Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for the evaluation and measurement of metamorphopsia. The apparatus includes a pattern generator that displays a deformable pattern, such as an Amsler grid, on a computer monitor. The rectilinear grid includes substantially parallel and equally spaced lines that intersect at vertices. An input device, such as a mouse, is used by a patient or technician to detect areas of the pattern where the cursor is not visible to the subject, so that areas of scotoma can be marked. The input device is also used to adjust the positions of the vertices, and distort the grid, until the grid appears substantially rectilinear to the subject. The deformations of the pattern are then recorded, and can be retrieved for comparison to subsequent test results so that changes in visual field deficits or metamorphopsia can be sensitively detected, and even corrected by a lens that distorts images in the same pattern.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed in which first and second reactant salts and, optionally, a complexing agent are added to a non-aqueous reaction solvent to form a reaction system. The reactant salts, which are substantially soluble and reactive with each other in water to form a first crystallite of calcium carbonate, are present in the reaction solvent in relative amounts that are sufficient to form a desired amount of the calcium carbonate in the reaction system. The complexing agent, if present, is a crown ether or other cyclic or acyclic polydentate chelating agent that, in the reaction solvent, forms chelation complexes with at least one of the reactant salts. Reaction of the first and second reactant salts in the reaction solvent forms a second crystallite precipitate comprising crystals of calcium carbonate having a different habit or morphology from calcium carbonate crystals in the first crystallite that would otherwise be formable in water by reaction of similar amounts of the first and second reactant salts.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed in which first and second reactant salts and a complexing agent are added to a non-aqueous reaction solvent in which the complexing agent is soluble. The complexing agent is a crown ether or other cyclic or acyclic polydentate chelating agent that, in the reaction solvent, forms chelation complexes with at least one of the reactant salts. The reactant salts, which are substantially soluble and reactive with each other in water to form a first crystallite of silver halide, are present in the reaction solvent in relative amounts that are sufficient to form a desired amount of the silver halide in the reaction solvent. Reaction of the first and second reactant salts in the reaction solvent forms a second crystallite precipitate comprising crystals of silver halide having a different habit or morphology from silver halide crystals in the first crystallite that would otherwise be formable in water by reaction of similar amounts of the first and second reactant salts.

Abstract: Methods for coating substrates are described. The methods comprise coating at least a portion of a substrate with particular coating materials. The coating materials can be crosslinked and coated onto a substrate. Alternatively, the coating materials may be covalently bonded to the substrates. The coating materials might themselves functionalize the substrate, or provide a biocompatible coating on the substrate. The coating materials might also include electrophilic or nucleophilic groups that allow for the subsequent reaction of the coating materials with additional reagents. The present invention also provides coated workpieces, particularly medical workpieces having a surface for contacting tissue or blood. These workpieces comprise a first layer and a second layer. The first layer comprises a molecular tether covalently bonded to the surface.

Abstract: Storage, retrieval and erasure of optical information in bacteriorhodopsin (bR) films by alteration of the bR's absorption spectrum by photo-induction and by application and switching of an electrical field.

Abstract: A molecularly imprinted substrate and sensors employing the imprinted substrate for detecting the presence or absence of analytes are described. One embodiment of the invention comprises first forming a solution comprising a solvent and (a) a polymeric material capable of undergoing an addition reaction with a nitrene, (b) a crosslinking agent (c) a functionalizing monomer and (d) an imprinting molecule. A silicon wafer is spincoated with the solution. The solvent is evaporated to form a film on the silicon wafer. The film is exposed to an energy source to crosslink the substrate, and the imprinting molecule is then extracted from the film. The invention can be used to detect an analyte by forming films which are then exposed to a reaction energy to form a crosslinked substrate. The imprinting molecules are extracted from the crosslinked substrate. The film is exposed to one or more of the imprinting molecules for a period of time sufficient to couple the imprinting molecules to the film.

Abstract: Methods for covalently modifying surfaces of various substrates are disclosed, along with various substrates having surfaces modified by such methods. Candidate surfaces include various polymeric, siliceous, metallic, allotrophic forms of carbon, and semiconductor surfaces. The surfaces are exposed to a reagent, having molecules each comprising a nitrenogenic group and a functionalizing group, in the presence of energized charged particles such as electrons and ions, photons, or heat, which transform the nitrenogenic reagent to a nitrene intermediate. The nitrene covalently reacts with any of various chemical groups present on the substrate surface, thereby effecting nitrene addition of the functionalizing groups to the substrate surface. The functionalizing groups can then participate in downstream chemistry whereby any of a large variety of functional groups, including biological molecules, can be covalently bonded to the surface, thereby dramatically altering the chemical behavior of the surface.

Abstract: Methods for covalently modifying surfaces of various substrates are disclosed, along with various substrates having surfaces modified by such methods. Candidate surfaces include various polymeric, siliceous, metallic, allotrophic forms of carbon, and semiconductor surfaces. The surfaces are exposed to a reagent, having molecules each comprising a nitrenogenic group and a functionalizing group, in the presence of energized charged particles such as electrons and ions, photons, or heat, which transform the nitrenogenic reagent to a nitrene intermediate. The nitrene covalently reacts with any of various chemical groups present on the substrate surface, thereby effecting nitrene addition of the functionalizing groups to the substrate surface. The functionalizing groups can then participate in downstream chemistry whereby any of a large variety of functional groups, including biological molecules, can be covalently bonded to the surface, thereby dramatically altering the chemical behavior of the surface.

Abstract: Dendritic derivatives of 3,5-bis(aminomethyl)benzene and aminomethyl benzene core groups are disclosed. In each derivative, termed an "amplifier" because the dendritic structure on each molecule terminates with multiple termini to each of which an "active group" can be attached, the desired effect of the active group per mole is amplified compared to conventional compounds having only one active group per molecule. Amplifier molecules can include a targeting group permitting the molecules to preferentially attach to a particular anatomical or physiological situs. Active groups are any of various pharmacologically or therapeutically active moieties, including moieties useful for magnetic-resonance contrast enhancement. The dendritic structures comprise linkers and branch groups covalently bonded to each other in any of various structural combinations. The amplifiers can be prepared as a solution or mixture with a physiologically compatible carrier for administration to a warm-blooded animal subject.

Abstract: Methods and reaction systems are disclosed that are adapted for forming crystallites having novel crystal habits and/or morphologies compared to conventional crystallites of the same chemical composition. The methods and reaction systems involve chemical reactions between at least two reactant compounds occurring in a liquid (or gel) that form insoluble crystallite products. At least one of the reactants is rendered soluble in a solvent in which the reactant is not normally soluble by adding an agent that forms soluble molecular complexes of the agent and the reactant. The complexing agent not only facilitates dissolution of the reactant in the solvent but also plays a role in how the faces of crystals comprising the crystallite product are enlarged during formation of the product. Products having such altered crystallite structure have a number of possible uses.

Abstract: Chemical and biosensors are disclosed. An optical waveguide is used to conduct electromagnetic radiation by total internal reflection in parallel through a reference waveguide portion and at least one analyte waveguide portion. The electromagnetic radiation is then converged into an exit beam. The external surface of at least the analyte portion is covalently modified, or functionalized, relative to the reference portion. Resulting interaction of the functionalized surface with molecules comprising an analyte causes a phase change in the electromagnetic radiation passing through the analyte portion relative to the reference portion sufficient to generate a corresponding and measurable interference pattern in the exit beam.

Abstract: Disclosed are amplifier molecules: various organic compounds having branched structures terminating with amine groups to which pharmacologically active groups can be chemically attached. A number of MRI contrast-enhancing agents were synthesized, each comprising plural active groups, such as stable nitroxides and complexes of trivalent metal cations. Such syntheses were successfully performed using a number of amplifiers having different branched structures, demonstrating the general utility of the pertinent chemistry in the synthesis of amplifiers having any of a wide variety of pharmacologically active groups. Amplifiers were also synthesized having linkers terminating with chemically reactive groups such as isothiocyanates, which render the amplifier bifunctional: attachable to polymers, biomacromolecules, or other biocompatible entity possessing multiple reactive sites such as terminal amines.

Abstract: Data storage methods and apparatus are disclosed that utilize a swept-carrier optical approach with an inhomogeneously broadened absorber material having multiple special storage cells. Data are encoded on a data pulse by appropriately modulating the data pulse. Data storage in a storage cell is effected by exposing the cell to the data pulse and a reference pulse cotemporal with the data pulse. Both the data and reference pulses are frequency-chirped across the inhomogeneously broadened bandwidth of the absorber material, the data pulse being chirped at a frequency that is offset relative to the reference pulse. Data retrieval from the storage cell is performed by exposing the cell to a read pulse which causes the cell to produce a signal pulse comprising the encoded data. The read pulse can have a temporal profile that produces a signal pulse shaped either similarly to the data pulse or as a mirror image of the data pulse.

Abstract: Disclosed are amplifier molecules: various organic compounds having branched structures terminating with amine groups to which pharmacologically active groups can be chemically attached. A number of MRI contrast-enhancing agents were synthesized, each comprising plural active groups, such as stable nitroxides and complexes of trivalent metal cations. Such syntheses were successfully performed using a number of amplifiers having different branched structures, demonstrating the general utility of the pertinent chemistry in the synthesis of amplifiers having any of a wide variety of pharmacologically active groups. Amplifiers were also synthesized having linkers terminating with chemically reactive groups such as isothiocyanates, which render the amplifier bifunctional: attachable to polymers, biomacromolecules, or other biocompatible entity possessing multiple reactive sites such as terminal amines.

Abstract: Methods for synthesizing solid-state crystalline alloys and products made therefrom are disclosed. Plural repeat units, each comprising an ordered sequence of superposed layers of preselected solid-state reactants, are formed superposedly on a surface of a solid substrate to form a modulated composite of the reactants. The layers comprising a repeat unit are controllably formed to have relative thicknesses corresponding to the stoichiometry of a preselected solid compound found on a phase diagram of the reactants. Each repeat unit also has a repeat-unit thickness no greater than a critical thickness for a diffusion couple of the reactants, where the repeat-unit thickness is preferably less than or equal to about 100 .ANG.. The modulated composite is then heated to an interdiffusion temperature lower than a nucleation temperature for the reactants for a time sufficient to form an amorphous alloy of the reactants having a stoichiometry corresponding to the preselected solid compound.

Abstract: Disclosed are amplifier molecules: various organic compounds having branched structures terminating with amine groups to which pharmacologically active groups can be chemically attached. A number of MRI contrast-enhancing agents were synthesized, each comprising plural active groups, such as stable nitroxides and complexes of trivalent metal cations. Such syntheses were successfully performed using a number of amplifiers having different branched structures, demonstrating the general utility of the pertinent chemistry in the synthesis of amplifiers having any of a wide variety of pharmacologically active groups. Amplifiers were also synthesized having linkers terminating with chemically reactive groups such as isothiocyanates, which render the amplifier bifunctional: attachable to polymers, biomacromolecules, or other biocompatible entity possessing multiple reactive sites such as terminal amines.

Abstract: Polymers having photoreactive metal-metal bonds along the backbone of the polymer are disclosed, which bonds rendering the polymers photo-labile. Metals participating in such metal-metal bonds are from Groups VIB and VIIB (first column) of the Periodic Table as well as nickel. Each metal-metal bond is present in a cord group present in at least one monomer incorporated into the polymer. The core group also comprises carbonyl groups and an aromatic cyclopentadienyl (Cp) group bonded to each metal atom. Various organic and organosiloxane linker groups bonded to the Cp groups render the core group-containing monomer polymerizable into a composition of matter having physical properties determined in part by the chemical composition and conformation of the linkers. Reactions for synthesizing core groups, monomers, and various polymers therefrom are disclosed, including copolymerization reactions.

Abstract: A method and probes are disclosed for the localization of functional receptors by electron microscopy (EM). Electron dense probes are directed to receptors by means of specific ligand-receptor interactions and subsequently anchored covalently to target cellular material. A particular probe is a complex between colloidal gold and dextran derivatized with diaminohexane and containing photo-activatable nitroarylazido groups. Ligands with a specific affinity for certain receptors can be covalently attached to the complex to provide receptor-specific markers. For example, ouabain can be covalently attached to the dextran matrix to produce a probe specific for functional units of Na,K-ATPase. Covalent attachment of the bound probes at or near their respective receptors greatly enhances retention of probe during washing and standard procedures of fixation and dehydration in preparation for EM.

Abstract: Nitroxide contrast agents for MRI have a long useful life and can be administered in low concentration doses. Such agents include nitroxide-doped liposomes that encapsulate an oxidant and large molecules having surfaces covered with persistent nitroxide free radicals.

Abstract: Micropole undulators for use in the generation of x-rays from moving charged particles and methods for manufacturing such undulators are disclosed.One type of micropole undulator has two jaws containing rows of spaced apart poles arranged so that each pole produces a magnetic field aligned with all other similar fields. An external biasing field extends through the jaws so that an overall undulator field of substantially sinusoidal shape and substantially zero average value extends along the undulator axis. Preferably, the poles are bars formed of a magnetizable, but unmagnetized, material so that, after the jaws are assembled, all of the bars can be magnetized simultaneously in a uniform magnetic field of suitable strength.