Patents Assigned to University of Houston System
  • Publication number: 20230399234
    Abstract: Nano-sized zeolites may be prepared using germanium oxide (GeO2) as a component of the overall synthesis composition. This is accomplished by the addition of GeO2 as an inexpensive reagent for the synthesis gel. Most of the Ge is retained in the synthesis mixture and the small amount incorporated in the zeolite solid (Si/Ge>100) does not have an appreciable impact on zeolite acidity or other physicochemical properties. The methods disclosed herein circumvent challenges to prepare nano-sized zeolites having dimensions less than 100 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Rimer, Deependra Parmar, Adam Mallette
  • Publication number: 20230384356
    Abstract: A method and system for quench detection in high temperature superconductors, such as REBCO (rare-earth barium copper oxide), before thermal runaway. A REBCO superconducting tape is excited as a transmission line forming standing waves. A quench may then be detected in response to detecting a disturbance of the standing waves. In this manner, quench in high temperature superconductors, such as REBCO, is rapidly detected before thermal runaway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Goran Majkic, Venkat Selvamanickam, Jarek Wosik
  • Publication number: 20230382754
    Abstract: A method including capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from air (e.g., atmosphere) in an absorber in which the air contacts a base (e.g., a hydroxide, such as potassium hydroxide KOH and/or sodium hydroxide (NaOH)) to produce a carbonate (e.g., potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and/or sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)); precipitating one or more (e.g., carbonate) salt from an aqueous solution comprising salt (a brine) to provide an aqueous solution comprising a chloride (e.g., potassium chloride (KCl) and/or sodium chloride (NaCl)); using electrochemical regeneration to convert the chloride to electrochemically regenerated product comprising the base (e.g., KOH and/or NaOH); and recycling at least a portion of the electrochemically regenerated product comprising the base to the capturing of the CO2 from the air. A system for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Mohammad RAHIMI, Xiaonan SHAN
  • Publication number: 20230375541
    Abstract: Ultra near-field index modulated plasmonic nano-aperture label-free imaging methods and techniques are useful for imaging and detection of biological microparticles and nanoparticles such as circulating tumor exosomes (CTEs), bacteria and vimses. The methods and techniques utilize a high-density array of gold, silver, or gold/silver alloy nanodisks, in some cases on an undercut or invisible substrate. Given the relatively large nanodisk dimensions, the nanodisk array may feature a significantly blue-shifted LSPR extinction peak due to both far-field plasmonic coupling and substrate undercut. The ultra near-field imaging methods have the ability to image nanoparticles as small as 25 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicants: University of Houston System, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Wei-Chuan Shih, Nareg Ohannesian, Steven H. Lin
  • Patent number: 11821818
    Abstract: A biosensor may provide a magnetoresistive (MR) film comprising a nonmagnetic layer may be sandwiched between the two ferromagnetic layers. The MR film may be positioned on a substrate, where the edges of the MR film are in contact with leads. Additionally, the leads may be in contact with pads. The sensors may provide quasi-digital readout that enable greatly enhanced sensitivity. In some embodiments, biosensors may be arranged as array of sensors. The array of sensors may be arranged as a symmetric or asymmetric N1×N2 array, where N1 and N2 are integers, N1 represents the number of sensors linked together in series, and N2 represents the number of sensor sets in parallel, where each sensor set may comprise one or more sensors. Further, the array of sensors may be coupled to a voltmeter, which may be a single voltmeter in some cases that allows the sensors to all be probed simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Dmitri Litvinov, Long Chang, Richard Willson
  • Patent number: 11798721
    Abstract: A superconducting electromagnet and method for manufacturing, using, monitoring, and controlling same are disclosed. Embodiments are directed to a superconducting electromagnet that includes a superconductor tape including: a first unslotted end; a second unslotted end; and a longitudinally slotted section provided between the first unslotted end and the second unslotted end. The longitudinally slotted section includes a first longitudinal part and a second longitudinal part. The first longitudinal part is provided in a wound manner thereby defining a first coil. The second longitudinal part is provided in a wound manner thereby defining a second coil. These and other embodiments achieve persistent current operation of the superconducting electromagnet without the need for solder joints within the magnet coil itself, which can result in improved stability and reduced power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventor: John H. Miller, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11788006
    Abstract: Provided herein are phosphors of the general molecular formula: A3-2xEuxMP3O9N, wherein the variables are as defined herein. Methods of producing the phosphors are also provided. In some aspects, the present disclosure provides light-emitting devices comprising these phosphors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Jakoah Brgoch, Shruti Hariyani
  • Patent number: 11774449
    Abstract: Presented herein are methods of evaluating cellular activity by: placing a cell population on an area; assaying for a dynamic behavior of the cell population as a function of time; identifying cell(s) of interest based on the dynamic behavior; characterizing a molecular profile of the cell(s); and correlating the obtained information. The assayed dynamic behavior can include cellular activation, cellular inhibition, cellular interaction, protein expression, protein secretion, cellular proliferation, changes in cellular morphology, motility, cell death, cell cytotoxicity, cell lysis, and combinations thereof. Sensors associated with the area may be utilized to facilitate assaying. Molecular profiles of the cell(s) can then be characterized by various methods, such as DNA analysis, RNA analysis, and protein analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Navin Varadarajan, Gabrielle Romain, Ivan Liadi, Victor Sendra, Badrinath Roysam
  • Patent number: 11749795
    Abstract: A method for activating two-dimensional host materials for a multivalent/polyatomic ion battery may include adding a pillaring salt in electrolyte. This process may be followed by in-situ electrochemically intercalating the pillaring ions, solvent molecules and multivalent ions into the van der Waals gap of host materials. After the activation process, the host material is transformed into an interlayer-expanded 2D material with significantly enhanced specific capacity and rate performance for multivalent ion intercalation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Yan Yao, Hyun Deog Yoo
  • Publication number: 20230272542
    Abstract: An electrode and system for electrocatalytic water splitting. The electrode for overall water splitting comprises a conductive substrate, and a bifunctional electrocatalyst comprising primarily metallic phosphides disposed on a surface of the substrate. The system comprises an anode and a cathode. Each of the anode and the cathode comprises a uniform distribution of a bifunctional electrocatalyst comprising metallic phosphides on a conductive substrate. The metallic phosphides can comprise iron phosphide (FeP) and dinickel phosphide (Ni2P). The bifunctional electrocatalyst promotes hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathode, and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Zhifeng REN, Fang YU, Haiqing ZHOU, Shuo CHEN
  • Patent number: 11742808
    Abstract: A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) power supply system and method are disclosed. The architecture adopts a two-stage topology to reduce the required capacitance by over ten times, leading to a four-fold improvement in power density. The first stage is an isolated converter that only supplies average power, therefore input filter and transformer sizes can be reduced. The second stage is a fast response DC-DC converter followed by a RF transmitter to produce a pulsed RF signal, so that the mid-point voltage after the first stage can be allowed to droop considerably, leading to much smaller sized capacitors. These and other embodiments enforce the isolated converter to only transfer average power, which reduces the power rating and the volume of the system's transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Harish S. Krishnamoorthy, Yu Yao
  • Publication number: 20230257420
    Abstract: Compounds disclosed herein have been shown to bind to the transferrin receptor making them capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and useful for treating diseases or disorders of the brain, such as cancer, ischemic stroke, Alzheimer's disease, or Parkinson's disease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Bin Guo, Damith Gomika Udugamasooriya, Xinli Liu, Satya Prakash Shukla, Kwang Bog Cho, Xue Zhou
  • Publication number: 20230257907
    Abstract: Herein provided are cubic boron arsenide (c-BAs) single crystals having an unexpectedly high ambipolar mobility at room temperature, µa, at one or more locations thereof that is greater than or equal to 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, or 10000 cm2V-1s-1, wherein the ambipolar mobility is defined as: µa = 2µeµh/(µe + µh), wherein µe is electron mobility and µh is hole mobility, and having a room temperature thermal conductivity at the one or more locations thereof that is greater than or equal to 1000 Wm-1K-1. Methods of making and using the c-BAs single crystals are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Zhifeng REN, Jiming BAO, Shuai YUE, Fei TIAN, Geethal Amila Udalamatta GAMAGE, Gang CHEN, Jungwoo SHIN
  • Patent number: 11725185
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a culture media system that is useful for the isolation and epigenetically stable propagation of normal stem cells in culture which are derived from columnar epithelial tissues and cancer stem cells from epithelial cancers. In certain embodiments, the culture system is a feeder-free system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Wa Xian, Frank McKeon, Matthew P. Vincent
  • Patent number: 11723556
    Abstract: A soleus contraction measurement system includes a sensor configured to measure rotational movement when positioned on a user's foot with an X-axis oriented laterally across the user's foot, a Y-axis oriented parallel to the user's foot, a Z-axis orthogonal to the X-axis and the Y-axis, and a positive X-axis rotational movement corresponding to an increasing ankle angle, and a memory storing computer-executable instructions for controlling a processor to: measure an X-axis rotational movement, identify a positive X-axis rotational movement as a plantarflexion and a negative X-axis rotational movement as an ankle dorsiflexion, deem the plantarflexion a performed soleus contraction when the plantarflexion is immediately followed by the ankle dorsiflexion for two consecutive cycles of plantarflexion and ankle dorsiflexion, and cause performance information regarding the performed soleus contractions to be communicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventor: Marc T. Hamilton
  • Publication number: 20230249169
    Abstract: Phosphine phosphonate and phenoxyphosphine ligands bearing polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains are used as described herein to produce heterobimetallic catalysts. The ligands can be metallated selectively with palladium or nickel and secondary metal ions to provide well-defined heterobimetallic compounds. These heterobimetallic complexes exhibit accelerated reaction rates and greater thermal stability in olefin polymerization compared to other catalysts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Loi Hung Do, Zhongzheng Cai, Thi Tran, Dawei Xiao
  • Publication number: 20230233691
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and formulations for treating a patient suffering from one or more of chronic inflammatory injury, metaplasia, dysplasia or cancer of esophageal tissue and gastric tissue, which method comprises administering to the patient an agent that selectively kills or inhibits the proliferation or differentiation of pathogenic Barrett's Esophagus stem cells (BESCs) or Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia stem cells (GIMSCs) relative to normal regenerative esophageal stem cells or gastric stem cells in the tissue in which the BESCs or GIMSCs are found.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicants: University of Houston System, Tract Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: Wa XIAN, Frank MCKEON, Shan WANG, Audrey-Ann LIEW, Matthew VINCENT
  • Publication number: 20230237227
    Abstract: A method for oil recovery by calculating, with a computer system, a current oil saturation of a reservoir, comparing, with the computer system, reservoir properties to screening criteria, determining, with the computer system, a minimum miscibility pressure based on correlations between the reservoir properties and the screening criteria; determining, with the computer system, if the minimum miscibility pressure is greater than a bubble point pressure of the reservoir and is less than or equal to an initial reservoir pressure, determining, with the computer system, a time to repressure the reservoir with water injection, performing a reservoir simulation with the computer system, and flooding the reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Ganesh C. Thakur, Sriram Balasubramanian, Ahmed M. Alzahabi, Sushanta Bose
  • Publication number: 20230218708
    Abstract: Described herein are pharmaceutical compositions containing peptoids of general formula (I), (II), or (III) capable of reducing proliferation of cancer stem cells in a subject and methods of treatment or prophylactic administration of these pharmaceutical compositions to treat cancer. Also provided herein are method of detecting and treating cancerous cell masses by use of peptoids of general formula (I), (II), or (III).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicants: University of Houston System, The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System
    Inventors: Damith Gomika UDUGAMASOORIYA, Aaron RAYMOND, John MINNA
  • Publication number: 20230220570
    Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure provides time and energy-efficient synthesis of catalysts for water electrolysis. An exemplary synthesis method includes dissolving amounts of Fe(NO3)3.9H2O and Na2S2O3.5H2O in deionized water at ambient temperature to form a solution, placing Ni foam into the solution where the Ni foam serves as a substrate and a Ni source for growth of sulfur-doped (Ni,Fe)OOH (S—(Ni,Fe)OOH) catalysts, leaving the Ni foam in the solution at ambient temperature for a duration between one minute and five minutes to provide a treated foam where the S—(Ni,Fe)OOH catalysts grow on the substrate during the duration, and removing the treated foam from the solution after the duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Zhifeng REN, Luo YU, Shuo CHEN