Pacific Biosciences of California has been granted a patent for an integrated circuit that includes multiple sectors, each containing clock and data lines, a controller, a counter bias line, an amplifier input line, and nano-electronic measurement devices. The devices are connected to the counter bias line and the amplifier input line, and their drain can be gated by switches to control the flow of electrical signals. The circuit is controlled by a programmable switch controller and can include ten or more sectors with one hundred measurement devices each. GlobalData’s report on Pacific Biosciences of California gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Pacific Biosciences of California, Optoelectronic biosensors was a key innovation area identified from patents. Pacific Biosciences of California's grant share as of September 2023 was 56%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.

Integrated circuit with programmable switch controller and measurement devices

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Credit: Pacific Biosciences of California Inc

A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11773437B2) describes an integrated circuit with multiple sectors, each containing programmable switch controllers, measurement devices, and switches. The circuit includes a substrate and at least ten sectors, with each sector having one hundred measurement devices. The measurement devices are spatially arranged on the substrate and include a source, drain, and channel. The electrical signal from the drain is gated by switches to the amplifier input line. The programmable switch controller, which is in electrical communication with clock signal and data input lines, independently controls the on/off state of each switch.

In one embodiment, the programmable switch controller of a sector includes a shift register with flip-flops. The flip-flops are connected in series, with the serial input of the initial flip-flop connected to the data input line. The shift register receives a device scan chain sequence through electrical pulses in the clock signal line, biasing each flip-flop to either the first or second state. The switches in the sector are independently wired to the programmable switch controller through corresponding flip-flops, resulting in the switches being in the off state when the flip-flops are biased to the first state and in the on state when biased to the second state.

The patent also describes additional features, such as shunt scan chain input lines, multiplexers, AND gates, reset mechanisms, memory controllers, column and row decoders, clock signal lines, load buffer lines, restart scan chain lines, and amplifiers. These features enable further control and functionality of the integrated circuit.

The integrated circuit can be used for various applications, including light sensing, with the measurement devices acting as light sensors. The number of measurement devices in each sector can range from 1,000 to 10 million, depending on the specific implementation. The circuit also allows for the bypassing of measurement devices through signals on the data input line, permanently placing them in the off state.

Overall, this patent presents an integrated circuit design with programmable switch controllers and measurement devices, offering flexibility and control in various applications.

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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.