Precision optical intracellular near field imaging/spectroscopy technology
US7129454B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 8, 2002 |
| Grant date | Oct 31, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 7, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01Q60/22
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A Precision Optical Intracellular Near Field Imaging/Spectroscopy Technology (POINT/NANOPOINT) is a high-resolution instrument for analyzing and comparing molecular characteristics of cells. A nanosensor array is provided which is capable of imaging inner regions of living cells without destroying its natural environment and providing new information about molecular makeup of cells. The POINT probe collects data from high-resolution imagery, providing an imaging tool for investigating cells at sub-cellular and molecular levels. Data are then incorporated into a signature facilitating molecular analysis of diseases. The POINT probe non-invasively penetrates cell membranes to image insides of intact cells allowing the POINT probe to collect data without destroying cell structures. The probe provides cellular imaging to enable the viewing of both imaging and spectroscopy of internal regions of cells. The POINT system may be attached to existing microscopes to achieve a very high resolution.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.