Today’s Patent – Devices and Methods for Analyzing Biological Samples

The said invention (US12303892B2) was invented by Tarun Kumar Khurana, Ali AgahYir-Shyuan Wu, Filiz Gorpe YASAR and patented by USPTO on July 17^th, 2024. Currently, it stands assigned to the Cellanome Inc.

This invention relates to a method for selectively encapsulating individual cells within a fluidic device using light-activated polymerization. A plurality of cells is introduced into a fluidic device that contains a surface with capture elements such as physical traps or functional groups like fibronectin, RGD peptides, or antibodies that bind individual cells. Polymer precursors are then introduced, and light is selectively applied to polymerize the material around targeted cells, forming chambers that encapsulate the cells within a polymer matrix.

The fluidic device may also include capture oligonucleotides or antibodies to collect analytes such as RNA or proteins secreted by the encapsulated cells. Captured messenger RNAs can be reverse transcribed into cDNA for downstream analysis, including sequencing. The spatial arrangement of capture elements and barcoded oligonucleotides allows tracking of cell position and associated molecular data, enabling integrated single-cell analysis in a controlled microenvironment.