Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Sarah O'Rourke
  • Patent number: 6733734
    Abstract: Regenerable gas purifier materials are provided capable of reducing the level of contaminants such as oxygen and moisture in a hydride gas stream to parts-per-billion levels or sub-parts-per-billion levels. The purifier materials of this invention comprise a thin layer of one or more reduced forms of a metal oxide coated on the surface of a nonreactive substrate. The thin layer may further contain the completely reduced form of the metal. In one embodiment, the total surface area of the thin layer is less than 100 m2/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Matheson Tri-Gas
    Inventors: Tadaharu Watanabe, Dan Fraenkel
  • Patent number: 6719901
    Abstract: A system for the production of autologous thrombin, comprising a centrifuge including a blood reservoir for receiving and separating an autologous anticoagulated blood sample having multiple inactive blood components and means for removing at least one of said inactive blood components upon separation, and a dispenser having at least two collection chambers for receiving said at least one of said inactive blood components, wherein a first collection chamber activates a first portion of said inactive blood component and stores the resulting coagulated blood component comprising a clot and said autologous thrombin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor D. Dolecek, Robert F. Baugh, John G. Rivera, William F. McKay, Jeffery C. Marx
  • Patent number: 6709482
    Abstract: Trace impurities such as organic compounds and carbon monoxide in reactive fluids such as ammonia, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, and chlorine are reduced to sub-ppb levels using gas purifying systems that contain a preconditioned ultra-low emission (P-ULE) carbon. P-ULE is capable of removing impurities from a reactive fluid down to parts-per-billion (ppb) and sub-ppb levels without concurrently emitting other impurities such as moisture or carbon dioxide into the purified reactive fluid. The P-ULE carbon is prepared by heating a carbon material to temperatures from 300° C. to about 800° C. in an ultra-dry, inert gas stream, to produce an ultra-low emission (ULE) carbon material, subjecting the ULE carbon to a second activation process under a reactive gas atmosphere to produce a P-ULE carbon and storing the P-ULE carbon in an environment that minimizes contamination of the P-ULE prior to its use in a gas purifier system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: Hans H. Funke, Dan Fraenkel, Virginia H. Houlding
  • Patent number: 6637212
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for the delivery of a vapor phase product having a substantially constant impurity level from a liquefied source of said gas to an endpoint. The delivery method includes withdrawing a liquefied gas having a level of impurities from a storage container and delivering the liquefied gas to a vaporization unit where the liquefied gas and the impurities dissolved therein are completely vaporized. The vapor phase product is then delivered to an endpoint. This invention affords the delivery of gases with substantially constant impurity levels throughout the delivery of the liquefied gas. In addition, this invention affords the delivery of the liquefied gas at high vapor phase flow rates for long periods of time and allows substantially complete usage of the contents of the storage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Matheson Tri-Gas
    Inventors: Robert Torres, Jr., Joseph V. Vininski, Joseph Giagnacova, Belgin Yucelen
  • Patent number: 6638555
    Abstract: A method of preparing storage-stable, citrus-flavored compositions containing comprising citral or a citral derivative as the flavoring agent and a plant extract as the stabilizing agent. The plant extract inhibits the formation of p-methylacetophenone, thereby preventing the development of off-flavors and off odors and increasing the shelf life of the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Hauser, Inc.
    Inventors: Virginia R. Bank, David T. Bailey, Johan T. van Leersum
  • Patent number: 6635289
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel baked goods having incorporated therein a delivery vehicle that provides protection to an alpha-amylase enzyme from thermal denaturation and continuously releases the alpha-amylase enzyme during, and following the baking process. Essentially, dry, food-grade alpha-amylase particles are mixed with a food grade lipid in a quantity sufficient to envelop the alpha-amylase particles thereby forming a loaded delivery vehicle or enveloped alpha-amylase. The enveloped alpha-amylase is subsequently added to a dough comprising flour, water, and other dough forming ingredients near the end of the mix cycle. Once the enveloped alpha-amylase is incorporated, the dough continues through the normal production process for that particular baked product. The food grade lipid enveloping the alpha-amylase provides thermal protection to the enzyme. No other production or packaging modifications need be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Inventor: Merritt C. Horn
  • Patent number: 6596776
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a naturally obtained mixture of higher molecular weight primary aliphatic alcohols which contain 20 to 34 carbon atoms. This invention also relates to the process for obtaining the alcohol mixture by extraction and purification with organic solvents from a natural product, such as beeswax with and without saponification of the natural product. The alcohol mixture obtained from beeswax has enhanced purity and contains a mixture of alcohols having 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32 and 34 carbon atoms. The alcohol mixture is useful in pharmaceutical compositions, foodstuffs and dietary supplements and is effective for lowering cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and increasing HDL-cholesterol levels so that it is effective in treating hypercholesterolemia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Hauser, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Gamble, Zhengjie Liu, David T. Bailey, Pedro P. Perez, Dean P. Stull, Steven L. Richheimer, Rebecca L. Nichols, Rod Lenoble
  • Patent number: 6297272
    Abstract: Methods for producing novel artemisinin analogs and artemisinin dimers having antimalarial, antiproliferative and antitumor activities are described herein. These novel artemisinin analogs and artemisinin dimers have the following structure or diastereomers thereof, having antimalarial, and antiproliferative and antitumor activities wherein, the monomers of the present invention are formed when n is 1 and R is alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or heteroaryl. The dimers of the present invention are formed when n is 2 and R is a linker including, but not limited to, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or heteroaryl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignees: Hauser, Inc., Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Gary H. Posner, Hardwin O'Dowd, Suji Xie, Theresa A. Shapiro, Christopher Murray
  • Patent number: 6291166
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for irreversibly binding nucleic acid to solid phase and corresponding processes for the utilization thereof. Nucleic acid is bound to solid phase matrixes exhibiting sufficient hydrophilicity and electropositivity to irreversibly bind the nucleic acids from a sample. These processes include nucleic acid (double or single stranded DNA and RNA) capture from high volume:low concentration specimens, buffer changes, washes, and volume reductions, and enable the interface of solid phase bound nucleic acid with enzyme, hybridization or amplification strategies. The invention, solid phase irreversibly bound nucleic acid, may be used, for example, in repeated analyses to confirm results or test additional genes in both research and commercial applications. Further, a method is described for virus extraction, purification, and solid phase amplification from large volume plasma specimens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Xtrana, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Gerdes, Jeffrey M. Marmaro, Christopher A. Roehl
  • Patent number: 6221672
    Abstract: A method of determining a dose response for a platelet inhibitor. The method includes the steps of placing a predetermined amount of heparin in each cell of a multicell test cartridge, placing an optimized amount of a clotting activator in each cell, and placing a measured amount of platelet inhibitor in each cell, the amount of inhibitor in each cell differing from the amount in each other cell. An aliquot of a blood sample is added to each cell, and the blood sample aliquot, clotting reagent and platelet inhibitor are mixed. Each cell sample is allowed to clot, and the clotting time for each cell is measured. The relative clotting times are used to calculate and determine the platelet inhibition effect of the platelet inhibitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Baugh, Carole G. Lane, Adrian C. Wilson