Sunnyvale, CA, April 24, 2003--Picoliter Inc. announced today it has been
awarded a second patent, extending its intellectual property to include using
focused acoustics to form droplets consisting of more than one liquid
layer. U.S. Patent (No. 6,548,308)
entitled “Focused Acoustic Energy Method and
Device for Generating Droplets of Immiscible Fluids” describes technology
Picoliter believes will be important for controlling evaporation in low volume
assays and simulating biological systems.
The new Picoliter patent describes a process for making droplets with
two or more layers by ejecting one fluid through another. This technology addresses an important
challenge for reducing assay volume—slowing evaporation—by protecting tiny
droplets of volatile liquids with coatings of a less volatile liquid. Other applications include encapsulation of
droplets for formation of micelles, control of crystallization rates, and
particle formation for generation of drug formulations.
The economics of industrialized biology continue to fuel the desire for
reduction in assay volumes as a way to decrease the cost per data point through
more efficient use of expensive reagents and improved automation. However, the main barriers to
decreasing cost have been lack of reliable instrumentation for small volume
transfers and control of evaporation.
The Picoliter® liquid handling technology, covered in the
company’s first patent, U.S. 6,416,164, provides a unique solution to the small
volume transfer problem. This technology has been demonstrated to reliably
transfer droplets as small as 0.1 picoliter (a picoliter is a millionth of a
millionth of a liter) and as large as microliters with no contact between the
device and the solution being transferred.
The extension of this technology to multiplayer droplets for controlling
evaporation provides another enabling tool for assay miniaturization.
“I was convinced of the power of this new approach to evaporation control when our scientists used the technology described in our new patent to reduce the volume of an aqueous competitive binding assay from 350 uL to 100 pL, more than a million times smaller. This technology could save hundreds of millions of dollars worth of reagents, rare materials and cell preparation costs in life science laboratories,” said Elaine J. Heron, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Picoliter Inc.
Picoliter Inc. is a privately held
company located in Sunnyvale, California.
The Picoliter® liquid handling technology has broad
applications in the life science including dispensing equipment, assay systems,
particle manufacturing, microarrays, and living cell transfer devices. The company’s initial product will be a
system for precisely transferring low nanoliter volumes of potential drug
compounds into assay plates. Initial
test sites for this instrument are currently being established. Picoliter has over 25 patent applications
pending with the USPTO as well as additional international filings. For more information, visit the company’s
website, www.picoliterinc.com.
Contact information:
Elaine J. Heron, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Picoliter Inc.
1190 Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
(408) 747-2000 x 108
(408) 747-2009 (FAX)
www.picoliterinc.com