Bio/Data Corporation Receives Patent for Low-Speed, Low-Shear Stirring.HORSHAM, Pa. -- Bio/Data Corporation ("Bio/Data"), manufacturer, seller and distributor of medical laboratory products, announced it has received U.S. Patent No. 6,988,825B2 for its low-speed, low-shear stirring technology, known as IMIXX(R). In addition, Bio/Data's IMIXX U.S.-registered trademark has been awarded for use in the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community . "We are extremely proud of this hard-won patent," said Eugene J. Messa, president and chief executive officer. "IMIXX now is officially recognized as an innovative technology ideal for fragile biological samples." William E. Coville, Bio/Data's Manager of Product Development, explained how IMIXX vertical magnetic stirring revolutionizes mixing. "When you witness the unprecedented speed at which living cells currently are flung about - up to thousands of revolutions per minute - it's a wonder that a fraction of the living organic matter survives," he said. "IMIXX operates at slow speed, yet dramatically increases yield in half the time. "That's why we're excited about our new mixing line; the technology ensures uniformity from top to bottom. IMIXX has far-reaching implications in such diverse applications as chemical, pharmaceutical, fermentation fermentation, process by which the living cell is able to obtain energy through the breakdown of glucose and other simple sugar molecules without requiring oxygen. Fermentation is achieved by somewhat different chemical sequences in different species of organisms. , agricultural, petrochemical and cosmetics." Ironically, Bio/Data's newly patented mixing technology emulates primitive chemistry procedures where stirring was performed by a chemist with a long glass rod. "What was not appreciated when labs modernized mod·ern·ize v. mo·dern·ized, mo·dern·iz·ing, mo·dern·iz·es v.tr. To make modern in appearance, style, or character; update. v.intr. To accept or adopt modern ways, ideas, or style. and automated," Coville noted, "was that the old-fashioned stirring technique worked. "Current stirring methods routinely employ paddles, rotating impellers, blades and spinning magnetic bars," he continued. "The liquids inside are moved symmetrically, creating 'voids' where little or no real mixing occurs. That kind of high-shear, non-homogenous stirring is inefficient, variable and wasteful." Bio/Data Corporation has created a line of products for its IMIXX line: incubation blocks, inserts that accept a variety of container types (including conical-shaped bottoms) and sizes (microliter microliter /mi·cro·li·ter/ (µL) (mi´kro-le?ter) one millionth (10-6) of a liter. mi·cro·li·ter n. A unit of volume equal to one-millionth (10-6) of a liter. to multiliter volumes), and magnetic stir bars A stir bar (or flea) is a magnetic bar, used to stir a liquids in a laboratory. The stir bar rotates (and thus stirs) in synch with a separate rotating magnet located beneath the vessel containing the reaction. whose flexibility maximize the benefits of IMIXX technology. What's especially striking to the casual observer is that IMIXX has no moving parts Moving parts are the components of a device that undergo continuous or frequent motion, most commonly rotation. "Parts" only include the mechanical components which does not include fuel, or any other gas or liquid. . Bio/Data's web address is www.biodatacorp.com. The company is ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9001:2000 registered. NOTE TO EDITOR: PHOTO AVAILABLE |
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