CryoXtract™ Instruments Announces Patent Allowance for Frozen Sample Aliquotting Technology

WOBURN, Mass. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- CryoXtract Instruments, LLC, a leader in developing unique automation solutions for preserving and optimizing frozen biological samples, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 12/087,695, entitled “Systems, Methods and Devices for Frozen Sample Distribution.”

This patent application is jointly owned by Harvard University and Northeastern University, which collaborated on the development of the technology. CryoXtract is the exclusive licensee of the patent application, which covers CryoXtract’s core technology and solutions that enable the scientific community to protect and access high-value frozen biological samples without exposing them to detrimental repeated freeze/thaw cycles.

Biosamples are critical to the advancement of molecular medicine, biomarker discovery/validation and other important research and development initiatives. Today, access to frozen biosamples is typically achieved by thawing the entire stored primary sample, aliquotting the amount needed for scientific purposes, and then refreezing the primary sample. By eliminating this repeated exposure to freeze/thaw cycles, CryoXtract’s technology provides efficient access to these highly valuable frozen biosamples for important research and discovery, preserves the integrity of the original parent sample for future use, and streamlines sample processing and lab efficiency through automation.

“The issuance of this Patent Allowance represents an important and foundational milestone for the Company, and validates the innovative accomplishments achieved to date by CryoXtract and its collaborators at Harvard and Northeastern,” said John A. McCarthy, Jr., CryoXtract’s CEO. “Success across all major scientific initiatives underway today requires quality source materials, yet the scarcity of available high-quality specimens represents a critical impediment to advances in research. Our technology, in combination with the expertise of our team and partners, allows us to offer innovative solutions to optimize sample quality and therefore scientific outcomes.”

In addition to the newly allowed patent application, corresponding patent applications are pending in other international markets as well. CryoXtract has also filed additional U.S. and international patent applications directed to key enhancements and broadened applications for its core technology.

CryoXtract announced last month that it is expanding distribution of its award-winning technology platform in the Benelux countries and Germany with GC biotech N.V., a leading value-added distributor of sophisticated life-science technologies. The Benelux countries and Germany represent many of the most important and progressive European markets for human genetics research and development and therefore sophisticated biobanking requirements.

About CryoXtract Instruments, LLC

CryoXtract develops and commercializes unique automation solutions that allow for the retrieval of multiple frozen biosamples from a single sample without exposing the source to the deleterious biological impact of freeze/thaw cycling. The company’s novel automation technology platform improves frozen biosample processing, protects the viability of frozen biosamples after cores have been extracted, improves lab efficiencies and economics, and results in improved scientific outcomes. In May 2012, the International Society for Biological and Environmental Biorepositories (ISBER) awarded its prestigious Outstanding New Product Award to the company’s CXT 750 Frozen Sample Aliquotter.

CryoXtract is a subsidiary of Allied Minds, Inc., a Boston-based private investment corporation. For more information, please visit www.cryoxtract.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is a U.S. investment firm that deploys private equity to form, fund, manage and build start-ups based on early-stage technologies developed at renowned U.S. universities and federal research institutions. Allied Minds serves as a diversified holding company that supports its businesses with capital, management and shared services, and is the premier investment firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach for technology commercialization. More information about the Boston-based company can be found at www.alliedminds.com.