Patents Assigned to University of Southern California
  • Patent number: 11920247
    Abstract: In various embodiments of the present disclosure, an oxygen-generating bioelectrical reactor comprises two chambers, a first oxidative chamber configured for the abiotic oxidation of water to generate molecular oxygen, and a second reductive chamber configured for the biotic reduction of an insoluble metal(loid) oxide or hydroxide. In various embodiments, the biotic reduction comprises microbially-catalyzed metal(loid) ion reduction of the insoluble metal(loid) oxide or hydroxide, wherein a dissimilatory metal(loid) reducing microorganism transfers electrons obtained from the oxidation of the water extracellularly to the metal(loid) ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Martin Van Den Berghe, Kenneth H. Nealson, A. Joshua West
  • Publication number: 20240069026
    Abstract: A method assessing tissue morphology using machine learning includes a step of training a machine learnable device to predict the status of a diagnostic feature in stained tissue samples. The machine learnable device is trained with a characterized set of digital images of stained tissue samples. Each digital image of the characterized set has a known status for the diagnostic feature and an extracted feature map provides values for a extracted feature over an associated 2-dimensional grid of spatial locations. A step of inputting the set of extracted feature maps is inputted into the machine learnable device to form associations therein between the set of extracted feature maps to and the known status for the diagnostic feature to form a trained machine learnable device. The status for the diagnostic feature of a stained tissue sample of unknown status for the diagnostic feature is predicted from the trained machine learnable device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: University of Southern California
    Inventors: David B. AGUS, Paul Thomas MACKLIN, Rishi Raghav RAWAT, Daniel Lee RUDERMAN
  • Patent number: 11908131
    Abstract: Systems and methods for mapping brain perivascular spaces. A system may include a memory to store one or more images of a brain of a patient. The system may further include a processor coupled to the memory. The processor may be configured to obtain a first and a second image of the brain. The processor may be further configured to combine the first image and the second image to preserve and magnify structures including the brain perivascular spaces within the image of the brain. The processor may be further configured to determine the brain perivascular spaces within the combined image of the brain of the patient. The processor may be further configured to generate a three-dimensional (3-D) map of the perivascular spaces. The system may further include a display configured to display the perivascular spaces to an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Farshid Sepehrband, Jeiran Choupan
  • Publication number: 20240049701
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for the identification of viability enhancing cell features and substrate features as they relate to post-cryopreservation survival of substrate seeded cells. Embodiments of the present invention further involve identification of cell features to manufacture a supernatant that is useful for cell culturing and treatment of various diseases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicants: University of Southern California, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Britney O. Pennington, Jeffrey K. Bailey, Mohamed A. Faynus, Cassidy Arnold, Lincoln V. Johnson, Dennis O. Clegg, Mark S. Humayun, David R. Hinton, Danhong Zhu, Debbie Mitra
  • Publication number: 20240055603
    Abstract: This invention relates to alkali metal (Li, Na, K) ion batteries, electrodes for alkali metal ion batteries, and methods for manufacturing electrodes for alkali metal ion batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicants: University of Southern California, The Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges
    Inventors: Stephen B. CRONIN, Sisi YANG, Özgür ÇAPRAZ, Bertan OZDOGRU
  • Publication number: 20240046533
    Abstract: Systems and methods of image reconstruction are provided. A system may have a memory and a processor to receive data corresponding to magnetic resonance imaging coils and data corresponding to a region of interest within a field of view of the magnetic resonance imaging machine. By determining different weights to associate with virtualized magnetic resonance imaging coils, images may be reconstructed to favor signals associated with a region of interest and to disfavor interference associated with areas outside the region of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Justin Haldar, Daeun Kim
  • Patent number: 11886648
    Abstract: A method for detecting and/or localizing keyboard accessibility failures (KAFs) in a web page is disclosed. A web page is rendered in a browser on a display portion of a computing system. A keyboard navigation flow graph based on based on keyboard-based navigation of a user with the web page. A second point-click navigation flow graph based on mouse-based navigation of the user with the web page. One or more KAFs are determined based on a comparison of the first graphical model with the second graphical model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: University Of Southern California
    Inventors: Paul Chiou, Ali Alotaibi, William Halfond
  • Patent number: 11888200
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for treating wastewater and generating electricity. The system includes layers of sediment containing microorganisms for treating the wastewater. The system includes layers of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide disposed on top of the sediment layers for enhancing electron transfer, current generation rate, and wastewater treatment. The system also includes one or more anodes and one or more cathodes located on top of the layers of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide. The one or more anodes and the one or more cathodes are configured to generate electrical voltage. The system also includes a battery connected to the one or more anodes and the one or more cathodes and configured to store the electrical voltage generated by the one or more anodes and the one or more cathodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Massoud Pirbazari, Varadarajan Ravindran
  • Publication number: 20240025959
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are recombinant proteins and/or polypeptides comprising a Beclin 2 polypeptide and/or a targeting moiety and methods relating to treating, preventing, reducing, and/or inhibiting a cancer, metastasis, and/or a neurodegenerative disease comprising administering said recombinant protein or polypeptides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicants: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE METHODIST HOSPITAL SYSTEM
    Inventors: Rongfu Wang, Yicheng Wang, Motao Zhu
  • Publication number: 20240018199
    Abstract: Described herein is a novel, mitochondrial encoded, open reading frame, that leads to the production of a new mitochondrial peptide. Residing within the ND-Two subunit, a specific small nucleotide polymorphism disrupts expression of this mitochondrial peptide, and is correlated with an increase in obesity and diabetes, particularly in certain ethnic populations. In vitro administration of the peptide increases insulin secretion, decreases fat accumulation and improves glucose uptake in muscle cell. Antibodies generated against the peptide can be used for detecting peptide deficiency, in addition to SNP detection, supporting diagnostic approaches. In vivo studies further revealed that administration of the peptide improves glucose tolerance, thereby providing a new therapeutic avenue for a novel diabetes therapy and decreases bodyweight, thus serving as a novel obesity therapy. Generation of synthetic analogs further enhance or abrogated activity relative to the natural peptide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: University of Southern California
    Inventors: Pinchas COHEN, Kelvin YEN
  • Publication number: 20240021231
    Abstract: An ultrafast non-volatile memory cell for wafer-scale integration includes a voltage divider that outputs an output voltage. The voltage divider includes a reference resistive device that is a reference magnetic tunnel junction or another reference resistive component and a switchable magnetic tunnel junction that includes a free magnet and a fixed magnet. The switchable magnetic tunnel junction configured such that the free magnet is light switchable between a high impedance state and a low impedance state upon application of an electric signal and incident light. A transistor switch is configured to activate the voltage divider for memory write and read operations. A light modulator is in electrical communication with the output voltage from the voltage divider. The light modulator is configured to modulate a guided light beam for memory read operations. Arrays of the memory cells are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Ajey JACOB, Akhilesh JAISWAL
  • Publication number: 20240021428
    Abstract: A method for processing a surface, comprising obtaining a substrate comprising an epitaxially grown semiconductor; reacting a surface of the semiconductor and/or a surface of a dielectric layer on the semiconductor, with a reactant comprising a gas or a plasma, to form a reactive layer on the dielectric layer and/or the semiconductor, wherein the reactive layer comprises a chemical compound including the reactant and elements of the dielectric layer or the semiconductor; and processing (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicants: California Institute of Technology, University of Southern California
    Inventors: Harold Frank Greer, Rehan Kapadia, Debargyha Sarkar
  • Publication number: 20240019404
    Abstract: A system and method for imaging biological material is disclosed. The imaging system may comprise: a multi-well assay plate having a plurality of wells, each well of the plurality of wells defining a cavity that is configured to hold a biological material; an imaging module having a plurality of transducers; and a processor coupled to the imaging module. The processor may be configured to: activate the plurality of transducers to emit energy within the plurality of wells to stimulate the biological material, and generate an image of or analyze the biological material within each well. The method may comprise: adding a thin layer of acoustic coupling material; inserting the microwell plate into a support frame of an enclosure; mechanically translating the support frame; interrogating each of the wells of the microwell plate with ultrasound; and outputting results of the interrogation to an output device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Robert G. Wodnicki, Haochen Kang
  • Publication number: 20240009205
    Abstract: A therapeutic combination of a compound having antiestrogenic activity and a CDK4/6 inhibitor is used in a method for the treatment of BC or other estrogen-responsive tumors in a human patient, wherein the method comprises subjecting the patient to a fasting mimicking diet for a period of 24-190 hours while the patient is being treated with the therapeutic combination, in which the compound having antiestrogenic activity can be a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), a selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) or an aromatase inhibitor (AI).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicants: IFOM -FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO FIRC DI ONCOLOGIA MOLECOLARE (37%), UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (37%), UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA (26%)
    Inventors: Alessio Nencioni, Irene Caffa, Valter Longo, Vanessa Spagnolo
  • Patent number: 11869176
    Abstract: This invention relates to a hyperspectral imaging system for denoising and/or color unmixing multiple overlapping spectra in a low signal-to-noise regime with a fast analysis time. This system may carry out Hyper-Spectral Phasors (HySP) calculations to effectively analyze hyper-spectral time-lapse data. For example, this system may carry out Hyper-Spectral Phasors (HySP) calculations to effectively analyze five-dimensional (5D) hyper-spectral time-lapse data. Advantages of this imaging system may include: (a) fast computational speed, (b) the ease of phasor analysis, and (c) a denoising algorithm to obtain the minimally-acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). An unmixed color image of a target may be generated. These images may be used in diagnosis of a health condition, which may enhance a patient's clinical outcome and evolution of the patient's health.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Wen Shi, Eun Sang Koo, Scott E. Fraser, Francesco Cutrale
  • Publication number: 20240007186
    Abstract: Atmospheric turbulence degrades decoding and data recovery from optically transmitted signals. For example, atmospheric turbulence can induce power coupling from the transmitted Gaussian mode to higher-order modes, resulting in significantly degraded mixing efficiency and system performance. Systems and methods are provided to generate a signal that is a conjugate of the atmospheric noise which is combined with a received data signal to ameliorate atmospheric noise. An optical pilot beam may be transmitted with an optical data beam and received by a receiver which utilizes the optical pilot beam to generate the signal that is a conjugate of the atmospheric noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Runzhou Zhang, Nanzhe Hu, Alan E. Willner, Huibin Zhou, Haoqian Song, Hao Song, Xinzhou Su, Kaiheng Zou
  • Publication number: 20240004969
    Abstract: Examples are described for dynamically applying a digital watermark to a file, such as a dataset of genomic sequencing data. In one example, a method of dynamically applying a watermark to at least a portion of a file includes generating a first random seed, generating an ordered pseudorandom set of integers, generating a second random seed, selecting, using the second random seed, a subset of the ordered pseudorandom set of integers, the subset corresponding to identifiers of data locations in the file, and modifying data at data locations in the file corresponding to at least a portion of the identifiers included in the subset to generate a watermarked file. The genomic data file may be an ordered Binary Alignment Map (BAM) file storing sequencing data or a Variant Call Format (VCF) file or a list of variants storing genomic variation data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicants: Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California
    Inventors: Xiaowu Gai, Alex Ryutov, Tatyana Ryutov
  • Patent number: 11858888
    Abstract: This disclosure provides compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of use for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases or degenerative diseases including neurodegenerative diseases. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide compounds related to very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, pharmaceutical compositions containing the provided compounds, and methods of treating a subject with a condition or disease using provided compounds or pharmaceutical compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignees: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Nicolas G. Bazan, Nicos A. Petasis
  • Patent number: 11858213
    Abstract: A system for additively manufacturing a build part. The system includes a build platform configured for disposition within a resin tank, and a light source configured to cure a layer of resin. The layer of resin is disposed adjacent to a pre-cure build surface of the build part. The system also includes a constrained surface located between the build platform and the light source and configured to form a boundary for the layer of resin disposed between the constrained surface and the pre-cure build surface. The constrained surface is configured to vibrate to reduce a separation force required to separate the constrained surface from a post-cure build surface of the build part. The system also includes a vibratory source configured to vibrate the constrained surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Yong Chen, Jie Jin
  • Publication number: 20230416293
    Abstract: Thymidine analogues, 5-substituted 2?-deoxy-2?-[18F]fluoro-arabinofuranosyluracil derivatives, are promising positron emission tomography (PET) tracers being evaluated for noninvasively imaging cancer cell proliferation and/or reporter gene expression. We report the radiosynthesis of 2?-deoxy-2?-[18F]fluoro-5-methyl-1-?-d-arabinofuranosyluracil ([18F]FMAU) and other 2?-deoxy-2?-[18F]fluoro-5-substituted-1-?-d-arabinofuranosyluracil analogues using 1,4-dioxane to replace the currently used 1,2-dichloroethane. Compared to 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,4-dioxane is analyzed as a better solvent in terms of radiosynthetic yield and toxicity concern. The use of a less toxic solvent allows for the translation of the improved approach to clinical production. The new radiolabeling method can be applied to an extensive range of uses for 18F-labeling of other nucleoside analogues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Kai CHEN, Peter S. CONTI