Biocept granted US patent for cell separation technology using microfluidic device

Biocept, Inc. ("Biocept"), an emerging leader in rare cell capture, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent for Biocept's cell separation technology using a microfluidic device. U.S. patent #7,695,956 entitled "Device for Cell Separation and Analysis and Method of Using" protects Biocept's microflow device to isolate cells from a bodily fluid using a flow path where straight-line flow is interrupted by transverse posts arranged in a random pattern. Sequestering agents, such as antibodies, are used to immobilize the cells in the cavity of the device. Cells can then be analyzed inside the microchannel using morphological, immunohistochemical, or fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) tests, or the cells can be released from the channel for molecular analysis following extraction of DNA.

"This patent establishes Biocept's leadership position in using a microfluidic device to capture and analyze rare cells for prenatal or cancer applications," said Stephen M. Coutts, President and CEO of Biocept. "We are using this invention to develop innovative proprietary tests in which we capture and analyze circulating tumor cells from a blood sample from cancer patients. These circulating tumor cells provide genetic information about the patient's disease and can potentially guide the clinicians in making therapeutic choices to maximize patient response. We look forward to bringing this technology through to commercialization and making personalized medicine a reality for cancer patients and their families."