Patents Assigned to University of Alberta
  • FLEXIBLE-BASE ELECTRODE ARRAY AND SURROGATE NEURAL TISSUE
    Publication number: 20130144369
    Abstract: A flexible-base electrode array for implantation within neural tissue, method of making the electrode array and use thereof, is provided. A surrogate neural tissue, method of making same and use thereof, is further provided. The use of the present flexible-base electrode array for implantation into the surrogate neural tissue for stimulation or recording neural activity, wherein the array is biocompatible with the surrogate tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventor: The Governors of the University of Alberta
  • Micro/nano devices fabricated from Cu-Hf thin films
    Patent number: 8458811
    Abstract: An all-metal microdevice or nanodevice such as an atomic force microscope probe is manufactured from a copper-hafnium alloy thin film having an x-ray amorphous microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignees: The Governors of the University of Alberta, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Erik J. Luber, Colin Ophus, David Mitlin, Brian Olsen, Christopher Harrower, Velimir Radmilović
  • METHOD OF FABRICATING A CARBON NANOTUBE ARRAY
    Publication number: 20130136860
    Abstract: A method of fabricating carbon nanotube arrays (CNTA) on an oxide catalyst layer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the oxide catalyst is a metal oxide. The metal oxide may be deposited on a substrate used as a support. The CNTA is grown on the oxide catalyst layer under conditions promoting CNT growth. CNT growth is dependent on temperature, concentration of oxidizing molecules and carbon availability. One embodiment of the method comprises depositing an oxide catalyst layer on the substrate, heating the catalyst layer at certain rates to the target temperatures, adding oxidation molecules for the pretreatment of the oxide catalyst layer, and growing the array on the substrate. The oxide catalyst layer may comprise a group VIII element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
    Inventors: Weixing Chen, Xinwei Cui
  • Light emitting semiconductor diode
    Patent number: 8450127
    Abstract: Visible and infrared light sources on silicon that have several attractive properties with respect to integrated optics. First, the devices are operational at room temperature and strictly require no thermal processing in their synthesis (although low temperature annealing can be used to form Ohmic contacts). These devices could therefore be included at any stage of chip fabrication. The special ease of synthesis of these silicon LEDs enables simple fabrication of surface structures such as patterned emitters and photonic crystal surfaces that enhance light emission in the forward direction. The LEDs are color-switchable—by reversing the current one can switch from infrared emission to visible emission. The lifetime of the luminescence is much shorter than the standard carrier recombination time in silicon, suggesting direct modulation of the emitted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Al Meldrum, Sulan Kuai
  • System and method for receiving time-hopping ultra-wide bandwidths signals
    Patent number: 8442093
    Abstract: A novel receiver structure is proposed for detecting a time-hopping ultra-wide bandwidth signal in the presence of multiple access interference. The proposed structure achieves better bit error rate performance than the conventional matched receiver when operating in multiple access interference. When operating in a multiple access interference-plus-Gaussian-noise environment, the receiver structure outperforms the conventional matched filter receiver for moderate to large values of signal-to-noise ratio. A receiver structure with adaptive limiting threshold is further proposed to ensure the performance of the soft-limiting receiver always meets or surpasses the performance of the conventional UWB receiver for all values of signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventor: Norman C. Beaulieu
  • DNA POLYMORPHISMS AS MOLECULAR MARKERS IN CATTLE
    Publication number: 20130115596
    Abstract: A method of predicting the phenotype of cattle through the analysis of one or more single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is described. More particularly, a method for predicting cattle temperament and behavior through the analysis of one or more single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapped at specific regions of the bovine genome is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicants: GENOA BIOTECNOLOGIA S.A., THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
    Inventors: Stephen Moore, Graham Plastow, Luiz Heraldo Arouche Camara-Lopes, Flavio Canellas Canavez, Paulo Sérgio Lopes Oliveria, Katia Ramos Moreira Leite
  • NOVEL POLY(ETHYLENE OXIDE)-BLOCK-POLY(ESTER) BLOCK COPOLYMERS
    Publication number: 20130116428
    Abstract: The present invention relates to micelle-forming poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(ester) block copolymers having reactive groups on the polyester block therein. The biodegradability of these copolymers and their biocompatibilities with a large number of bioactive agents make them suitable as carriers for various bioactive agents. The bioactive agents, such as DNA, RNA, oligonucleotide, protein, peptide, drug and the like, can be coupled to the reactive groups on the polyester block of the copolymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
    Inventors: AFSANEH LAVASANIFAR, ABDULLAH MAHMUD
  • GEL ASSEMBLY
    Publication number: 20130110040
    Abstract: A gel assembly comprising a polymeric gel layer between metal layers. A gel assembly process comprising providing a colloidal polymer in solution, drying the solution to form a polymeric gel layer and forming metal layers on either side of the polymeric gel layer. A method of drug delivery comprising loading a polymeric gel layer with drug, forming metal layers on either side of the polymeric gel layer, wherein the polymeric gel layer comprises a material that is sensitive to a stimulus, and subjecting the polymeric gel layer to the stimulus to release the drug from between or through the metal layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
    Inventor: Governors of the University of Alberta
  • Shortenings and methods of making and using thereof
    Patent number: 8431177
    Abstract: Described herein are shortenings with improved properties such as increased hardness, minimal trans fat, and reduced saturated fats. Methods for preparing the shortenings involve the use of one or more structural enhancers in a vegetable oil followed by processing and tempering the admixture. The shortenings can be used to produce food products with reduced saturated fats and increased hardness as well as minimal trans fats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignees: Bunge Oils, Inc., The Governors of the University of Alberta c/o Tec Edmonton
    Inventors: Suresh S. Narine, Kerry Lyn Humphrey, Frank R. Kincs
  • Supercritical Fluid Treatment of High Molecular Weight Biopolymers
    Publication number: 20130101849
    Abstract: Micro- and nano-sized particles, agglomerates and fibers are generated from high molecular weight water-soluble biopolymers applying supercritical fluid technology. A method of producing micro- or nanoparticles from an aqueous solution of a high molecular weight biopolymer includes the step of spraying the aqueous solution together with a mixture of a compressible gas and a water-soluble co-solvent/antisolvent into a pressurized chamber. The method may be adapted to impregnate the micro- or nanoparticles with a bioactive material. A method for microencapsulating a bioactive material with a biopolymer is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
    Inventors: Feral Temelli, Bernhard Seifried
  • Systems and methods for OFDM transmission and reception
    Patent number: 8422570
    Abstract: A discrete cosine transform (DCT)-based orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system is provided with a zero-padding guard interval and MMSE reception. The performance of the DCT-OFDM system with the zero-padding guard interval scheme and the minimum mean-square error (MMSE) receiver over time-varying multipath Rayleigh fading channels is investigated. The results show that employing the proposed DCT-OFDM system rather than the conventional DFT-OFDM system can provide better bit error rate performance in practical systems, by as much as 6 dB in signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Norman C. Beaulieu, Peng Tan
  • Aromatic ether-containing fluorene monomers, processes for their preparation and polymerization thereof
    Patent number: 8410243
    Abstract: Novel aromatic ether-containing monomers are described along with processes for their preparation and their polymerization into corresponding aromatic ether-containing polyfluorenes. These polyfluorenes exhibited stable blue-emission and therefore have application in polymer light-emitting devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Jonathan Gordon Conn Veinot, Leah Coumont, Davin Glenn Piercey, Shaune Lee McFarlane
  • FLUORINATED FRUCTOSE DERIVATIVES FOR PET IMAGING
    Publication number: 20130078184
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to fructose-based radiopharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical compositions comprising same, precursors and methods for preparing same, and methods of using same for diagnostic imaging of cancer cells and non-imaging tracer studies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
    Inventors: Chris CHEESEMAN, Frederick WEST, Tina GRANT, Brendan TRAYNER, John MERCER, Andrei MANOLESCU
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AMPLIFICATION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS IN MICROFLUIDIC VOLUME HYDROGELS
    Publication number: 20130078616
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a novel method and system for amplification of nucleic acids within a hydrogel of microfluidic volume using a hydrocarbon wax as a support substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventor: Alexey Atrazhev
  • PRODUCTION OF DECORATED CARBON NANOTUBES
    Publication number: 20130065050
    Abstract: A method of dispersing a metal or metal oxide within a CNT or CNT array, comprising exposing the CNT or CNT array to a solution containing a metal compound in a non-aqueous liquid; and removing the non-aqueous liquid from the CNT or CNT array. Nanoparticles were homogenously deposited within millimeter-long carbon nanotube array (CNTA). After modified with nanoparticles, CNTA changes from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The hydrophilic composite electrodes present ideal capacitive behavior with high reversibility. The novel, nano-architectured composite demonstrates strong promise for high-performance thick and compact electrochemical supercapacitors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Weixing Chen, Xinwei Cui
  • METHODS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF COLORECTAL CANCER AND COLORECTAL POLYPS BY MEASUREMENT OF METABOLITES IN URINE
    Publication number: 20130065320
    Abstract: Methods for the diagnosis of CRC, colorectal polyps in general and adenomatous polyps in particular by measurement of metabolites in urine are described. In some embodiments, certain metabolites are identified as being elevated or reduced in concentration or quantity in subjects with CRC and/or colorectal polyps as compared with subjects without CRC or colorectal polyps. The measurement of these metabolites in urine can indicate the presence of CRC or colorectal polyps in general or adanomatous polyps in particular in a subject.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
    Inventors: Richard Neil Fedorak, Haili Wang
  • NANOCRYSTALLINE SILICON IN SIO2 COMPOSITE AND FREESTANDING SILICON NANOPARTICLES
    Publication number: 20130059121
    Abstract: A nanocrystalline-Si/SiO2 composite containing silicon nanoparticles prepared by curing hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) under reductive thermal conditions in the presence of a gas containing hydrogen is provided. Freestanding photoluminescent silicon nanoparticles are prepared by acid etching the nanocrystalline-Si/SiO2 composite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
    Inventor: The Governors of the University of Alberta
  • Paraffin fuel cell
    Patent number: 8377606
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell in which electricity is generated and a paraffin is converted to an olefin. Between the anode and cathode compartment of the fuel cell is a ceramic membrane of the formula BaCe0.85-eAeLfY0.05-0.25O(3-?) wherein A is selected from the group consisting of Hf and Zr and mixtures thereof, e is from 0.1 to 0.5, L is a lanthanide and f is from 0 to 0.25 and ? is the oxygen deficiency in the ceramic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Jingli Luo, Karl Chuang, Alan Rodney Sanger
  • FREE HEXASACCHARIDE ISOLATED FROM SEVERAL CAMPYLOBACTER SPECIES
    Publication number: 20130034556
    Abstract: An isolated or purified compound is provided, comprising A-GlcNAc[GlcNAc]-GalNAc-GalNAc-QuiNAc4NAc, wherein A is GlcNAc or Glc. There is further provided a vaccine based on such compound, having particular use to treat or prevent an infection caused by a Campylobacter organism. There is also provided an antibody or antisera against the compound, having particular use to diagnose the presence of an infection caused by a Campylobacter organism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Christine Szymanski, Harald Nothaft
  • Methods for preparing silicon germanium alloy nanocrystals
    Patent number: 8366826
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing silicon germanium alloy nanocrystals by the simultaneous thermal disproportionation of a siliceous material and GeX2 in a conventional tube furnace. Also included is a method of preparing free standing silicon germanium nanocrystals by the acid etching product of the product of the thermal disproportionation of a siliceous material and GeX2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Jonathan Gordon Conn Veinot, Eric James Henderson