Thomas C Chung

US Patent:

20030124516, Jul 3, 2003

Filed:

Sep 12, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/243611

Inventors:

Thomas Chung - Carlsbad CA, US
Anita Forster - Santee CA, US
Jeff Hall - Carlsbad CA, US
Ilona Kariv - Carlsbad CA, US
Kris Lykstad - San Diego CA, US
Catherine Schnabel - La Jolla CA, US
William Soo Hoo - Carlsbad CA, US
Jonathan Diver - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Genoptix, Inc.

International Classification:

C12Q001/70
G01N033/53
G01N033/567

US Classification:

435/005000, 435/007200

Abstract:

Optophoretic methods are used to determine one or more biological properties or changes in biological properties of one or more cells or cellular components. The methods use optical or photonic forces to select, identify, characterize, and/or sort whole cells or groups of cells. The methods are useful in a number of applications, including, but not limited to, drug screening applications, toxicity applications, protein expression applications, rapid clonal selection applications, biopharmaceutical monitoring and quality control applications, cell enrichment applications, viral detection, bacterial drug sensitivity screening, environmental testing, agricultural testing, food safety testing, as well as biohazard detection and analysis.

US Patent:

20030211461, Nov 13, 2003

Filed:

Dec 19, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/326598

Inventors:

Ilona Kariv - Carlsbad CA, US
Anita Forster - Santee CA, US
Jeffrey Hall - Carlsbad CA, US
Thomas Chung - Carlsbad CA, US

Assignee:

Genoptix, Inc

International Classification:

C12Q001/00
C12Q001/48

US Classification:

435/004000, 435/015000

Abstract:

A method of screening for inhibitors of the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase enzyme using a moving optical gradient includes the steps of providing a panel of cell lines having, on average, different copy numbers of the gene that produces the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase enzyme, exposing the panel of cell lines with a chemical compound, moving the cells in the panel of cell lines and the optical gradient relative to each other so as to cause displacement of at least some of the cells, measuring the displacement of at least a portion of the displaced cells in each cell line, and comparing the measured displacements with measured displacements from control cells from each cell line that have not been treated with the chemical. The comparison step determines whether the chemical compound is an inhibitor of the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase enzyme.

US Patent:

20040009540, Jan 15, 2004

Filed:

Dec 19, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/324926

Inventors:

William Soohoo - Carlsbad CA, US
Jeff Hall - Carlsbad CA, US
Joshua Kohrumel - San Diego CA, US
Phan Nguyen - Vista CA, US
Haichuan Zhang - San Diego CA, US
Eugene Tu - San Diego CA, US
Thomas Chung - Carlsbad CA, US

Assignee:

Genoptix, Inc

International Classification:

G01N033/574

US Classification:

435/007230

Abstract:

A diagnostic method for determining whether a suspect cell is cancerous using an optical gradient includes the steps of moving the suspect cell and the optical gradient relative to each other so as to cause displacement of the cell, measuring the displacement of the cell, comparing the measured displacement of at least one non-cancerous control cell. The step of comparing the measured displacement of the suspect cell and the at least one non-cancerous control cell determines whether the suspect cell is cancerous. The method can also be used to identify cancerous cells in a sample by identifying those cells having the largest measured displacements as a result of the relative movement between the cells and the optical gradient.

US Patent:

20040023310, Feb 5, 2004

Filed:

Dec 19, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/326568

Inventors:

Ilona Kariv - Carlsbad CA, US
Kristie Lykstad - San Diego CA, US
Thomas Chung - Carlsbad CA, US

Assignee:

Genoptix, Inc

International Classification:

C12Q001/68
G01N033/53
G01N033/567
G01N001/30
G01N033/48

US Classification:

435/007200, 435/040500

Abstract:

A method for quantitatively determining the level of protein kinase C (PKC) activation in cells in response to exposure to a PKC activating compound using a moving optical gradient including the steps of providing a series of cell samples, exposing the series of cell samples to different concentrations of the PKC activating compound, moving the cells and the optical gradient relative to each other so as to cause displacement of at least some of the cells, measuring the displacement of at least a portion of the displaced cells for each of the different concentrations, generating a dose response curve of the measured displacement as a function of the concentration of the PKC activating compound, and determining the potency of the PKC activating compound from the dose response curve. The method can also be used to determine the relative efficacy of the PKC activating compound as compared to a standard compound.

US Patent:

20040053209, Mar 18, 2004

Filed:

Dec 19, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/326885

Inventors:

Ilona Kariv - Carlsbad CA, US
Kristie Lykstad - San Diego CA, US
Thomas Chung - Carlsbad CA, US

Assignee:

Genoptix, Inc

International Classification:

C12Q001/00
A61K009/14

US Classification:

435/004000

Abstract:

A method for identifying the inhibitory potential of a chemical compound to inhibit DNA topoisomerase I includes the steps of providing a population of cells, treating the population of cells to different concentrations of the chemical compound, and subjecting the treated cells to whole-cell optical interrogation to determine whether the chemical compound affected any cells within the population of cells. The method can also be applied to identify cells that are resistant to DNA topoisomerase I inhibitors.

US Patent:

20040067167, Apr 8, 2004

Filed:

Oct 8, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/267914

Inventors:

Haichuan Zhang - San Diego CA, US
Thomas Chung - Carlsbad CA, US
Jeff Hall - Carlsbad CA, US
William SooHoo - Carlsbad CA, US
Josh Kohrumel - San Diego CA, US
Eugene Tu - San Diego CA, US
Mark Wang - San Diego CA, US
Daniel Raymond - San Diego CA, US
Philippe Marchand - Poway CA, US
Jonathan Diver - San Diego CA, US
William Butler - La Jolla CA, US
Phan Nguyen - Vista CA, US
Mirianas Chachisvilis - San Diego CA, US
Andrew Katz - La Jolla CA, US
Norbert Hagen - Carlsbad CA, US
Kris Lykstad - San Diego CA, US
Luis Pestana - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Genoptix, Inc.

International Classification:

G01N033/48

US Classification:

422/082050, 422/073000

Abstract:

A device for characterizing a cell or particle includes a channel having an inlet and an outlet, the channel containing a moving fluid therein for carrying the cell or particle from the inlet to the outlet. The device includes a detector for detecting the presence of a cell or particle along portion of the channel, the detector including a first detecting position, a second detecting position, and a third detecting position. The device further includes a light source providing an optical gradient disposed within the channel and between the second and third detecting positions. A control system is coupled to the detector to receive and process detected signals from the detector. During operation, the amount of time that a cell or particle takes to flow through a first distance (i.e., its time-of-flight) is measured. The cell or particle is then flowed past a second, downstream distance in the presence of an optical gradient and its time-of-flight is measured. A comparison of the measured time-of-flights for the first and second distances is used to characterize the cell or particle. The method can be used to characterize and sort cells based on a biological property.

US Patent:

20040121307, Jun 24, 2004

Filed:

Dec 19, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/326905

Inventors:

Catherine Schnabel - La Jolla CA, US
Ilona Kariv - Carlsbad CA, US
Thomas Chung - Carlsbad CA, US

Assignee:

Genoptix, Inc

International Classification:

C12Q001/00

US Classification:

435/004000

Abstract:

A method for detecting cellular differentiation using Optophoretic analysis is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of cells, moving an optical gradient relative to the plurality of cells so as to cause displacement of at least some of the plurality of cells, measuring the travel distance of at least some of the plurality of cells, repeating the steps of moving the optical gradient and measuring the travel distance of at least some of the plurality of cells, and identifying those cells having changing travel distances. The method is able to detect the early onset of cellular differentiation. The method is also applicable to detecting and monitoring adipogenesis.

US Patent:

52978281, Mar 29, 1994

Filed:

Dec 31, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/999126

Inventors:

Thomas I. Chung - San Diego CA

International Classification:

E05C 1918

US Classification:

292258

Abstract:

A vehicle trunk lid securing apparatus includes an elongated flexible inelastic strap and first and second connectors connected to the strap. The first connector includes a base ring through which is looped a portion of the strap and a releasable snap hook being rotatably mounted to the base ring and adapted to releasably attach to a hook of a trunk lid locking mechanism. The second connector includes an elongated handle portion and a rigid wire loop insert portion attached to an end of the handle portion and being operable to attach to a latch of the trunk lid locking mechanism by gripping the handle portion and pulling on the strap toward the latch. The apparatus also includes a cam-type buckle mechanism operable for adjusting the effective length of the strap to establish a set distance between the first and second connectors which matches the distance between the hook and latch of the trunk lid locking mechanism. The cam buckle mechanism has a body receiving a pair of sections of the strap therethrough and a cam lever actuatable relative to the body between an open unclamping condition and a closed clamping condition to respectively release the strap sections for movement relative to one another and restrain the strap sections from undergoing movement relative to one another.