waste are stored on the card. Analysis of the cells is performed
off-card using optics that are incorporated into a portable unit
into which the card is inserted.
The patents that are issuing cover the disposable, hematology lab
card and methods of blood analysis, and the assembly of sheath channels
within the card that permit the focusing of cells, beads and other
particles for detection.
Micronics is the exclusive licensee of this technology that was
invented by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Micronics, Inc. is a leading provider of custom designed microfluidics-based
lab cards on behalf of clients worldwide. The company also sells
its ultra-low-pulse microFlow System to researchers in industry,
academia and government to enable the analysis of fluids in flow
using greatly reduced volumes of samples and reagents over current
macro-scale instruments commonly used in laboratories today. Additional
company information may be found at www.micronics.net.
|
