(19)

(11)

EP 1 796 824 A2

(12)

(88) Date of publication A3: 12.01.2006 (43) Date of publication: 20.06.2007 Bulletin 2007/25 (21) Application number: 05766055.7 (22) Date of filing: 02.05.2005

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):  B01J 3/00(2006.01) (86) International application number: PCT/US2005/015352 (87) International publication number: WO 2005/107938 (17.11.2005 Gazette 2005/46)

(84) Designated Contracting States: AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR (30) Priority: 02.05.2004 US 837885 23.06.2004 US 876046 25.01.2005 US 43895 14.02.2005 US 58106 (71) Applicant: Fluidigm Corporation South San Francisco, CA 94080 (US)

(72) Inventors: GOODSAID, Federico Laytonville, Maryland 20882 (US) UNGER, Marc, A. San Mateo, California 94403 (US) HUANG, Jiang San Jose, California 94129 (US) QUAN, Emerson South San Francisco, California 94080 (US) GROSSMAN, Robert South San Francisco, California 94080 (US) LAM, Phillip San Francisco, California 94122 (US) CHOU, Hou-Pu Sunnyvale, California 94087 (US) KIMBALL, Jake Oakland, California 94611 (US) PIEPRZYK, Martin Menlo Park, California 94025 (US) FACER, Geoffrey San Francisco, California 94110 (US) (74) Representative: Broughton, Jon Philip et al HLBBshaw Merlin House Falconry Court Baker's Lane Epping, Essex CM16 5DQ Epping, Essex CM16 5DQ (GB)