Patents Represented by Attorney Herrell & Skillman, P.C.
  • Patent number: 7916909
    Abstract: A method and means enabling identification in an NMR image, being one of a time-sequence of images recording induced changes in pixel values of successive images of a subject (such as post-contrast dynamic images), the contribution to the image arising from the presence within the image subject of a specified tissue (e.g. fat). This identification is done using a statistical measure derived from the dynamic data (e.g. pixel value changes due to contrast agent uptake) taken from a plurality of the separate images forming the time-sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignees: The Institute of Cancer Research
    Inventors: Michael Khazen, Martin O Leach
  • Patent number: 7909973
    Abstract: A microfabricated device employing a bridging membrane and methods for electrokinetic transport of a liquid phase biological or chemical material using the same are described. The bridging membrane is deployed in or adjacent to a microchannel and permits either ionic current flow or the transport of gas species, while inhibiting the bulk flow of material. The use of bridging membranes in accordance with this invention is applicable to a variety of processes, including electrokinetically induced pressure flow in a region of a microchannel that is not influenced by an electric field, sample concentration enhancement and injection, as well as improving the analysis of materials where it is desired to eliminate electrophoretic bias. Other applications of the bridging membranes according to this invention include the separation of species from a sample material, valving of fluids in a microchannel network, mixing of different materials in a microchannel, and the pumping of fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jacobson, J. Michael Ramsey, Christopher T. Culbertson, William B. Whitten, Robert S. Foote
  • Patent number: 7901002
    Abstract: A clip for use in a cushion for a vehicle seat, wherein the cushion includes a cushioned pad and a trim cover , the cushioned pad having a recess portion and a wire embedded in the cushioned pad so as to be partially exposed to the recess portion from the cushioned pad, the trim cover having a portion, a longitudinal tensioning cord attached to the portion of the trim cover, a longitudinal bulged member provided along a longitudinal edge portion of the cord, and a laterally elongated through-hole formed in the cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Mashimo
  • Patent number: 7897361
    Abstract: Methods and compositions relating to Alzheimer's disease are provided. Specifically, proteins that are differentially expressed in the Alzheimer's disease state relative to their expression in the normal state are provided. Proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease are identified and described. Methods of diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using the differentially expressed proteins are also provided, as are methods for the identification and therapeutic use of compounds for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Inventors: Jules Westbrook, Helen Byers, Malcolm Ward, Simon Lovestone, Abdul Hye, Stephen Lynham, Richard Joubert, Petra Prefot, Karsten Kuhn, Christian Baumann, Juergen Schaefer, Thorsten Prinz, Stefan Kienle
  • Patent number: 7892819
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices for amplifying a preselected polynucleotide in a sample by conducting a polynucleotide amplification reaction. The devices are provided with a substrate microfabricated to include a polynucleotide amplification reaction, chamber, having at least one cross-sectional dimension of about 0.1 to 1000 ?m. The device also includes at least one port in fluid communication with the reaction chamber, for introducing a sample to the chamber, for venting the chamber when necessary, and, optionally, for removing products or waste material from the device. The reaction chamber may be provided with reagents required for amplification of a preselected polynucleotide. The device also may include means for thermally regulating the contents of the reaction chamber, to amplify a preselected polynucleotide. Preferably, the reaction chamber is fabricated with a high surface to volume ratio, to facilitate thermal regulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    Inventors: Peter Wilding, Larry J. Kricka
  • Patent number: 7888281
    Abstract: A catalyst, its method of preparation and its use for producing at least one of methacrolein and methacrylic acid, for example, by subjecting isobutane or isobutylene or a mixture thereof to a vapor phase catalytic oxidation in the presence of air or oxygen. In the case where isobutane alone is subjected to a vapor phase catalytic oxidation in the presence of air or oxygen, the product is at least one of isobutylene, methacrolein and methacrylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Evernu Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Manhua Lin, Krishnan S. Pillai
  • Patent number: 7882776
    Abstract: Armor for a vehicle comprises a grid of bars, at least the majority of the bars being formed from carbon fiber. The carbon fiber bars may be pultruded and some of the bars may be metallic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: NP Aerospace Limited
    Inventors: Roger Terence Arthur Medwell, Christopher Davies
  • Patent number: 7883243
    Abstract: An LED light may comprise a light emitting diode selectively energizable for producing light; an electronic circuit for selectively energizing the light emitting diode; and a heat sink of a thermally conductive material, wherein the light emitting diode is thermally bonded to the heat sink; and wherein the electronic circuit is attached to the heat sink. The light may have a pair of contact springs extending from the heat sink and the electronic circuit may include thermal conductivity enhancing features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Streamlight, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark W. Snyder
  • Patent number: 7856063
    Abstract: A method for suppressing narrowband interference in OFDM receivers is provided including the steps of acquiring a sample of received data, estimating parameters of each of a number of narrowband interferers from the acquired sample of data, forming an excision filter using the estimated parameters and inserting the excision filter into an OFDM receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Industrial Research Limited
    Inventor: Alan James Coulson
  • Patent number: 7854461
    Abstract: A slide/flip-up type automobile-seat is disclosed. The seat is provided with lock-release restricting mechanisms provided at lower rail members of a slide rail mechanism for keeping slide lock levers in unlockable states with respect to the lower rail members during flipping-up movement of an entire seat or in a state where the entire seat has been flipped up, and for keeping striker locks in states of being unallowable to be unlocked when the lock levers are in states of incompletely locked with respect to the lower rail members. Each of the lock-release mechanisms includes a restricting arm which includes an arm body, a rising-up piece rising up from one end portion of the arm body and having a height reaching a position under a rear end portion of corresponding one of the lock levers, and a retaining piece which is provided at a side edge of the arm body and to which a corresponding one of extension rods extending from the striker locks is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuro Yamada
  • Patent number: 7854687
    Abstract: A trampoline comprising a flexible mat (3) and a plurality of springs (4) holding the mat in tension within a peripheral frame (1) of the trampoline which surrounds the mat has an enclosure system surrounding the mat. The enclosure has a lower peripheral part coupled to the mat and a plurality of resiliently flexible upright enclosure members (5) to support the barrier above the mat. The enclosure support members are free to resiliently deform away from the mat when impacted by a user against the barrier. They are also connected together at the upper ends of the enclosure support members away from their natural rest state and towards the center of the mat. When impacted by a user against the barrier on the side of the enclosure causing the barrier to resiliently deform away from the mat, the enclosure support members are resiliently deformed towards the center of the mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Board & Batten Inc.
    Inventor: Keith Vivian Alexander
  • Patent number: 7852171
    Abstract: A microchip device is disclosed that combines a signal attenuator and a frequency filter. An embodiment of the device includes an input contact, an output contact, and a ground contact formed on the surface of a substrate. Resistive elements formed on the substrate interconnect the contacts. At least the input contact includes a gap pattern formed therein that is dimensioned and arranged such that the input contact provides a reactive impedance characteristic. The combination of the resistance of the resistive elements and the reactive impedance characteristic of the input contact are selected to provide attenuation and frequency filtering of a high frequency signal input to the microchip device. A method of manufacturing the filter-attenuator microchip device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: State of the Art, Inc.
    Inventors: Amitabh Das, Robert J. Hufnagel
  • Patent number: 7853310
    Abstract: A computer system and a computer-implemented method are provided for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of a structure having a lumen and for indicating regions of abnormal wall structure. A three-dimensional volume of data is formed from a series of two-dimensional images representing at least one physical property associated with the three-dimensional structure. An isosurface of a selected region of interest is created by a computer from the volume of data based on a selected value or values of a physical property representing the selected region of interest. A wireframe model of the isosurface is generated by the computer wherein the wireframe model includes a plurality of vertices. The vertices are then grouped into populations of contiguous vertices having a characteristic indicating abnormal wall structure by the computer. The wireframe model is then rendered by the computer in an interactive three-dimensional display to indicate the populations of abnormal wall structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
    Inventors: David J. Vining, Gordon W. Hunt, David K. Ahn, David R. Stelts, Yaorong Ge, Paul F. Hemler, Tiffany W. Salido
  • Patent number: 7838256
    Abstract: The present invention relates to high-throughput cell-based assays for real-time monitoring of multi-resistant drug protein activity. The present invention is an improvement over existing assays in that in addition to a fluorescent drug efflux probe as an indicator of MDR protein activity, the instant assays provide an o-tolidine-based dye for quenching extracellular fluorescence of the probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
    Inventors: Donald W. Miller, Corbin J. Bachmeier, Richard B. Lomneth
  • Patent number: 7833946
    Abstract: A water based drilling fluid contains as additive one or more alkyl ethoxylates having the formula RO(CH2CH2O)nH; wherein: R is a C16-22alkyl group (preferably R is aliphatic and more preferably R is linear), and n is an integer in the range 2-30. The fluid further contains one or more viscosifying agents, and is substantially clay-free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: M-I, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Louise Bailey
  • Patent number: 7828384
    Abstract: A height adjusting device for an automobile seat is disclosed. The height adjusting device includes a sector gear (13) arranged between a side frame section (1) of a seat cushion frame of the seat and a linkage arm (2) and supported to a fixing pin (2a) of the linkage arm (2), a plating pin (16) for interconnecting the linkage arm (2) and a linkage rod (4), the planting pin (16) being provided at the sector gear (13), and a spiral spring (14) stretched between the fixing pin (2a) projected from the linkage arm (2) and the planting pin (16) with an innermost end portion (14a) thereof being retained around an end of the fixing pin (2a), and with an outermost end portion (14b) thereof being retained around an end of the planting pin (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 7828379
    Abstract: There is disclosed a vehicle seat provided with a system for facilitating relieving of fatigue of an occupant on the vehicle seat, the vehicle seat including a seat back, the system comprising an occupant's body-motion promoting means 6 provided in an interior of the seat back 1 for repeatedly locally pressing the occupant on the vehicle seat, to thereby promote blood circulation of the occupant, a lateral acceleration sensor 8 provided in the interior of the seat back 1 for detecting accelerations that are applied in right and left lateral directions relative to a vehicle, and an acceleration-distinction control circuit provided in the interior of the seat back 1 for causing the body-motion promoting means 6 to be maintained in a drivable state according when an acceleration detected by the lateral acceleration sensor 8 is in a predetermined value range, for causing drive of the body-motion promoting means to be once stopped when the lateral acceleration becomes an excessive value exceeding an upper limit of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinji Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 7829671
    Abstract: An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a human DNA repair enzyme, MED1, is disclosed. Like other mismatch repair genes which are mutated in certain cancers, MED1, encoding nucleic acids, proteins and antibodies thereto may be used to advantage in genetic or cancer screening assays. MED1, which recognizes and cleaves DNA, may also be used for the diagnostic detection of mutations and genetic variants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Fox Chase Cancer Center
    Inventor: Alfonso Bellacosa
  • Patent number: 7799358
    Abstract: Disclosed are compositions and methods for enhancing the yield of coagulated milk products including cheese and other fermented milk products. Admixture of structurally expanded celluloses into milk allows substantial incorporation of additional whey solids and fluids into the caseinate matrix. The resulting interactive particle network comprising the cellulosic microfibril substructure and caseinate curd is readily manipulated by standard methods employed in the dairy industry to produce a variety of natural and processed dairy products with increased yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Inventor: Michael K. Weibel
  • Patent number: D623096
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Phil and Teds Most Excellent Buggy Company Limited
    Inventors: Campbell Gower, Philip Brace