Patents Assigned to Dalhousie University
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Patent number: 11911632Abstract: Systems and methods are described for the monitoring of patient motion via the detection of changes in capacitance, as measured using a capacitance position sensing electrode array. The changes in capacitance may be processed to determine a corresponding positional offset, for example, using a calibration data set relating capacitance to offset for each electrode of the array. The detected positional offset may be employed to provide feedback to a surgeon or operator of a medical device, or directly to the medical device for the control thereof. A medical procedure may be interrupted when the positional offset is detected to exceed a threshold. Alternatively, the detected positional offset may be employed to manually or automatically reconfigure a medical device to compensate for the detected change in position. Various configurations of capacitive position sensing devices are disclosed, including embodiment in incorporating capacitive sensing electrodes with a mask or other support structure.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2023Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Dalhousie UniversityInventor: James Leonard Robar
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Patent number: 11885877Abstract: Encoded transmit signals are provided to an ultrasound array such diverging ultrasound waves are sequentially transmitted. Each diverging ultrasound wave is generated by a respective set of encoded transmit signals, where each set of encoded transmit signals is encoded by a respective row of an N×N invertible orthogonal matrix. Only a selected subset of M rows, with N<M, is employed to encode the transmit signals. Sets of receive signals detected in response to the transmitted diverging ultrasound waves are decoded via a transposed matrix generated based on the invertible orthogonal matrix, with each set of decoded receive signals being associated with insonification via a subset of the ultrasound array elements in the fixed aperture. Synthetic aperture beamforming is performed on the decoded receive signals to generate an ultrasound image.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2019Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Christopher Samson, Jeremy Brown, Katherine Latham, Robert Adamson
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Patent number: 11806553Abstract: Systems and devices are provided for generating focused ultrasound pulses based on a transducer assembly having a piezoelectric layer coupled to an acoustic lens. In some example embodiments, the piezoelectric layer is a composite piezoelectric material having an acoustic impedance configured to match the acoustic impedance of the acoustic lens. The acoustic lens may be formed from aluminum, or an alloy thereof, and may have a distal surface having a non-spherical profile for producing a focal region that is smaller than an equivalent spherical lens. The acoustic lens may have an f-number less than unity. In some embodiments, the acoustic lens is coated with a polymer acoustic impedance matching layer that is compatible with deposition via chemical vapor deposition, such as a p-xylylene based polymer. In some embodiments, the acoustic lens is formed from aluminum or an alloy thereof, and the polymer acoustic impedance matching layer is a Parylene layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2018Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Jeffrey Kyle Woodacre, Jeremy Brown
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Patent number: 11612763Abstract: Systems and methods are described for the monitoring of patient motion via the detection of changes in capacitance, as measured using a capacitance position sensing electrode array. The changes in capacitance may be processed to determine a corresponding positional offset, for example, using a calibration data set relating capacitance to offset for each electrode of the array. The detected positional offset may be employed to provide feedback to a surgeon or operator of a medical device, or directly to the medical device for the control thereof. A medical procedure may be interrupted when the positional offset is detected to exceed a threshold. Alternatively, the detected positional offset may be employed to manually or automatically reconfigure a medical device to compensate for the detected change in position. Various configurations of capacitive position sensing devices are disclosed, including embodiment in incorporating capacitive sensing electrodes with a mask or other support structure.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2020Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Dalhousie UniversityInventor: James Leonard Robar
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Publication number: 20220257489Abstract: The present invention provides a method for removing a tattoo in a region of skin the method comprises administering to a least a portion of the tattoo a composition comprising an effective amount of a bisphosphonate and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient to at least cause fading of the tattoo in said region.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2022Publication date: August 18, 2022Applicant: Dalhousie UniversityInventor: Alec Guy FALKENHAM
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Patent number: 11344490Abstract: The present invention provides a method for removing a tattoo in a region of skin the method comprises administering to a least a portion of the tattoo a composition comprising an effective amount of a bisphosphonate and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient to at least cause fading of the tattoo in said region.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2018Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: Dalhousie UniversityInventor: Alec Guy Falkenham
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Patent number: 11344747Abstract: A radiation treatment planning system and method for generating plans to treat plural target volumes, each associated with a prescribed dose, does not require delivery of radiation to every target volume from every beam direction. Allowing target volumes to be omitted for some control points facilitates generation of treatment plans that deliver less radiation dose to non-target tissues by allowing beam shaping to more closely fit the remaining target volumes. Simulated annealing using an objective function may be applied to determine parameters such as the number of control points for which a target volume is not targeted.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2018Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: Dalhousie UniversityInventors: Robert Lee MacDonald, Alasdair Syme, Christopher G. Thomas
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Patent number: 11291858Abstract: Generating a plan for radiation treatment of multiple target volumes such as, for example, multiple brain tumors, involves optimizing a grouping of the target volumes into subsets and generating treatment plans for each subset. Resulting treatment plans may minimize radiation dose to tissues outside of the target volumes. A radiation treatment planning system may be configured to operate in this manner and to upload control signals which cause a radiation therapy device such as a linear accelerator to execute the radiation treatment plans.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Dalhousie UniversityInventors: Robert Lee MacDonald, Alasdair Syme, Christopher G. Thomas
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Patent number: 11255965Abstract: Fresnel elevation focusing at a selected elevation angle is performed by transmitting a sequential set of Fresnel-focused ultrasound pulses, where a different Fresnel phase pattern is used for each pulse, and where the receive signals are coherently compounded. The different Fresnel patterns cause the secondary lobe energy to be reduced via averaging of variations of the pressure fields in the secondary lobe regions. In some embodiments, the method of coherently compounded Fresnel focusing is combined with coherently compounded defocused wave (e.g. plane wave or diverging wave) imaging in the azimuth direction. Each of the elevation slices are collected by changing the Fresnel patterns respectively employed when the sequence of plane waves or diverging waves are transmitted, such that the coherent compounding can benefit both planes simultaneously. Hadamard receive encoding and subsequent dynamic receive beamforming may be employed to further improve performance in the elevation direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2017Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Jeremy Brown, Christopher Samson, Katherine Latham
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Patent number: 11161863Abstract: The present disclosure discusses (i) a compound having a chemical formula according to Formula (I), or its enantiomer; and (ii) a compound that is reactive with a hydride to produce a compound having a chemical formula according to Formula (I), or its enantiomer. Formula (I) is: Formula (I) where R1 and R2 are H, optionally substituted C1-C3 alkyl, or linked together to form an optionally substituted C3 or C4 alkyl group; R3 and R3? are H; R4 and R4? are the same, and are optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl; and R5 and R5? are the same, and are optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl. In some examples, R4 and R5 are linked, and R4? and R5? are linked, where both linking groups are the same. The present disclosure also discusses methods of asymmetric reduction of an imine, and methods of forming the catalysts and pre-catalysts.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2018Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventor: Alexander William Harrison Speed
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Patent number: 10996332Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for performing imaging with a crossed-electrode ultrasound transducer array, where ultrasound transducer array is configured for focusing in one direction via conventional time-delay phased array beamforming, and for focusing in a second direction via a Fresnel aperture formed via the application of bias voltages. The ultrasound transducer array connections are switched between transmit and receive operations, such that the Fresnel aperture is generated in the first direction upon transmit, and in the second direction upon receive. One or both of the transmit Fresnel aperture and the receive Fresnel aperture are configured as a set of delay-corrected Fresnel sub-apertures, where the delay associated with each Fresnel sub-aperture is selected to compensate for variations in path lengths between the Fresnel sub-apertures and the focal point.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2016Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Jeremy Brown, Katherine Latham
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Patent number: 10989810Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for ultrasound imaging using a modified variable sampling beamforming technique. Unlike conventional methods of variable sampling beamforming, in which in-phase and quadrature samples are obtained for each pixel location, in various example embodiments of the present disclosure, the pixel locations are quadrature-spaced such that for each 5 sample point, an adjacent sample point along an A-line is employed as the quadrature sample. The samples at each array element may be triggered according to the time of flight between a first pixel location and the location of the array element, such that successive samples, corresponding to successive pixel locations along the selected A-line, are obtained such that adjacent samples are spaced by a 10 time interval corresponding to a quarter of an odd number of wavelenghths of the beamformed transmit pulse, and such that only one sample is acquired per pixel.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2016Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Jeremy Brown, Christopher Samson, Jeff Leadbetter
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Patent number: 10858358Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for the treatment of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) through the administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor type 2 (S1PR2) antagonist. Also provided herein are (Z)-2-cyano-1-(2,6-dichloropyridin-4-yl)-3-((4-isopropyl-1,3-dimethyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-6-yl)methyl)guanidine and analogs thereof, and their use in treating retinopathies and diseases characterized by insufficient angiogenesis.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2019Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Christopher McMaster, Gordon Simms
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Patent number: 10857390Abstract: Systems and methods are described for the monitoring of patient motion via the detection of changes in capacitance, as measured using a capacitance position sensing electrode array. The changes in capacitance may be processed to determine a corresponding positional offset, for example, using a calibration data set relating capacitance to offset for each electrode of the array. The detected positional offset may be employed to provide feedback to a surgeon or operator of a medical device, or directly to the medical device for the control thereof. A medical procedure may be interrupted when the positional offset is detected to exceed a threshold. Alternatively, the detected positional offset may be employed to manually or automatically reconfigure a medical device to compensate for the detected change in position. Various configurations of capacitive position sensing devices are disclosed, including embodiment in incorporating capacitive sensing electrodes with a mask or other support structure.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2016Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: Dalhousie UniversityInventor: James Leonard Robar
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Publication number: 20200347058Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for the treatment of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) through the administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor type 2 (S1PR2) antagonist. Also provided herein are compounds which contain bioisosteric replacements of the urea group of JTE-013 and analogs thereof, and their use in treating retinopathies and diseases characterized by insufficient angiogenesis.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Applicant: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Christopher McMaster, Gordon Simms
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Patent number: 10525283Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining an angular trajectory for dynamically rotating a multileaf collimator during arc therapy. According to various embodiments, a suitable collimator trajectory may be determined based on the reduction or minimization of a residual unblocked area residing between a planning target volume and leaves of the multileaf collimator in the beam's eye view over the set of control points corresponding to an arc therapy plan. Various example methods are provided for determining collimator trajectories based on whitespace reduction, and for providing quantitative measures of whitespace optimization associated with a given trajectory. In some embodiments, the whitespace may be calculated using terms that account for the overlap of a planning target volume with an organ at risk of exposure.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2017Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: Dalhousie UniversityInventors: Robert Lee MacDonald, Alasdair Syme, Christopher G. Thomas
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Publication number: 20190367733Abstract: The present invention relates to a biomaterial fabrication process for the manufacture of a collagen based fabric for an aligned collagen fiber network.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2018Publication date: December 5, 2019Applicant: Dalhousie UniversityInventor: John Paul FRAMPTON IV
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Patent number: 10487082Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for the treatment of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) through the administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor type 2 (S1PR2) antagonist. Also provided herein are (Z)-3-((2,6-dichloropyridin-4-yl)amino)-3-(((4-isopropyl-1,3-dimethyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-6-yl)methyl)amino)acrylonitrile and analogs thereof, and their use in treating retinopathies and diseases characterized by insufficient angiogenesis.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2019Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Christopher McMaster, Gordon Simms
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Patent number: 10481278Abstract: Radiation dosimeters are disclosed whereby a passive multilayer substrate is provided to confer tissue equivalence. In an example embodiment, a multilayer substrate is formed over a semiconductor-based radiation sensing layer, where the multilayer substrate includes at least one low-atomic-number layer of having an effective atomic number that is smaller than that of water, and at least one high-atomic-number layer having an effective atomic number that is greater than that of water. The low-atomic-number layers and high-atomic-number layers are provided with respective thicknesses and compositions for modulating the dependence of the signal produced by the radiation dosimeter on photon energy, such that the signal, when calibrated to provide a measure of dose, exhibits approximate tissue-equivalence over a prescribed photon energy range.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2017Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: Alasdair Syme, Ian Hill
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Patent number: 10441813Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to cancer treatment with radiation sources. The present technology discloses techniques that can enable an automatic generation of radiotherapy trajectories using anatomical data of a patient. It can improve conformal dose distributions and target volume coverage by considering a radiation risk decided by an organs-at-risk (OAR)'s relative location to the target volume and the radiation source.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2015Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: R. Lee MacDonald, Christopher G. Thomas, James Leonard Robar