Abstract: A chitosan enhanced dewatering bag reduces the amount of silt, sedimentation and suspended solids from incoming water. The dewatering bag includes a first permeable membrane having a first open end or opening, and one or more applications of chitosan located within the bag. A second permeable member may be attached to the first permeable membrane so that it defines at least a portion of the outer surface of the dewatering bag. A baffle wall may also be located inside the dewatering bag to reduce the access of silt and sediment to this second permeable membrane. Fluid entering the first opening can readily flow through the dewatering bag, while unwanted dirt and other solids are impeded from such flow.
Abstract: Methods and apparatus for demulsifying oil in water by dilution and impact, and for separation of the oil and suspended solids by dissolved gas floatation, are described. A produced water treating system is also described. The produced water treating system may include a dissolved gas floatation clarifier system, an oil demulsification system, and a separation system. A demulsification subsystem is also described. The apparatus may include a liquid-liquid fluid mixer and a gas generator.
Abstract: A catch basin filtration system is disclosed. A filter body is dimensioned to fit within a drain inlet forming a trough or reservoir obstructing at least a portion of the inlet. The filter body is supported by a filter body support dimensioned to cooperatively engage with the interior walls of the inlet and with the filter body to substantially maintain said filter body in a pre-selected shape and position within the inlet. One or more connectors removably connect the filter body to the filter body support. One or more adjustable high fluid flow bypasses prevent the system from backing up and flooding surrounding areas during periods of high fluid flow.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 23, 2001
Date of Patent:
March 29, 2005
Assignee:
KriStar Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors:
Douglas Paul Allard, Andrew Charles Wilson
Abstract: The present invention describes the use of a space-based Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) magnetic field detector in conjunction with ground-based network of ELF magnetic field detectors. In particular, a space based ELF detection system can be used to perform a wide area search and find precursor earthquake signals in both known and unknown earthquake zones, and a ground-based network of ELF detectors can be used to verify that the signals are indeed earthquake generated signals. The use of this invention will minimize cost and manpower necessary to effectuate an accurate and reliable earthquake detection system.
Abstract: This invention particularly discloses an improved immunoassay method for the specific detection of anti-rubella IgM antibodies. This method employs rubella antigens comprising rubella E1 and E2 envelope glycoproteins substantially free of capsid protein. Use of this antigen composition reduces or eliminates nonspecific protein-protein interactions leading to false positive results. A sample diluent comprising urea can also be used in the process to further reduce the occurrence of nonspecific protein-protein interactions. A diagnostic kit to aid in the detection of anti-rubella IgM antibodies is also disclosed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 29, 2003
Date of Patent:
March 29, 2005
Assignee:
Viral Antigens, Inc.
Inventors:
Preston H. Dorsett, Frances I. Byrd, Robert F. Devlin
Abstract: The present invention is directed to P1, P4-di(uridine 5?)-tetraphosphate, tetra-alkali metal salts such as tetrasodium, tetralithium, tetrapotassium, and mixed tetra-alkali metal cations thereof. The tetra alkali metal salts of P1, P4-di(uridine 5?)-tetraphosphate are water-soluble, nontoxic, and easy to handle during manufacture. These tetra-monovalent alkali metal salts are more resistant to hydrolysis than the mono-, di-, or tri-acid salts, therefore, they provide an improved stability and a longer shelf life for storage. The present invention also provides methods for the synthesis of P1, P4-di(uridine 5?)-tetraphosphate, and its pharmaceutically acceptably acceptable salts thereof, and demonstrates the applicability to the production of large quantities. The methods substantially reduce the time required to synthesize diuridine tetraphosphate, for example, to three days or less.
Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process which comprises removing and stripping off part of the display panel in order to expose and connect the conductor lines on an electrode plate to a driver circuitry. More specifically the process involves (1) preparing a display panel having filled display cells sandwiched between a first and a second substrate layers, preferably by a roll-to-roll process; (2) removing part of a first substrate by asymmetrical cutting by, for example, a die, diamond, knife or laser cutting method to expose the layers underneath (which may include adhesive layer, primer layer, display cell layer and in the case of a display prepared by the microcup technology, the microcup layer and the sealing layer); and (3) stripping off the exposed layers by a stripping solvent or solution. After stripping, the conductor lines on the second substrate are exposed and ready for connection to the driver circuitry.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 23, 2003
Date of Patent:
March 29, 2005
Assignee:
SiPix Imaging, Inc.
Inventors:
Scott C-J Tseng, Zarng-Arh George Wu, Xiaojia Wang, Rong-Chang Liang
Abstract: A system for measuring available energy in a metal fuel cell is provided. The system comprises first componentry for measuring an electrical property of a mixture formed from one or more reaction products dissolved in a reaction medium. The electrical property may be such as to bear a known relationship with the concentration of the one or more reaction products. Using this known relationship, second componentry estimates the concentration of the one or more reaction products, and, responsive thereto, determines the available energy in the fuel cell.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 4, 2002
Date of Patent:
March 29, 2005
Assignee:
Metallic Power, Inc.
Inventors:
Stuart I. Smedley, Kenneth D. Vail, Charles M. Holmes
Abstract: Composite ghost cancellation reference (GCR) signals that make available both a chirp and a PN sequence during the same vertical-blanking-interval (VBI) scan line in each successive field facilitate more rapid and efficient calculations of ghost cancellation and of equalization, on a continuing basis. A television receiver for use with such composite GCR signals includes circuitry for separating the chirp and PN sequence portions of the GCR signals from the remainder of the composite video signal, a ghost cancellation filter and an equalization filter connected in cascade to respond to the composite video signal and provided each with adjustable filtering weights, and a computer. Random-access memory addressed during writing snatches the vertical-blanking-interval scan lines selected to include GCR signals. Sets of four successive ones of the selected scan lines are then additively and subtractively combined to separate the chirp portions of the GCR signals from a remainder of the composite video signal.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 24, 2002
Date of Patent:
March 29, 2005
Assignee:
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Inventors:
Chandrakant Bhailalbhai Patel, Jian Yang
Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for improving the performance of an electrophoretic display by modifying the display cell surface. More specifically, the methods are directed to modification of the microcup surface after the microcups are released from the mold. The microcups which have undergone any of the treatment methods of the invention show significant improvement in their surface properties, such as chemical functionality, surface roughness, surface tension, morphology, surface charge, surface reflectivity, surface conductivity and optical properties, particularly optical density in the visible light region. An electrophoretic display formed from the treated microcups has many advantages. For example, the display shows a higher contrast ratio, lower electro-optic response time, lower driving voltage, longer shelf life, higher imageincreasing bistability and higher threshold voltage.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 2, 2003
Date of Patent:
March 22, 2005
Assignee:
SiPix Imaging, Inc.
Inventors:
Scott C-J Tseng, Jack Hou, Zarng-Arh George Wu, Xiaojia Wang, Rong-Chang Liang
Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of searching and querying computers and websites connected to a distributed network such as the Internet. When the computers and websites are uniquely identified by an IP address or similar identifier, the processes of the present invention systematically proceed through a given range of addresses to be queried in a top-to-bottom manner. The process preferably comprises four stages: the Initial Process, the Second Pass, the Ping Process, and the Ping Follow-Up. Essentially, the Initial Process establishes a preliminary listing of computers that respond to requests transmitted over the network. The Second Pass attempts to establish a connection to computers with which a connection could not be established during the Initial Process. The Ping Process uses ping commands to verify the operability of non-responsive computers; and the Ping Follow-Up makes one final attempt to transmit requests to computers that have responded to ping commands.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 22, 2000
Date of Patent:
March 22, 2005
Assignee:
BSAFE Online
Inventors:
Stephen J. Ensley, David K. Haadsma, Donald R. Kolenda, Jr.
Abstract: This invention relates to an electrophoretic display comprising cells of well-defined shape, size and aspect ratio which cells are filled with charged pigment particles dispersed in a solvent, and novel processes for its manufacture.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 23, 2003
Date of Patent:
March 15, 2005
Assignee:
SiPix Imaging Inc.
Inventors:
Rong-Chang Liang, Mary Chan-Park, Scott C-J Tseng, George Wu, HongMei Zang
Abstract: The present invention relates to certain novel dinucleoside polyphosphates of general Formulae I, II and III, and formulations thereof which are selective ligands of the P2Y purinergic receptors. Applicants have discovered that dinucleoside polyphosphates of general Formulae I, II and III are effective in clearing retained mucous secretions, balancing tissue hydration and fluid secretion, and/or inhibiting or preventing early stages of platelet activation, platelet degranulation, and platelet aggregation.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 28, 2003
Date of Patent:
March 15, 2005
Assignee:
Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Inventors:
Janet L. Rideout, Benjamin R. Yerxa, Sammy Ray Shaver, James G. Douglass, III
Abstract: A wireless system comprises at least one subscriber unit in wireless communication with an infrastructure. Each subscriber unit implements a speech recognition client, and the infrastructure comprises a speech recognition server. A given subscriber unit takes as input an unencoded speech signal that is subsequently parameterized by the speech recognition client. The parameterized speech is then provided to the speech recognition server that, in turn, performs speech recognition analysis on the parameterized speech. Information signals, based in part upon any recognized utterances identified by the speech recognition analysis, are subsequently provided to the subscriber unit. The information signals may be used to control the subscriber unit itself; to control one or more devices coupled to the subscriber unit, or may be operated upon by the subscriber unit or devices coupled thereto.
Abstract: Utilizing phenotypic markers in seeds or plants to allow qualitative detection of a proprietary trait in the harvest, to allow a quantitative calculation of the amount of the trait, and to facilitate the calculation and collection of fees for the trait. The phenotypic markers of the seeds can be the seed coat color, and said seeds can be homozygous or heterozygous for the phenotypic difference of seed coat color. Commercial cultivars of seeds with the phenotypic difference of seed color may be grown to include several different seed colors. Trait fees may be assessed on all grain with the proprietary trait, whether the grain was produced from purchased seed or from seed saved from a previous harvest.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 8, 2002
Date of Patent:
March 8, 2005
Assignee:
Monsanto Technology LLC
Inventors:
Greg A. Penner, Stefan A. Bledig, Timothy W. Conner, Vergel C. Concibido
Abstract: Methods of synthesizing a peptide or peptide-like molecule to a polypeptide or protein target based on mode-matching each member of a set of peptide constituents of the peptide or peptide-like molecule to peptide constituents of the target polypeptide or protein target. Methods are also provided for synthesizing retro-inverso peptides to the mode-matched peptide.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 23, 2001
Date of Patent:
March 8, 2005
Assignee:
The Cielo Institute, Inc.
Inventors:
Arnold J. Mandell, Karen A. Selz, Michael F. Shlesinger
Abstract: A fluid conduit is provided for use in a hydraulic actuating system for controlling an instrumentality disposed on a rotating portion of a machine. The fluid conduit transports pressurized fluid between a fluid source disposed on a non-rotating portion of the machine and the instrumentality and comprises a rigid tubular member formed in the shape of a helix having at least about 2 revolutions and a non-constant pitch length. The ends of the tube are adapted to be sealingly connected between the fluid source and the instrumentality. The fluid conduit is used, for example, in an apparatus and system for controlling a hydraulic actuator mounted on a rotating blade.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 27, 2003
Date of Patent:
March 8, 2005
Assignee:
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Inc.
Abstract: Systems and related methods are described for (1) determining one or more state probabilities for one or more states in a trellis representation; (2) determining an estimate of or extrinsic output for one or more bits using a trellis representation; (3) determining a branch metric for a branch in a trellis representation; (4) performing a MAX*2->1 operation; (5) performing a MAX*2p->1 operation, where p is an integer of two or more, through a hierarchical arrangement of MAX*2->1 operations; and (6) computing forward state probabilities in a forward mode of operation and computing backward state probabilities in a backward mode of operation. Combinations of the foregoing are also described.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 13, 2001
Date of Patent:
March 8, 2005
Assignee:
Conexant Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
Eran Arad, Efraim Dalumi, Shachar Kons, Donald B. Eidson
Abstract: A new variety of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Vamp Time Bronze,’ having a good uniform canopy of bronze decorative flowers. The new variety has a medium vigor, free branching, with a uniform spreading habit and good foliage presentation.