Patents Assigned to University of Maryland Baltimore County
  • Soluble CD80 as a therapeutic to reverse immune supression in cancer patients
    Patent number: 8956619
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a therapeutic cancer treatment using a soluble CD80 fusion protein that binds to PDLL and inhibits PDLL-PD1 interactions thereby overcoming PDLL-induced immune suppression and restoring T cell activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventor: Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg
  • Organic biofilm substrata as a microbial inoculum delivery vehicle for bioaugmentation of persistent organic pollutants in contaminated sediments and soils
    Patent number: 8945906
    Abstract: A system and methods for removal of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from an environment, where the system includes an inert and organic biofilm substrata as biofilm media for dual use: 1) inoculation of microorganisms to degrade POPs and 2) accumulation of POPs on the substrata, effective in maintaining bioavailable concentrations for sustaining microbial activity. Microorganisms capable of degrading or transforming POPs are actively associated with the substrata as a biofilm. Application of this delivery vehicle will enhance the microbial degradation of POPs, while simultaneously adsorbing hydrophobic POPs from the environment making them bioavailable for the microorganisms located in the formed biofilms and additionally lowering the aqueous concentration of POPs that have detrimental effects towards fish and mammals as they bioaccumulate through the food chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: University of Maryland Baltimore County
    Inventors: Kevin R. Sowers, Birthe Kjellerup, Upal Ghosh
  • NON-INVASIVE SENSING OF BIOPROCESS PARAMETERS
    Publication number: 20150010994
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring at least one bioprocess parameter utilizes a barrier that separates an external sensor from a culture medium. The barrier allows analytes to diffuse in and out of the culture vessel, thereby allowing the bioprocess parameter to be measured non-invasively by the external sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: University of Maryland Baltimore County
    Inventors: Govind RAO, Yordan KOSTOV, Leah TOLOSA
  • Sonication-assisted metal-enhanced fluorescence (SAMEF)-based bioassays
    Patent number: 8906701
    Abstract: The present invention provides for sonication-assisted metal-enhanced fluorescence, luminescence, and/or chemiluminescence assay systems using low-intensity ultrasound waves to significantly reduce the assay time by increasing the kinetic movement of molecules within the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventor: Chris D. Geddes
  • Microwave-accelerated metal-enhanced detection method
    Patent number: 8886464
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods using microwave accelerated surface plasmonics for the detection of target species. The system has a metallic surface and the system is exposed to microwave energy for increasing detection time and/or the reaction kinetics of the target species and other interacting participants in the system so that plasmonic emissions from the metallic surface alone or coupled with emissions from a luminescing entity are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventors: Chris D. Geddes, Kadir Aslan
  • Non-invasive sensing of bioprocess parameters
    Patent number: 8852921
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring at least one bioprocess parameter utilizes a barrier that separates an external sensor from a culture medium. The barrier allows analytes to diffuse in and out of the culture vessel, thereby allowing the bioprocess parameter to be measured non-invasively by the external sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland Baltimore County
    Inventors: Govind Rao, Yordan Kostov, Leah Tolosa
  • Step trainer for enhanced performance using rhythmic cues
    Patent number: 8845494
    Abstract: A person's step length and rate may be measured, for example, through sensors that collect spatial and temporal gait parameter data. The measurements are then used to determine the rate of a rhythmic auditory cue to improve the person's gait. For example, a system links sensors to detect step rate and length to an audio cue provided to headphones, while providing the appropriate algorithms to accomplish real time adjustments to the audio cues as needed to better help change the person's step length vs. step rate ratio in a desired direction depending on therapeutic or performance goals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignees: University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventors: Jill Whitall, Sandra A. McCombe-Waller, Muniswamappa Anjanappa
  • METAL ENHANCED FLUORESCENCE FROM METALLIC NANOBURGER STRUCTURES
    Publication number: 20140287224
    Abstract: The present invention provides for metallic nanostructures or nanoburgers comprising a dielectric layer positioned between metallic layers and their use in metal enhanced emissions systems to enhance emissions from fluorophores, including intrinsic and extrinsic; luminophores; bioluminescent species and/or chemiluminescent species. The multilayer nanoburgers exhibit several distinctive properties including significantly enhanced intensity of emissions, decreased lifetime and increased photostability by simply varying the thickness of the dielectric layer while maintaining a constant thickness of the two metallic layers on opposite sides of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
    Inventor: CHRIS D. GEDDES
  • Conversion of just-continuous metallic films to large particulate substrates for metal-enhanced fluorescence
    Patent number: 8822228
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing silver films having large nanoparticles caused by cracking during anaerobic annealing to provide surfaces that exhibit increased metal enhanced fluorescence. Preferably the annealing process is conducted on a silver film having a thickness from about 14 to 17 nm for about an hour at a temperature of approximately 190° C. to about 210° C. resulting in the conversion of the just-continuous films into large particulate films, not readily assessable by other chemical deposition techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventor: Chris D. Geddes
  • Heterocyclic benzoxazole compositions as inhibitors of hepatitis C virus
    Patent number: 8822515
    Abstract: This invention relates to benzoxazole compounds, compositions and devices for delivering them, processes for manufacturing them, and methods of using them in the treatment of Hepatitis C Virus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventors: Paul Smith, Dawn Ward
  • ULTRA-FAST PATHOGEN TOXIN DETECTION ASSAY BASED ON MICROWAVE-ACCELERATED METAL-ENHANCED FLUORESCENCE
    Publication number: 20140242604
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system and method to detect low levels of the anthrax protective antigen (PA) exotoxin in biological fluids, wherein the system uses a metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)-PA assay in combination with microwave-accelerated PA protein surface absorption. Microwave irradiation rapidly accelerates PA deposition onto the surface adjacent to deposited metallic particles and significantly speeding up the MEF-PA assay and resulting in a total assay run time of less than 40 min with an analytical sensitivity of less than 1 pg/ml PA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
    Inventor: CHRIS D. GEDDES
  • VOLTAGE GATED METAL-ENHANCED FLUORESCENCE, CHEMILUMINESCENCE OR BIOLUMINESCENCE METHODS AND SYSTEMS
    Publication number: 20140206075
    Abstract: In the present invention, it is demonstrated for the first time, the influence of electrical current on the ability of surface plasmons to amplify fluorescence signatures. An applied direct current across silver island films (SiFs) of low electrical resistance perturbs the fluorescence enhancement of close-proximity fluorophores. For a given applied current, surface plasmons in “just-continuous” low resistance films are sparsely available for fluorophore dipole coupling and hence the enhanced fluorescence is gated as a function of the applied current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
    Inventor: CHRIS D. GEDDES
  • Metal enhanced fluorescence-based sensing methods
    Patent number: 8759110
    Abstract: The present invention relates to metallic-surface detection systems for determining target substances including free bilirubin in neonatal serum in the presence of a predominantly high background of bilirubin bound Human Serum Albumin (HSA) or sensing and isolating target nucleotide sequences wherein a fluorescence signal is enhanced by close proximity of the target substances near metallic surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventor: Chris D. Geddes
  • Metal enhanced fluorescence from metallic nanoburger structures
    Patent number: 8722428
    Abstract: The present invention provides for metallic nanostructures or nanoburgers comprising a dielectric layer positioned between metallic layers and their use in metal enhanced emissions systems to enhance emissions from fluorophores, including intrinsic and extrinsic; luminophores; bioluminescent species and/or chemiluminescent species. The multilayer nanoburgers exhibit several distinctive properties including significantly enhanced intensity of emissions, decreased lifetime and increased photostability by simply varying the thickness of the dielectric layer while maintaining a constant thickness of the two metallic layers on opposite sides of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventor: Chris D. Geddes
  • GEARED INFINITELY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION
    Publication number: 20140123787
    Abstract: An infinitely variable transmission (IVT) to provide a continuous output-to-input speed ratio from zero to a certain value is designed, and its working principle is illustrated. It is a geared IVT (GIVT), since its function to achieve the continuously varied speed ratio is implemented by gears. Crank-slider systems are used in the GIVT; the output-to-input speed ratio is changed with the crank length. Racks and pinions, whose motion is controlled by planetary gear sets, are used to change the crank length when the cranks are rotating. One-way bearings are used to rectify the output speeds from different crank-slider systems to obtain the output speed of the GIVT. Since the crank-slider systems can introduce variations of the instantaneous speed ratio, a pair of noncircular gears is designed to minimize the variations. A direction control system is also designed for the GIVT using planetary gear sets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventors: Weidong ZHU, Xuefeng Wang
  • Clinical Training and Advice Based on Cognitive Agent with Psychological Profile
    Publication number: 20140113263
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a clinical simulation system targets psychological phenomena that can negatively impact the decision making of both a clinician and a patient. Techniques include identifying an independently reasoning agent in a medical clinical information processing system configured to simulate interactions between a clinician and a patient. The method also includes determining, on the system, psychological profile data that indicates one or more personality traits for the agent. The method further includes storing psychological profile data on the system in a hierarchical data structure for a natural language processing system. The method still further includes determining simulation output from the system based at least in part on the psychological profile data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicants: THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY, THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE
    Inventors: Bruce Jarrell, Sergei Nirenburg, Marjorie Joan McShane, Stephen Beale, George Fantry
  • Microwave accelerated assays
    Patent number: 8679402
    Abstract: The present invention provides for increasing fluorescence detection in surface assay systems while increasing kinetics of a bioreaction therein by providing low-power microwaves to irradiate metallic materials within the system in an amount sufficient to increase heat thereby affecting the kinetics of a bioreaction therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventor: Chris D. Geddes
  • Voltage-gated metal-enhanced fluorescence, chemiluminescence or bioluminescence methods and systems
    Patent number: 8679855
    Abstract: In the present invention, it is demonstrated for the first time, the influence of electrical current on the ability of surface plasmons to amplify fluorescence signatures. An applied direct current across silver island films (SiFs) of low electrical resistance perturbs the fluorescence enhancement of close-proximity fluorophores. For a given applied current, surface plasmons in “just-continuous” low resistance films are sparsely available for fluorophore dipole coupling and hence the enhanced fluorescence is gated as a function of the applied current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventor: Chris D. Geddes
  • Chlorophyll and turbidity sensor system
    Patent number: 8654319
    Abstract: A low cost sensing system that can measure both chlorophyll concentration and turbidity is provided. The system is an optical system that utilizes at least three light sensors for measuring side-scattered and forward scattered light, as well as fluorescence. The system is able to take optical density measurements, steady state fluorescence measurements and maximum fluorescence measurements, and can be configured for wireless control and data transmission. The system may also be housed in one or more fluidtight housings so as to make it submersible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventors: Govind Rao, Hung Lam, Yordan Kostov, Leah Tolosa, Xudong Ge
  • ASSAYS FOR PATHOGEN DETECTION USING MICROWAVES FOR LYSING AND ACCELERATING METAL-ENHANCED FLUORESCENCE
    Publication number: 20140030700
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an assay for the determination of a microorganism including a lysing chamber having triangular shaped metallic structures wherein the apexes of two triangles are arranged in alignment and forming a reactive zone for placement of the microorganism and lysing by microwave energy for exposing and isolating a target polynucleotide sequence. The isolated target polynucleotide sequence is introduced to an assay system for contact with polynucleotides which are complimentary to the isolated target polynucleotide sequence. Fluorophore-labeled capture polynucleotides are added for hybridizing to any bound target polynucleotide. Bound target polynucleotides are detected by metal enhanced fluorescence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
    Inventor: Chris D. Geddes