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).
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Patent number: 7294278Abstract: 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 In one embodiment, the wastewater is withdrawn from a supply of wastewater to be treated, and the wastewater is delivered in an atomized manner to a vessel pressurized with gas to form gas-enriched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: GrantFiled: November 4, 2005Date of Patent: November 13, 2007Assignees: Wayne State University, TherOx, Inc., DynamOx, Inc.Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Richard Crilly, Ray Rydman, James Gessert, Steve Myrick
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Patent number: 7008535Abstract: 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 In one embodiment, the wastewater is withdrawn from a supply of wastewater to be treated, and the wastewater is delivered in an atomized manner to a vessel pressurized with gas to form gas-enriched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: GrantFiled: August 4, 2000Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignees: Wayne State University, TherOx, Inc., DynamOx, Inc.Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Richard Crilly, Ray Rydman, James Gessert, Steve Myrick
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Patent number: 6746417Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 19, 2000Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Seth A. Foerster, James M. Gessert, Paul J. Zalesky
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Patent number: 6607698Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 15, 1997Date of Patent: August 19, 2003Assignees: TherOx, Inc., Wayne State UniversityInventors: J. Richard Spears, Seth A. Foerster, James M. Gessert, Paul J. Zalesky
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Patent number: 6461590Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 25, 2001Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventor: J. Richard Spears
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Patent number: 6344489Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 3, 1996Date of Patent: February 5, 2002Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventor: J. Richard Spears
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Patent number: 6315942Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 28, 2000Date of Patent: November 13, 2001Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventors: J. Richard Spears, Richard J. Crilly
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Publication number: 20010028893Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2001Publication date: October 11, 2001Inventor: J. Richard Spears
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Patent number: 6248087Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 27, 1999Date of Patent: June 19, 2001Assignees: Therox, Inc., Wayne State UniversityInventors: J. Richard Spears, Seth A. Foerster, James M. Gessert, Paul J. Zalesky
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Patent number: 6241802Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 8, 2000Date of Patent: June 5, 2001Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventors: J. Richard Spears, Richard J. Crilly
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Patent number: 6238645Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 26, 1999Date of Patent: May 29, 2001Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventor: J. Richard Spears
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Publication number: 20010001111Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2000Publication date: May 10, 2001Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Seth A. Foerster, James M. Gessert, Paul J. Zalesky
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Patent number: 6197279Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 26, 1999Date of Patent: March 6, 2001Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventor: J. Richard Spears
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Patent number: 6169117Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 1, 1998Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventor: J. Richard Spears
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Patent number: 6123698Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 14, 1999Date of Patent: September 26, 2000Assignees: Therox, Inc., Wayne State UniversityInventors: J. Richard Spears, Philip S. Levin, Paul J. Zalesky, Vincent Divino, Jr.
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Patent number: 5976119Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 21, 1998Date of Patent: November 2, 1999Assignees: Wayne State University, TherOx, Inc.Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Philip S. Levin, Paul J. Zalesky
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Patent number: 5957899Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 24, 1996Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: TherOx, Inc.Inventors: J. Richard Spears, Philip S. Levin, Paul J. Zalesky, Vincent Divino, Jr.
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Patent number: 5958377Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 8, 1997Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventor: J. Richard Spears
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Patent number: 5922305Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 8, 1997Date of Patent: July 13, 1999Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventor: J. Richard Spears
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Patent number: 5834519Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 11, 1996Date of Patent: November 10, 1998Assignee: Wayne State UniversityInventor: J. Richard Spears