SAN DIEGO, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nanogen, Inc. , developer of advanced diagnostic products, announced today it was issued Patent No. 6,960,298, “Mesoporous permeation layers for use on active electronic matrix devices” by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The ‘298 patent relates to synthetic polymer hydrogels with defined pore size that overlay an electrode on a substrate. The technology, which is an integral component of the NanoChip(R) Electronic Microarray, provides high-performance characteristics on active electronic chip devices, offering a protective interface between the electrically active surface on the NanoChip(R) array and the biological test environment.
Ion-permeable permeation layers are essential to the function of electronic devices such as the NanoChip(R) array, allowing the attachment and immobilization of nucleic acids, which can serve as probes for detecting nucleic acid sequences of interest, on the chip. The permeation layer allows the diffusion of ions that balance the electric charge near the reaction site and the precise electronic control of analyte movement, both of which facilitate the rapid movement of nucleic acids to and from various test sites on the NanoChip(R). The permeation layer also separates the attached biomolecules from the electrochemical environment generated immediately at the electrode, preventing the attached molecule’s exposure to the highly reactive surface, which can rapidly destroy nucleic acids or other biomolecules.
“Nanogen’s electronic microarray platform includes many cutting-edge inventions, each of which contributes to the unique performance characteristics of our instrument system for molecular testing,” said Howard C. Birndorf, Nanogen chairman and chief executive officer. “Each patent we secure will further protect our investment in the development of products like the NanoChip(R) array.”
About Nanogen, Inc.
Nanogen’s advanced technologies provide researchers, clinicians and physicians worldwide with improved methods and tools to predict, diagnose, and ultimately help treat disease. The company’s products include real-time PCR reagents, the NanoChip(R) electronic microarray platform and a line of rapid diagnostic tests. Nanogen’s ten years of pioneering research involving nanotechnology holds the promise of miniaturization and continues to be supported for its potential for diagnostic and biowarfare applications. For additional information please visit Nanogen’s website at www.nanogen.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, including whether patents owned or licensed by Nanogen will be developed into products, whether the patents owned by Nanogen offer any protection against competitors with competing technologies, whether products under development can be successfully developed and commercialized, whether results reported by our customers or partners can be identically replicated, and other risks and uncertainties discussed under the caption “Factors That May Affect Results” and elsewhere in Nanogen’s Form 10-K or Form 10-Q most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Nanogen disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Nanogen, Inc.
CONTACT: Robert Saltmarsh, Chief Financial Officer of Nanogen, Inc.,+1-858-410-4600, rsaltmarsh@nanogen.com; or Pam Lord, Media & InvestorRelations of Atkins + Associates, +1-858-527-3494, plord@irpr.com, forNanogen, Inc.
Web site: http://www.nanogen.com/
