DR. STEPHEN CLARK WARDLAW, M.D.
Medical Practice at Highrock, Lyme, CT

6284526, Sep 4, 2001

Jan 5, 2000

9/477932

Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT

C12M 116, C12Q 118

4352887

A method and an apparatus for determining the concentration at which a growth-altering agent has an appreciable effect on the growth of a target microorganism are provided. The method comprises the steps of (a) providing a microorganism growth medium; (b) providing a sensible reagent, which includes a growth-altering agent mixed with a marker that has a signal with a magnitude proportional to the concentration of the marker; (c) incorporating the sensible reagent into the growth medium, in a manner that creates a gradient of growth-altering agent and marker concentrations within the growth medium; (d) inoculating the growth medium with the target microorganism; (e) incubating the inoculated growth medium for a period of time sufficient for the target microorganism to grow a detectable amount; (f) evaluating growth characteristics of the microorganism in a region containing the growth-altering agent, (g) measuring the magnitude of the marker signal in that region; and (h) determining the concentration of the growth-altering agent using the measured magnitude of the marker signal.

6388740, May 14, 2002

Jun 22, 1999

09/338044

Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT

Robert A. Levine - Guilford CT

G01N 3348

356 39, 356244, 356246, 356426, 356427, 702 41, 73 5301

Centrifuged material layer volumes are measured and quantified during centrifugation of the material layers contained in a sample tube in a centrifuge assembly, which sample tube is disposed on a centrifuge platen. The material layers in the sample tube are periodically illuminated during centrifugation by a pulsed light source which differentially excites one or more fluorescent dyes or stains which are admixed with the sample being analyzed. This kinetic procedure is particularly useful in performing differential blood cell and platelet counts. A fluorscent target reference device is positioned on the centrifuge platen along with a detectable platen position sensor. The centrifuge assembly includes a processor controller which receives information from the platen position sensor, and from the target reference device, and which controls operation of the light source.

6762017, Jul 13, 2004

Jan 24, 2002

10/053946

Richard Torres - East Haven CT
Robert A. Levine - Guilford CT 06437
Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT 06371

Robert A. Levine - Guilford CT
Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT

G01N 3100

435 2, 435 4, 436 8, 436 16, 600368

A non-animal based mixture of components serves as a control for complete blood count (CBC) analysis instruments and paraphernalia. The centrifugible non-animal based mixture simulates blood, and contains blood cell-simulating and other blood constituent-simulating components which are present in the mixture in controlled and known amounts. The mixture can be gravimetrically separated into its blood constituent-simulating components so as to serve as a control that simulates a centrifuged blood sample, and is thus used to check the accuracy of CBC blood analysis instruments, such as those marketed by Becton Dickinson and Company, under the trademark “QBC”.

6204066, Mar 20, 2001

Jun 25, 1999

9/344991

Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT

G01N 3386

436 70

A method for determining the sedimentation rate of erythrocytes (ESR) includes the steps of placing an anticoagulated sample of whole blood in a transparent capillary tube and subjecting the blood sample and the tube to centrifugation. The position of the erythrocyte/plasma interface in the blood sample is determined at known time intervals during centrifugation of the blood sample. A point during centrifugation wherein the position of the erythrocyte/plasma interface becomes non-linear relative to elapsed centrifugation time is determined; and the slope of successive non-linear interface positions which are observed at subsequent elapsed centrifugation times occurring between the aforesaid point, to the time of substantial completion of centrifugation of the sample, is calculated. A value which reflects the sedimentation rate of the sample, if the sedimentation rate measurement were performed under ambient gravity conditions, can be derived from the calculated slope and the Y intercept of the calculated slope, thereby arriving at a conventional gravity sedimentation rate value from the erythrocyte/plasma interface positions determined during centrifugation of the blood sample.

6287870, Sep 11, 2001

Aug 20, 1999

9/366881

Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT

G01N 2100

436164

Formed constituents in an aqueous based fluid biologic material sample are separated from the aqueous constituent of the sample, and are concentrated in an examining instrument's focal plane where they can be examined under magnification. Examples of fluids that can be analyzed in this fashion include urine; cerebrospinal fluid; pleural fluid; ascites; fluids aspirated from cysts such as thyroid and breast cysts; cytologic specimens which have been placed in an aqueous fluid; platelet-rich plasma; and the like. The sample is placed in a chamber having a layer of a hydrophilic hydrogel covering a surface of the chamber. An opposite surface of the chamber is transparent, and may be formed by a microscope slide cover slip, or the like. The volume of hydrogel in the chamber is sufficient so that, when the hydrogel absorbs essentially all of the aqueous fraction of the sample, the hydrogel will expand and fill the chamber. The capture surface of the expanded hydrogel is preferably planar, and any formed constituents in the sample will be captured on the capture surface of the hydrogel layer, and will not be absorbed into the hydrogel.

7629176, Dec 8, 2009

Feb 11, 2008

12/029289

Thomas Haubert - Columbus OH, US
Vince Contini - Powell OH, US
Steve Grimes - Westerville OH, US
Randy Jones - Delaware OH, US
Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT, US

Battelle Memorial Institute - Columbus OH

G01N 1/18, G01N 33/48

436177, 436 45, 436 63, 422 58, 422 59, 422 60, 422 72, 422 73, 422101, 422102, 435 2, 210782

A tube and float system for use in separation and axial expansion of the buffy coat includes a transparent or semi-transparent, flexible sample tube and a rigid separator float having a specific gravity intermediate that of red blood cells and plasma. The float includes a main body portion of reduced diameter to provide a clearance gap between the inner wall of the sample tube and the float. One or more protrusions on the main body portion serve to support the flexible tube. During centrifugation, the centrifugal force causes the diameter of the flexible tube to expand and permit density-based axial movement of the float in the tube. The float further includes a pressure relief system to alleviate pressure build up in the trapped red blood cell blood fraction below the float, thereby preventing red blood cells from being forced into the annular gap containing the buffy coat layers.

8077296, Dec 13, 2011

Apr 18, 2011

13/088853

Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT, US
Robert A. Levine - Guilford CT, US
Niten V. Lalpuria - Princeton NJ, US

Abbott Point of Care, Inc. - Princeton NJ

G01N 33/48

356 39, 356 40

A method for enumerating platelets within a blood sample is provided. The method includes the steps of: 1) depositing the sample into an analysis chamber adapted to quiescently hold the sample for analysis, the chamber defined by a first panel and a second panel, both of which panels are transparent; 2) admixing a colorant with the sample, which colorant is operative to cause the platelets to fluoresce upon exposure to one or more predetermined first wavelengths of light; 3) illuminating at least a portion of the sample containing the platelets at the first wavelengths; 4) imaging the sample, including producing image signals indicative of fluorescent emissions from the platelets, which fluorescent emissions have an intensity; 5) identifying the platelets by their fluorescent emissions, using the image signals; 6) determining an average fluorescent emission intensity value for the individual platelets identified within the sample; 7) identifying clumps of platelets within the sample using one or more of their fluorescent emissions, area, shape, and granularity; and 8) enumerating platelets within each platelet clump using the average fluorescent emission intensity value determined for the individual platelets within the sample.

8310658, Nov 13, 2012

Mar 3, 2011

13/039453

Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT, US
Robert A. Levine - Guilford CT, US
Darryn W. Unfricht - North Haven CT, US
Niten V. Lalpuria - Hamden CT, US
Jeremy R. Hill - Guilford CT, US

Abbott Point of Care, Inc. - Princeton NJ

G01N 33/48

356 39, 382134

A method and apparatus for identifying reticulocytes within a blood sample is provided. The method includes the steps of: a) depositing the sample into an analysis chamber adapted to quiescently hold the sample for analysis, and the chamber has a known or determinable height extending between the interior surfaces of panels, which height is such that at least one red blood cell, or an aggregate of red blood cells, within the sample contacts both of the interior surfaces; b) admixing a supravital dye with the sample, which dye is operable to cause reticulin to fluoresce when excited by light of one or more predetermined wavelengths; c) imaging the sample using light that includes the one or more predetermined wavelengths that cause reticulin to fluoresce; d) imaging the sample using light that is absorbed by hemoglobin to produce values of optical density on a per image unit basis; and e) identifying reticulocytes within the sample using the image of the sample created with light that causes the dyed reticulin to fluoresce, and using the per image unit optical density values.

2011024, Oct 6, 2011

Mar 31, 2011

13/077189

Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT, US

ABBOTT POINT OF CARE, INC. - Princeton NJ

G01N 33/50

422 681

A cartridge for analyzing a biologic fluid sample is provided that includes a base plate, a sample inlet port, a first chamber wall, a second chamber wall, and an optically transparent cover panel disposed in contact with the first and second chamber walls. The base plate has a body with a chamber surface, a body passage, and a chamber entry passage. The body passage is in fluid communication with the chamber entry passage, and the chamber entry passage extends through to the chamber surface. The sample inlet port has an inlet passage in fluid communication with the body passage. The first and second chamber walls each have a height extending outwardly from the chamber surface, and the two walls are spaced apart from one another. The cover panel is sufficiently flexible to deflect and contact a central region of the chamber surface.

2014000, Jan 2, 2014

Jun 24, 2013

13/925295

Stephen C. Wardlaw - Lyme CT, US
Robert A. Levine - Guilford CT, US
Darryn W. Unfricht - North Haven CT, US
Niten Lalpuria - Mumbai, IN
Paul G. Mitsis - Trenton NJ, US

Abbott Point of Care, Inc. - Princeton NJ

G01N 33/72

435 29, 4352887

A method and apparatus for determining at least one hemoglobin related parameter of a whole blood sample is provided. The method includes the steps of: a) depositing the sample into an analysis chamber adapted to quiescently hold the sample for analysis, the chamber defined by an interior surface of a first panel, and an interior surface of a second panel, and the chamber has a height extending between the interior surfaces of the panels, wherein the chamber is configured to increase the oxygenation state of the sample to a substantially oxygenated state within a predetermined amount of time after entry into the chamber; b) imaging the at least one red blood cell contacting the interior surfaces, and producing image signals; c) determining an optical density of at least a portion of the imaged red blood cell contacting both interior surfaces; and d) determining the at least one hemoglobin related parameter of the red blood cell contacting the interior surfaces, using the determined optical density and a molar extinction coefficient for oxygenated hemoglobin.