Agilent has obtained worldwide, non-exclusive patent licenses from Abbott Molecular for the manufacture, marketing and sale of oligonucleotide microarrays using a two-or-more colour technology
This broad license covers microarray applications, including research, commercial laboratories and in vitro diagnostics.
Expressly built into the grant of rights are related products, instruments, components and services.
Details of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.
"This intellectual property complements other recent Agilent investments in microarray fabrication technology and software," said Nick Roelofs, vice president and general manager of Agilent's life sciences unit.
"Our intent is to help researchers unlock the full potential of genomics".
About the technology.
Oligonucleotide microarrays comprise short sequences of nucleotides, often used as probes for detecting complementary DNA or RNA.
Array CGH technology provides a way of studying chromosomal aberrations, including copy number changes and rearrangements, across the entire genome simultaneously.
Ultimately, this information can be used to determine gene activity or to pinpoint chromosomal abnormalities such as gains or losses associated with disease states.
