Rheonix to receive U.S. patent for powerful microfluidic platform

Rheonix, Inc., developer of the Rheonix CARD^® system that provides a powerful microfluidic platform for the evolving molecular diagnostics industry, announced that on June 14, 2011 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will issue Patent Number 7,959,875, "Microfluidic Chips and Assay Systems," and on April 13, 2011 it allowed Patent Application Number 11/594,444, "Microfluidic Systems," to the Company. These patents, together with existing intellectual property, complete coverage for the Company's core device and its instrument control systems, which provide a versatile platform for the development of commercially viable diagnostic products.

"The patent issuance and allowance recognize the novelty of our technology and the profound influence inventors Dr. Peng Zhou and Lincoln Young have exerted in the field of active microfluidic devices," said Tony Eisenhut, President of Rheonix. "This proprietary technology enables our Rheonix CARD^® system to potentially fulfill the long-sought promise of microfluidics for diagnostics—integration of all common laboratory operations on a chip to enable 'sample in, results out' functionality."

Rheonix has multiple issued patents and pending applications worldwide on its technology and its subsequent applications in various fields, as well as instruments enabled by the core technology. Rheonix has developed an integrated system consisting of a consumable device that incorporates patented microfluidic structures produced by the Company's lamination technology. This platform, the Rheonix CARD^® system, uses active diaphragm valves that regulate the transport of fluids through a microfluidic network in a single, homogeneous-material device. Rheonix uses its patented Rheonix CARD^® system to manipulate diverse specimens in sample sizes ranging from 10 microliters to 5 milliliters, for fully integrated processing from raw sample preparation through end-point analysis in clinical, research and environmental purposes. The Company is currently developing products for single nucleotide polymorphism analysis for personalized medicine, HPV and other infectious disease detection.