Patents Assigned to The University
  • Publication number: 20160182155
    Abstract: A coherent optical receiver that receives an optical PSK-modulated signal includes optical elements that combine the optical PSK-modulated signal and an optical local-oscillating (LO) signal and splits the combined optical signals into multiple parts that have a predefined phase offset relative to one another. The receiver further includes at least one thyristor and control circuitry operably coupled to terminals of the at least one thyristor. The control circuitry is configured to receive the multiple parts of the combined optical signals and controls switching operation of the at least one thyristor according to phase offset of optical PSK-modulated signal relative to the optical LO signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicants: The University of Connecticut, Opel Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoff W. Taylor, Yan Zhang
  • Publication number: 20160182219
    Abstract: An optical phase detector circuit is provided that is suitable for use in an optical phase lock loop. The optical phase detector includes a first optical flip-flop circuit configured to produce a first digital output based on ON/OFF state of a first digital optical input and a digital electrical control signal. A second optical flip-flop circuit is configured to produce a second digital output based on ON/OFF state of a second digital optical input and the digital electrical control signal. An AND gate is operably coupled to both the first and second optical flip-flops. The AND gate produces the digital electrical control signal for supply to the first and second optical flip-flop circuits according to an AND function of the first and second digital outputs produced by the first and second optical flip-flop circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicants: The University of Connecticut, Opel Solar, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoff W. Taylor
  • Publication number: 20160176712
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method for producing a carbon nanotube (CNT) whereby, in the local synthesis of CNTs, a high resolution, a low cost, easiness in production and mass production capability can be established at the same time; and a two-dimensionally patterned CNT obtained thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Shigeo Maruyama, Rong Xiang
  • Patent number: 9370514
    Abstract: Processes for preparing micronized particles comprising a poorly water soluble bioactive agent are provided. The processes utilize a superheated aqueous phase which can serve as the continuous phase of an emulsion. The superheated aqueous phase can be used to melt poorly water soluble bioactive agents and/or matrix materials which them form molten droplets dispersed within the superheated aqueous phase. The size and size distribution of the molten droplets can be controlled using a variety of suitable methods. The molten droplets can then be cooled to form micronized particles comprising the poorly water soluble bioactive agent. If desired, the cooling rate can be selected to control the crystalline morphology of the resulting micronized particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Hugh D. C. Smyth, Matt Herpin
  • Patent number: 9370557
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of bacterial cytolysin proteins, such as pneumolysin, as adjuvants for stimulating or enhancing immune responses against co-administered target antigens. Desirably, the target antigen is provided as a fusion protein with the cytolysin. The inventors have found that cytolysins may be particularly effective for stimulation of mucosal immune responses against the target antigen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The University Court of the University of Glasgow
    Inventors: Timothy John Mitchell, Lea-Ann Kirkham, Graeme James Cowan, Gillian Douce
  • Patent number: 9372111
    Abstract: A method of designing and manufacturing an acoustic sensor having a high degree of directivity is disclosed. The sensor includes a rotatable plate that is attached to a substrate with mounts. In one aspect the mounts are freely rotatable and the torque on the plate is measured using detectors disposed on springs that provide a resistance to rotation of the plate. In another aspect the plate is mounted to the substrate with mounts that torsionally deform during rotation of the plate. These detectors measure the torque on the plate according to the torsional deformation of the mounts. Methods of improving the signal to noise ratio of acoustic sensors having multiple detectors are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Neal A. Hall, Michael L. Kuntzman, Donghwan Kim, Nishshanka Hewa-Kasakarage
  • Patent number: 9370672
    Abstract: This is a new technique in IMRT and 3D conformal gamma radiation dose delivery using a linear accelerator with no flattening filter. The technique improves patient radiation therapy by reducing radiation scattered to surrounding normal tissue and reducing electron contamination. It increases dose rate to shorten treatment time. Linear accelerators have for decades come with a photon flattening filter to make the photon profile of planar fluence to make the dose distribution more uniform. These filters, however, resulted in fluence attenuation and contamination of the beam. Now in the age of techniques such as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) the function of the flattening filter becomes redundant. The flattening filter now merely reduces the efficiency of the beam by reducing the fluence and increasing scattered radiation. Our technique involves removal of the flattening filter for complex treatments. It uses inverse planning along with multi-leaf collimators to shape the dose distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The University of Toledo
    Inventors: E. Ishmael Parsai, John J. Feldmeier
  • Patent number: 9373492
    Abstract: Mass spectrometry systems or assemblies therefore include an ionizer that includes at least one planar conductor, a mass analyzer with a planar electrode assembly, and a detector comprising at least one planar conductor. The ionizer, the mass analyzer and the detector are attached together in a compact stack assembly. The stack assembly has a perimeter that bounds an area that is between about 0.01 mm2 to about 25 cm2 and the stack assembly has a thickness that is between about 0.1 mm to about 25 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventor: John Michael Ramsey
  • Patent number: 9372267
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods comprising a positron emission tomography detector having a first rectangular cross-section crystal block positioned between a first pentagonal cross-section crystal block and a second pentagonal cross-section crystal block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Hongdi Li, Wai-Hoi Wong, Yuxuan Zhang
  • Patent number: 9370527
    Abstract: Methods of treating patients with inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal fibrosis, or Crohn's disease involve administering a therapeutic amount of CARD-024 or related compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The Regents Of The University Of Michigan
    Inventors: Robert U. Simpson, Peter D. R. Higgins, Laura A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9370497
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of inflammatory diseases of the peripheral nervous system. More particularly, it concerns methods for treating inflammatory diseases of the peripheral nervous system by modulating sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor activity. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of treating a subject with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) or other autoimmune neuropathies comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of FTY720.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The University of Chicago
    Inventor: Betty C. Soliven
  • Patent number: 9372245
    Abstract: An endogenous source of magnetic resonance image contrast of biological tissues is provided by modeling a conventional magnetization transfer (CMT) spectrum using z-spectral data and generating magnetization transfer ratio maps from the magnetization transfer spectrum at a frequency of interest. A contribution by the CMT spectrum from the z-spectral data is removed and a direct water saturation component is modeled using the z-spectral data with removed CMT spectrum (z-spectral). When this modeled direct water saturation component contribution is removed from the z-spectral, then the remaining z-spectra reflects new contrast due to chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and magnetization transfer/exchange effect from aliphatic protons probably associated with labile proteins, peptides and lipids, named as novel magnetization transfer (NMT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania
    Inventors: Anup Singh, Kejia Cai, Mohammad Haris, Hari Hariharan, Ravinder Reddy
  • Patent number: 9373742
    Abstract: Plasma-assisted techniques are provided for fabricating semiconductor devices. In one aspect, a plasma is applied to a substrate before exfoliating layers of a multi-layer structure of atomically thin two-dimensional sheets onto the substrate. The exfoliated layers serve as the basis for constructing a semiconductor device. In another aspect, a p-n junction is formed by applying a plasma to top layers of a multi-layer structure of atomically thin two-dimensional sheets and then exfoliating a portion of the multi-layer structure onto a bottom electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The Regents Of The University Of Michigan
    Inventors: Xiaogan Liang, Hongsuk Nam, Sungjin Wi, Mikai Chen
  • Publication number: 20160166291
    Abstract: A fusion device includes a screw having a head and a shaft. A hollow bone dowel is disposed about the shaft of the screw. The bone dowel is formed from a bone-like, biocompatible, or allograft material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: The University Of Toledo
    Inventors: Vijay K. Goel, Anand K. Agarwal, David Dick
  • Publication number: 20160171293
    Abstract: A method of tracking the position of a body part, such as a hand, in captured images, the method comprising capturing (10) colour images of a region to form a set of captured images; identifying contiguous skin-colour regions (12) within an initial image of the set of captured images; defining regions of interest (16) containing the skin-coloured regions; extracting (18) image features in the regions of interest, each image feature relating to a point in a region of interest; and then, for successive pairs of images comprising a first image and a second image, the first pair of images having as the first image the initial image and a later image, following pairs of images each including as the first image the second image from the preceding pair and a later image as the second image: extracting (22) image features, each image feature relating to a point in the second image; determining matches (24) between image features relating to the second image and image features relating to in each region of interest in
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: The University of Warwick
    Inventors: Chang-Tsun Li, Yi Yao
  • Publication number: 20160172080
    Abstract: A REBCO superconductor tape that can achieve a lift factor greater than or equal to approximately 3.0 or 4.0 in an approximately 3 T magnetic field applied perpendicular to a REBCO tape at approximately 30 K. In an embodiment, the REBCO superconductor tape can include a critical current density less than or equal to approximately 4.2 MA/cm2 at 77 K in the absence of an external magnetic field. In another embodiment, the REBCO superconductor tape can include a critical current density greater than or equal to approximately 12 MA/cm2 at approximately 30 K in a magnetic field of approximately 3 T having an orientation parallel to a c-axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: The University of Houston System
    Inventor: Venkat Selvamanickam
  • Publication number: 20160170097
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device (100) for focusing visible light, the liquid crystal device (100) comprising a plurality of curved substrates (101,102) arranged to form one or more curved cavities (104) therebetween, each substrate being configured to provide a focal power, wherein the one or more curved cavities contain liquid crystal and form one or more liquid crystal elements. Each of the one or more liquid crystal elements are configured to provide a focal power, the focal power of each of the liquid crystal elements being dependent on the curvature of the respective cavity and a voltage applied across the liquid crystal contained within the respective cavity. The substrates (101,102) in combination with the one or more liquid crystal elements are arranged to provide a first focal power in a substantial absence of an applied voltage and a second focal power in response to an applied voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: The University of Manchester
    Inventors: Harry Edward Milton, Sarabjot Kaur, John Clifford Jones, Helen Frances Gleeson, Philip Bruce Morgan, John Clamp
  • Publication number: 20160166736
    Abstract: Provided is an osteoinductive material comprising a substrate; and a layer of a hydrocarbyl group comprising 10 to 12 carbon atoms, the hydrocarbyl group having one end attached to the substrate and a presenting amine (—NH2) group at the unattached end. The hydrocarbyl group may be 11 carbons long, and may be provided in the form of 11-aminoundecyltriethoxysilane. The substrate may be a glass; metal; polymer; ceramic; plastic; or hydroxyapatite. The substrate may, for example, be a metal selected from the group consisting of: titanium; titanium alloys; cobalt chrome; and steel. An osteoinductive material may be provided in the form of a medical implant, or part thereof, such as an orthopaedic implant or a dental implant or part thereof. Alternatively the substrate may be in the form of a cell culture vessel. Also provided is a method of producing such osteoinductive materials, the medical use of such materials, and a method of producing bone or a bone precursor utilising the disclosed materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: The University Of Liverpool
    Inventors: Judith Curran, John Hunt
  • Publication number: 20160165860
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions useful for the prevention and/or treatment of PRRS in animals, typically domestic pigs. The invention relates to proteins which comprise fragments of CD163, nucleic acid constructs encoding such proteins, and methods of modifying expression or activity of CD163 in vivo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: The University Court of the University of Edinburg h
    Inventors: Tahar Ait-Ali, Simon Lillico, Alan Archibald, Christopher Bruce Alexander Whitelaw
  • Patent number: 9365510
    Abstract: Compounds having a structure of Formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, tautomer or stereoisomer thereof, wherein R, R1, R2, R3, R4, M1, M2, X, L1, L2, J1, J2, a1, a2, b1 and b2 are as defined herein, and wherein at least one of M2 or L2 is a moiety comprising an aziridine, acrylamide or sulfonate functional group, are provided. Uses of such compounds for treatment of various indications, including prostate cancer as well as methods of treatment involving such compounds are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignees: British Columbia Cancer Agency Branch, The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Raymond John Andersen, Marianne Dorothy Sadar