Patents Assigned to University of Queensland
  • Publication number: 20090149769
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing a psychiatric disorder or, a predisposition thereto, in a test subject is provided, wherein perceptual rivalry is measured in the test subject during exposure to a moving plaid stimulus. The method may include the step of determining an interhemispheric switch rate of the test subject, and comparing the switch rate with a corresponding reference switch rate to diagnose presence or absence of the psychiatric disorder. Particular psychiatric disorder s include mood disorders and schizophrenia. Also provided is use of the diagnostic method in genetic linkage studies for the identification of the molecular defect(s) underlying a psychiatric disorder, and for the identification of compounds which may alleviate the disorder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: The University of Queensland
    Inventor: John Douglas Pettigrew
  • Publication number: 20090143417
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and compositions for inducing, promoting or otherwise facilitating pain relief. More particularly the present invention discloses the combination of a nitric oxide donor and an opioid analgesic in the therapeutic management of vertebrate animals including humans, for the prevention or alleviation of pain, particularly moderate to severe pain. In particular, the nitric oxide donor is a slow-release nitric oxide donor or is formulated to provide a sustained release of a low dose of nitric oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Maree Therese Smith, Craig McKenzie Williams
  • Publication number: 20090130070
    Abstract: The present invention discloses the use of fetuin and fetuin producing agents in methods and compositions for treating burn injuries in animals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Mark Hayes, Leila Cuttle, Margaretha Kempf, John Fraser, Roy Kimble
  • Patent number: 7524654
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: The University of Queensland of St. Lucia
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Patent number: 7521219
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for producing commercial quantities of baculovirus using a combination of methods involving producing occlusion bodies with infectious baculovirus in caterpillar larvae and large numbers of viral particles with serial passages in cell culture. A two step method was developed by initially producing infectious virus in caterpillar larvae and then using the resultant infectious virus as an inoculum for a limited number of serial passages in cell culture so to produce large amounts of infectious baculovirus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Steven Reid, Linda Lua
  • Patent number: 7490507
    Abstract: A method for measuring the movement of boundaries between different portions of a heterogeneous rock body is disclosed. The method comprises placing a plurality of blast movement monitors 109 in a rock body prior to blasting and noting the position of each blast movement monitor. The rock body is then blasted to break it up into a plurality of pieces. Thereafter the position of the blast movement monitors 109 is located and based on this the boundaries of rock portions can be adjusted to account for the blast. This leads to a more accurate reporting of different ore bodies to the appropriate processor in a heterogeneous rock body. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed. The apparatus comprises broadly a said monitor 109 and a receiver. The monitor 1 comprises a transmitter 109 received within a casing 111 that in turn is received within a housing 126. Further the casing 111 can move within the housing 126 and self right so that it always transmits its signal in an upright direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: University of Queensland
    Inventors: David Mario La Rosa, Darren Mark Thornton, Michael Wortley
  • Patent number: 7478074
    Abstract: A method for operating a computer as a support vector machine (SVM) in order to define a decision surface separating two opposing classes of a training set of vectors. The method involves associating a distance parameter with each vector of the SVM's training set. The distance parameter indicates a distance from its associated vector, being in a first class, to the opposite class. A number of approaches to calculating distance parameters are provided. For example, a distance parameter may be calculated as the average of the distances from its associated vector to each of the vectors in the opposite class. The method further involves determining a linearly independent set of support vectors from the training set such that the sum of the distances associated with the linearly independent support vectors is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: The University of Queensland
    Inventor: Kevin E. Gates
  • Patent number: 7476389
    Abstract: A method of providing papilloma virus like particles which may be used for diagnostic purposes or for incorporation in a vaccine for use in related to infections caused by papilloma virus. The method includes an initial step of constructing one or more recombinant DNA molecules which each encode papilloma virus L1 protein or a combination of papilloma virus L1 protein and papilloma virus L2 protein followed by a further step of transfecting a suitable host cell with one or more of the recombinant DNA molecules so that virus like particles (VLPs) are produced within the cell after expression of the L1 or the combination of L1 and L2 proteins. The VLPs are also claimed per se as well as vaccines incorporating the VLPs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignees: The University of Queensland, CSL Limited
    Inventors: Ian Frazer, Jian Zhou
  • Publication number: 20080274156
    Abstract: This invention relates to isolated heparan sulphate and use thereof to stimulate bone cell growth and differentiation. The invention also relates to use of heparan sulphate with implants, prosthesis and bioscaffolds to repair and regenerate bone. Such use may be for repair of damaged tissue including bone tissue, for example damage resulting from injury or defect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Victor Nurcombe, Simon Cool
  • Patent number: 7446528
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) coil array is used in resonance imaging and/or analysis of a subject located within a cylindrical space in which a magnetic field is operatively applied in an axial direction (z). The coil array comprises a plurality of coil elements (10, 11, 12, 13) angled relative to each other about the axis of the cylindrical space, each coil element having a pair of main conductors extending generally parallel to the direction of the magnetic field and located on diametrically opposite sides of the cylindrical space, and a pair of connection conductors connected between respective ends of the main conductors. Each coil element has its maximum sensitivity near the centre of the cylindrical space, so that the subject under study is located in a region of maximum sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: David Michael Doddrell, Stuart Crozier, Kurt Luescher, Wolfgang Udo Roffman
  • Publication number: 20080268017
    Abstract: A method of producing a tissue includes placing a molding support within a body cavity for a time and under conditions sufficient for non-vascularized tissue comprising myofibroblasts to form on the molding support. In some embodiments, the tissue produced by this method is particularly useful as vascular tissue for the treatment or prophylaxis of diseased or damaged blood vessels such as in atherosclerosis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: The University of Queensland of St. Lucia
    Inventors: Julie H. CAMPBELL, Gordon Ronald Campbell
  • Patent number: 7435586
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method for the generation of a substantially homogeneous population of undifferentiated cells. More particularly, the present invention relates to the purification of a substantially homogeneous population of stem cells and their progenitor or precursor cells. Even more particularly, the present invention provides a population of neural stem cells (NSCs). The subject invention is particularly directed to NSCs and precursor cells with the capacity to differentiate into cells and cell lineages required for the development, maintenance or repair of the central nervous system in an animal such as a mammal. The present invention is further directed to NSCs and progenitor and/or precursor cells which are capable of proliferation and differentiation into multiple cell lineages, such as but not limited to neurons, oligodendrocytes, glia and astrocytes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Perry Francis Bartlett, Rodney Lee Rietze
  • Publication number: 20080242598
    Abstract: This invention discloses short chain peptides that have been constrained to adopt an alpha helical conformation and their use as alpha helical scaffolds for directing amino acid side chains into positions analogous to those found in longer chain alpha helical peptides and for attaching peptidic or non-peptidic appendages in order to mimic side chains of longer alpha helical peptides. More particularly the invention discloses alpha helical cyclic pentapeptides and their use as alpha helical scaffolds or macrocyclic alpha helical modules, either alone, or within longer chain peptides or attached to other macrocyclic peptides or attached to non-peptidic structures, for the purpose of mimicking naturally occurring peptides or proteins, and as agonists or antagonists of the biological activity of naturally-occurring peptides or proteins or for the preparation of new materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: David P. Fairlie, Nicholas E. Shepherd
  • Publication number: 20080229455
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Publication number: 20080214485
    Abstract: A method is provided for inducing or enhancing an immune response in a mammal to a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of the mammal, which method comprises administering to the mammal an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of a ribonucleic acid (RNA) which encodes said polypeptide. Also provided is a pharmaceutical composition comprising an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of an RNA which encodes a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of a mammal, such that translation of an aberrant form of the target polypeptide occurs in said cells, said truncated form of the target polypeptide comprising one or more T cell epitopes; together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: University of Queensland
    Inventors: Nigel McMillan, Graham Leggatt, Wenyi Gu
  • Patent number: 7410945
    Abstract: This invention relates to methods of treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, and especially to treatment of this condition with cyclic peptidic and peptidomimetic compounds which have the ability to modulate the activity of G protein-coupled receptors. The compounds preferably act as antagonists of the C5a receptor, and are active against C5a receptors on polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages. Particularly preferred compounds for use in the methods of the invention are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Trent Martin Woodruff, Stephen Maxwell Taylor, David Fairlie
  • Publication number: 20080160582
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: The University of Queensland of St. Lucia
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Publication number: 20080153747
    Abstract: The present invention discloses proteinaceous compounds that comprise at least a biologically active portion of a taipan natriuretic peptide (TNP) or a variant or derivative thereof. The invention also relates to the use of these compounds in methods for stimulating vasodilation, natriuresis, diuresis, renin-suppression, bactericidal activity, weight-loss or bone growth in a mammalian host. In specific embodiments, the compounds are useful in the treatment of congestive heart failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicants: The University of Queensland, Baker Heart Research Institute
    Inventors: Paul Alewood, Geoffrey A. Head, Bryan Fry
  • Publication number: 20080114216
    Abstract: Blood pressure measurements are represented aurally. An audio synthesizer (15) receives a signal representative of blood pressure information, and synthesizes an audio output from the signal. Both the duration and pitch of the synthesized audio output are dependent on the value of the blood pressure information, according to a linear scale or a non-linear scale such as stepped scale. The blood pressure information includes at least one of arterial or pulmonary arterial systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure measurements, and the audio output includes an earcon comprising a tone or sequence of tones, the tone(s) being representative of a respective type of blood pressure measurement. The earcon may also include one or more static or dynamic beacons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: The University Of Queensland
    Inventor: Marcus Watson
  • Patent number: 7370710
    Abstract: An erectable arm assembly for use in a borehole, the erectable arm assembly comprising a main body and an arm member, the arm member being able to move between a collapsed position in which the assembly can be removed from the borehole and an erected position, the erectable arm assembly being adapted to house a fluid drilling assembly comprising a fluid cutting device and a flexible hose drill string such that the arm member during erection can contain at least part of the fluid drilling assembly, and when in the erected position the arm member is able to guide the fluid cutting device towards the borehole wall, the assembly further including at least one sensor for monitoring the arm member or the fluid drilling assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignees: University of Queensland, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, BHP Coal Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Trueman, Timothy Gregory Hamilton Meyer, Matthew Stockwell