Vacuum ultraviolet photon source, ionization apparatus, and related methods
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9153427
A vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photon source includes a body, a VUV window, electrodes disposed on the body outside an interior thereof, and a dielectric barrier between the electrodes. A method for generating VUV photons includes generating a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in an interior of a photon source by applying a periodic voltage between a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric barrier, wherein the DBD produces excimers from a gas in a gap between the…
Solvent extraction using environmentally-friendly siloxane solvents
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9151738
Solvent extraction to quantify contamination of a sample by a hydrocarbon contaminant is performed by providing a defined quantity of the sample, providing a defined quantity of a siloxane solvent, mixing the defined quantity of the siloxane solvent and the defined quantity of the sample to extract the hydrocarbon contaminant from the sample to form a contaminant solution with the siloxane solvent, and separating the contaminant solution from the sample. A concentration of the…
Optical absorption spectrometry system including dichroic beam combiner and splitter
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9151672
An optical absorption spectrometry system includes first and second light sources, a dichroic beam combiner and a wavelength selective module. The first light source emits first light having first wavelengths within a first wavelength range, and the second light source emits second light having second wavelengths within a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range. The dichroic beam combiner includes a predetermined first reflectance/transmission transition region,…
Ceramic injection needle
Granted: September 15, 2015
Patent Number:
9134335
A needle for handling a fluid in an analysis system is described. The needle includes a needle body made of a ceramic material and having a fluid conduit extending between a fitting end and a seat end. The fitting end is configured to be connected to a fitting and the seat end (308) being insertable into a seat. The needle body is tapering towards the fitting end. A fixing body is arranged on the needle body next to the fitting end for exerting an axial force when the needle body is…
Method and apparatus to reduce noise caused by mode hopping in external cavity lasers
Granted: September 1, 2015
Patent Number:
9124068
An external cavity laser and method for operating same are disclosed. The external cavity laser includes a gain chip, a grating, an actuator and actuator driver. The grating diffracts light leaving the gain chip in a band of wavelengths back to the gain chip, the grating is characterized by an angle relative to light leaving the gain chip and distance from the gain chip, the angle and distance is controlled by the actuator. Part of the diffracted light is amplified by the gain chip. The…
Axial magnetic ion source and related ionization methods
Granted: August 25, 2015
Patent Number:
9117617
An ion source is configured for electron ionization and produces coaxial electron and ion beams. The ion source includes an ionization chamber along an axis, a magnet assembly configured for generating an axial magnetic field in the ionization chamber, an electron source, and a lens assembly configured for directing the ion beam out from the ionization chamber along the axis, reflecting the electron beam back toward the electron source, and transmitting higher energy ions out from the…
System and process for an active drain for gas-liquid separators
Granted: August 25, 2015
Patent Number:
9114330
A device includes a gas-liquid separator that receives and separates a biphasic pressurized flow stream and delivers flow to at least one exit port enriched in vapor phase composition and at least one exit port enriched in liquid phase composition. The device further includes a low restriction inlet conduit in communication with the separator exit port enriched in liquid phase composition, and a positive displacement pump having an inlet port in communication with the inlet conduit to…
Dried blood spotting paper device and method
Granted: August 18, 2015
Patent Number:
9110053
A dried blood-spotting device includes a carrier card having a window therethrough along with a punchable glass fiber paper disposed in the window for a uniform absorption of a blood droplet sample into a homogeneous circular sport. The glass fiber paper is configured for enabling improved analysis for small molecules by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of punched specimens of the sample absorbed glass fiber paper.
Liquid handler with dual pipetting groups
Granted: August 11, 2015
Patent Number:
9103809
An automated liquid handling system is disclosed. A system includes a first pipetting group, which includes at least one pipettor, movably arranged on a first arm; and a second pipetting group, which includes at least one pipettor, movably arranged on a second arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm are movably arranged on at least one track such that the first arm and the second arm can independently move along the at least one track while keeping the first arm parallel with the…
Plasma-based electron capture dissociation (ECD) apparatus and related systems and methods
Granted: August 11, 2015
Patent Number:
9105454
An electron capture dissociation (ECD) apparatus includes a plasma source for generating plasma. Analyte ions are exposed to the plasma in an ECD interaction region, either inside or outside the plasma source. The apparatus may include one or more devices for refining the plasma in preparation for interaction with the analyte ions. Refining may entail removing unwanted species from the plasma, such as photons, metastable particles, neutral particles, and/or high-energy electrons…
Method of adaptor-dimer subtraction using a CRISPR CAS6 protein
Granted: August 11, 2015
Patent Number:
9102936
A method of processing a target RNA is provided. In certain embodiments, this method comprises: contacting the products of an RNA ligase-mediated ligation reaction with an CAS6 protein, wherein: (i) the RNA ligase-mediated ligation reaction comprises: a target RNA, an RNA ligase, and first and second adaptors that can ligate together to produce an adaptor dimer that contains a CRISPR stem loop; and (ii) the CAS6 protein recognizes the CRISPR stem loop; thereby preventing the adaptor…
Modular dried matrix spotting device
Granted: August 11, 2015
Patent Number:
D736403
Ferrule
Granted: August 4, 2015
Patent Number:
D735853
Compositions and methods using split polymerases
Granted: July 21, 2015
Patent Number:
9085762
The invention relates to compositions and methods utilizing split polymerase enzymes composed of at least two discrete polypeptides that stably associate to form a single polymerase. The invention further relates to nucleic acid constructs for expressing the split polymerases of the invention, and methods for using the split polymerases of the invention. The enzymes of the invention are useful in many applications calling for the detectable labeling of nucleic acids and are particularly…
Detection cell with controlled power dissipation
Granted: July 14, 2015
Patent Number:
9081044
A voltage control circuitry for a detection cell is described, where the detection cell is adapted for determining an electrical property of a sample in a detection cell volume of the detection cell. The voltage control circuitry comprises a power supply adapted for providing a voltage to the detection cell, and a power evaluation unit adapted for determining an actual power dissipation in the detection cell volume. The voltage control circuitry further comprises a control unit adapted…
Apparatus and methods for pipetting with interchangeability among different pipette tips
Granted: July 14, 2015
Patent Number:
9079178
Pipette tips of different sizes may be coupled to a pipettor without needing to modify the pipettor. The same pipettor may thus be utilized to exchange different pipette tips, which may be done in an automated manner. Pipette tips may be coupled to adaptors that include proximal ends for interfacing with the pipettor and distal ends for interfacing with pipette tips. The proximal ends may all have the same geometry, matched with the same pipettor. The distal ends may have different…
Integrated particle trap for capillary plot columns
Granted: July 7, 2015
Patent Number:
9075068
A porous layer open tubular (PLOT) column includes capillary tubing; one or two particle traps disposed inside one or two end sections of the capillary tubing; and a stationary phase comprising a porous or non-porous material coated inside a main section of the capillary tubing. A method for preparing a porous layer open tubular (PLOT) column includes preparing one or two particle traps inside one or two end sections of a capillary tubing; and preparing a stationary phase comprising a…
Ligation method employing RtcB
Granted: July 7, 2015
Patent Number:
9074203
A method of processing an RNA sample is provided. In certain embodiments, the method may comprise: a) obtaining a fragmented RNA sample comprising: i. RNA fragments of long RNA molecules; and ii. unfragmented short RNA; and b) contacting said fragmented RNA sample with a first adaptor in the presence of a RtcB ligase, thereby producing a ligated RNA sample comprising adaptor-ligated fragments of long RNA. A kit for performing the method is also provided.
Thiocarbon-protecting groups for RNA synthesis
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9067961
Aspects of the invention include 2? protected nucleoside monomers that are protected at the 2? site with thiocarbon protecting groups. Thiocarbon protecting groups of interest include thiocarbonate, thionocarbonate, dithiocarbonate groups, as well as thionocarbamate protecting groups. Aspects of the invention further include nucleic acids that include the protecting groups of the invention, as well as methods of synthesizing nucleic acids using the protecting groups of the invention.
Vacuum fired and brazed ion pump element
Granted: June 9, 2015
Patent Number:
9053917
A Vacuum Fired and Brazed (“VFB”) anode array element for use in an ion pump is described. The VFB anode array element includes a first VFB conduit anode element and second VFB conduit anode element, wherein the second VFB conduit anode element is adjacent the first VFB conduit anode element. The first VFB conduit anode element is vacuum brazed together with second VFB conduit anode element.
