Patents by Inventor J. Richard Spears

J. Richard Spears has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7294278
    Abstract: A method and apparatus creates gas-enriched fluid that is used to treat wastewater. In one embodiment, the wastewater is withdrawn from a supply of wastewater to be treated, and the wastewater is delivered in an atomized manner to a vessel pressurized with gas to form gas-enriched wastewater. The gas-enriched wastewater is then delivered to the supply of wastewater to be treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignees: Wayne State University, TherOx, Inc., DynamOx, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Richard Crilly, Ray Rydman, James Gessert, Steve Myrick
  • Patent number: 7008535
    Abstract: A method and apparatus creates gas-enriched fluid that is used to treat wastewater. In one embodiment, the wastewater is withdrawn from a supply of wastewater to be treated, and the wastewater is delivered in an atomized manner to a vessel pressurized with gas to form gas-enriched wastewater. The gas-enriched wastewater is then delivered to the supply of wastewater to be treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignees: Wayne State University, TherOx, Inc., DynamOx, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Richard Crilly, Ray Rydman, James Gessert, Steve Myrick
  • Patent number: 6746417
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing gas concentration in blood which has use as a generalized extracorporeal system and method to treat hypoxemic blood from a patient by mixing the blood with an oxygen supersaturated solution to generate hyperoxemic blood to be infused back to the patient. The extracorporeal system comprises an extracorporeal tubing through which blood from the patient is circulated, a blood pump for withdrawing blood from and delivering blood to the patient, at least one channel for delivering oxygen-supersaturated fluid and a mixing region for introducing supersaturated fluid without bubble formation. By infusing the oxygen-supersaturated fluid into the hypoxemic or normoxemic blood from the patient, hyperoxemic blood is thereby produced. The hyperoxemic blood is then returned to a central vein, right heart or artery of the patient with the blood pump at approximately the same volume delivery rate as blood volume withdrawal rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Seth A. Foerster, James M. Gessert, Paul J. Zalesky
  • Patent number: 6607698
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing gas concentration in blood which has use as a generalized extracorporeal system and method to treat hypoxemic blood from a patient by mixing the blood with an oxygen supersaturated solution to generate hyperoxemic blood to be infused back to the patient. The extracorporeal system comprises an extracorporeal tubing through which blood from the patient is circulated, a blood pump for withdrawing blood from and delivering blood to the patient, at least one channel for delivering oxygen-supersaturated fluid and a mixing region for introducing supersaturated fluid without bubble formation. By infusing the oxygen-supersaturated fluid into the hypoxemic or normoxemic blood from the patient, hyperoxemic blood is thereby produced. The hyperoxemic blood is then returned to a central vein, right heart or artery of the patient with the blood pump at approximately the same volume delivery rate as blood volume withdrawal rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignees: TherOx, Inc., Wayne State University
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Seth A. Foerster, James M. Gessert, Paul J. Zalesky
  • Patent number: 6461590
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of delivering an emulsion or suspension containing a supersaturated gas into a gas-depleted environment. The method generally comprises the steps of preparing an emulsion or suspension, exposing the emulsion or suspension to a gas at a pressure greater than 2 bar, and delivering the emulsion or suspension to a gas-depleted environment at ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears
  • Patent number: 6344489
    Abstract: A gas-enriched liquid delivered at a site of interest that is substantially bubble free after delivery into a lower pressure liquid or gas environment. The delivered gas-enriched liquid is produced by a process comprising the steps of: a) preparing a mixture of gas and liquid; b) compressing the mixture to a pressure such that the gas completely dissolves in the liquid to form a gas-enriched liquid; c) enclosing the gas-enriched liquid within a confined space while retaining substantially the same pressure. The confined space has at least one dimension less than about 0.2 mm, and has at least one opening to a liquid or gas environment site of interest having a lower pressure than that of the pressure of the confined space; and d) delivering the gas-enriched liquid from the confined space out through the at least one exit opening to the lower pressure environment without formation of bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears
  • Patent number: 6315942
    Abstract: A system and method for delivering a gas-supersaturated fluid comprising a fluid reservoir, a fluid pump, a gas source, a high pressure gas exchanger, and one or more arrays of capillary channels is disclosed. Suitable controls such as differential pressure gauge and valves are provided to maintain a near constant hydrostatic pressure of the fluid within the semi-permeable membrane gas-fluid interface of the gas exchanger at approximately 1% to 20% higher than the gas partial pressure of the fluid within the gas exchanger. Gas-supersaturated fluid output from the gas exchanger via the capillary channels is at a flow velocity of greater than 0.05 m/sec, thereby facilitating delivery of large flow rates of gas-supersaturated fluids without cavitation inception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Richard J. Crilly
  • Publication number: 20010028893
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of delivering an emulsion or suspension containing a supersaturated gas into a gas-depleted environment. The method generally comprises the steps of preparing an emulsion or suspension, exposing the emulsion or suspension to a gas at a pressure greater than 2 bar, and delivering the emulsion or suspension to a gas-depleted environment at ambient pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears
  • Patent number: 6248087
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing gas concentration in blood which has use as a generalized extracorporeal system and method to treat hypoxemic blood from a patient by mixing the blood with an oxygen supersaturated solution to generate hyperoxemic blood to be infused back to the patient. The extracorporeal system comprises an extracorporeal tubing through which blood from the patient is circulated, a blood pump for withdrawing blood from and delivering blood to the patient, at least one channel for delivering oxygen-supersaturated fluid and a mixing region for introducing supersaturated fluid without bubble formation. By infusing the oxygen-supersaturated fluid into the hypoxemic or normoxemic blood from the patient, hyperoxemic blood is thereby produced. The hyperoxemic blood is then returned to a central vein, right heart or artery of the patient with the blood pump at approximately the same volume delivery rate as blood volume withdrawal rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignees: Therox, Inc., Wayne State University
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Seth A. Foerster, James M. Gessert, Paul J. Zalesky
  • Patent number: 6241802
    Abstract: A system and method for delivering a gas-supersaturated fluid comprising a fluid reservoir, a fluid pump, a gas source, a high pressure gas exchanger, and one or more arrays of capillary channels is disclosed. Suitable controls such as differential pressure gauge and valves are provided to maintain a near constant hydrostatic pressure of the fluid within the semi-permeable membrane gas-fluid interface of the gas exchanger at approximately 1% to 20% higher than the gas partial pressure of the fluid within the gas exchanger. Gas-supersaturated fluid output from the gas exchanger via the capillary channels is at a flow velocity of greater than 0.05 m/sec, thereby facilitating delivery of large flow rates of gas-supersaturated fluids without cavitation inception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Richard J. Crilly
  • Patent number: 6238645
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of delivering an emulsion or suspension containing a supersaturated gas into a gas-depleted environment. The method generally comprises the steps of preparing an emulsion or suspension, exposing the emulsion or suspension to a gas at a pressure greater than 2 bar, and delivering the emulsion or suspension to a gas-depleted environment at ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears
  • Publication number: 20010001111
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing gas concentration in blood which has use as a generalized extracorporeal system and method to treat hypoxemic blood from a patient by mixing the blood with an oxygen supersaturated solution to generate hyperoxemic blood to be infused back to the patient. The extracorporeal system comprises an extracorporeal tubing through which blood from the patient is circulated, a blood pump for withdrawing blood from and delivering blood to the patient, at least one channel for delivering oxygen-supersaturated fluid and a mixing region for introducing supersaturated fluid without bubble formation. By infusing the oxygen-supersaturated fluid into the hypoxemic or normoxemic blood from the patient, hyperoxemic blood is thereby produced. The hyperoxemic blood is then returned to a central vein, right heart or artery of the patient with the blood pump at approximately the same volume delivery rate as blood volume withdrawal rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: May 10, 2001
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Seth A. Foerster, James M. Gessert, Paul J. Zalesky
  • Patent number: 6197279
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of delivering an emulsion or suspension containing a supersaturated gas into a gas-depleted environment. The method generally comprises the steps of preparing an emulsion or suspension, exposing the emulsion or suspension to a gas at a pressure greater than 2 bar, and delivering the emulsion or suspension to a gas-depleted environment at ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears
  • Patent number: 6169117
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of delivering an emulsion or suspension containing a supersaturated gas into a gas-depleted environment. The method generally comprises the steps of preparing an emulsion or suspension, exposing the emulsion or suspension to a gas at a pressure greater than 2 bar, and delivering the emulsion or suspension to a gas-depleted environment at ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears
  • Patent number: 6123698
    Abstract: The present invention includes a fluid delivery device capable of delivering perfusion or other fluids to a vascular site. Preferred embodiments permit delivery of large quantities of fluid without causing recoil of the device, and without causing trauma to the vascular site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignees: Therox, Inc., Wayne State University
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Philip S. Levin, Paul J. Zalesky, Vincent Divino, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5976119
    Abstract: The present invention includes a guidewire device capable of delivering perfusion fluids to a vascular site while at the same time exhibiting handling characteristics associated with existing non-perfusion guidewires. Preferred embodiments include a perfusion guidewire which closely matches the dimensions and physical characteristics of standard guidewires. Preferred embodiments also permit high pressure perfusion of supersaturated solutions, and include a liquid flow path which will not promote bubble generation or growth, or destabilize a supersaturated solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignees: Wayne State University, TherOx, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Philip S. Levin, Paul J. Zalesky
  • Patent number: 5957899
    Abstract: The present invention includes a fluid delivery device capable of delivering perfusion or other fluids to a vascular site. Preferred embodiments permit delivery of large quantities of fluid without causing recoil of the device, and without causing trauma to the vascular site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: TherOx, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Philip S. Levin, Paul J. Zalesky, Vincent Divino, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5958377
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of delivering an emulsion or suspension containing a supersaturated gas into a gas-depleted environment. The method generally comprises the steps of preparing an emulsion or suspension, exposing the emulsion or suspension to a gas at a pressure greater than 2 bar, and delivering the emulsion or suspension to a gas-depleted environment at ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears
  • Patent number: 5922305
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of delivering an emulsion or suspension containing a supersaturated gas into a gas-depleted environment. The method generally comprises the steps of preparing an emulsion or suspension, exposing the emulsion or suspension to a gas at a pressure greater than 2 bar, and delivering the emulsion or suspension to a gas-depleted environment at ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears
  • Patent number: 5834519
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of delivering an emulsion or suspension containing a supersaturated gas into a gas-depleted environment. The method generally comprises the steps of preparing an emulsion or suspension, exposing the emulsion or suspension to a gas at a pressure greater than 2 bar, and delivering the emulsion or suspension to a gas-depleted environment at ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: J. Richard Spears