Patents Assigned to University
  • Patent number: 9321021
    Abstract: An improved process for converting an oil suspension of nanoparticles (NPs) into a water suspension of NPs, wherein water and surfactant and a non-surfactant salt is used instead of merely water and surfactant, leading to greatly improved NP aqueous suspensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Michael S. Wong, Hitesh Ghanshyam Bagaria, Gautam Chandrakanth Kini, Wen Yin Lynn Ko
  • Patent number: 9322038
    Abstract: Methods for producing lipids from lignocellulosic biomass are provided. Sugars produced by pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass are utilized by heterotrophic oleaginous fungi or yeast to increase their biomass and to produce lipids without prior detoxification of the pretreated biomass. After the fungi/yeast are cultured with the sugars, solid residues from the pretreated biomass are combined with the fungi/yeast under conditions which allow simultaneous 1) enzymatic degradation of cellulose and/or hemicellulose to produce sugars and 2) fermentation of the sugars for further increases in biomass and lipid production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Washington State University
    Inventors: Xiaochen Yu, Jijiao Zeng, Yubin Zheng, Mahesh Bule, Shulin Chen
  • Patent number: 9321816
    Abstract: An expression system, including a host cell, a synthetic spider silk polypeptide-encoding nucleotide sequence, at least one synthetic tRNA molecule-encoding nucleotide sequence or a synthetic serine hydroxymethyl transferase (SHMT)-encoding nucleotide sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Utah State University
    Inventors: Randolph V. Lewis, Charles D. Miller, Asif Rahman, Cody Tramp, Michael Hinman
  • Patent number: 9320478
    Abstract: Simultaneous dual-isotope positron emission tomography (PET) is used to improve disease evaluation. Two distinct molecular probes are simultaneously provided to the imaging target. One of the probes is labeled with a radionuclide that emits positrons to provide double coincidence events in PET. The other probe is labeled with a radionuclide that emits positrons+prompt gammas to provide triple coincidence events in PET. One of the probes is a metabolic probe, and the other probe is a selective probe that includes a ligand or antibody that is biologically responsive to receptor/antigen status. A PET system is employed that can provide simultaneous double coincidence and triple coincidence PET images. The resulting images provide simultaneous metabolic imaging and receptor/antigen imaging. Applications include disease evaluation, such as cancer staging (e.g., for breast cancer, prostate cancer, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Peter D. Olcott, Craig S. Levin, Sanjiv Sam Gambhir
  • Patent number: 9324891
    Abstract: A solar cell (1) of the present invention includes a photoelectric conversion layer (2) and a photonic crystal provided inside the photoelectric conversion layer (2) in order to have a photonic band gap. The photonic crystal has defects (31) in order to provide a defect level in the photonic band gap. QV which is a Q value representing a magnitude of a resonance effect yielded by coupling between the photonic crystal and an outside is substantially equal to Q? which is a Q value representing a magnitude of a resonance effect yielded by a medium of the photoelectric conversion layer (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Kyoto University
    Inventors: Hiroaki Shigeta, Yuhji Yashiro, Yuhsuke Tsuda, Shintaro Miyanishi, Susumu Noda, Masayuki Fujita, Yoshinori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9322491
    Abstract: Economical heavy concrete weight coating is used as a weight coating for submarine pipes. The developed economical heavy concrete weight includes steel slag and iron ore as aggregate. Steel slag can contain iron and thus have a higher density than some other types of slag. By supplementing the steel slag with iron ore as aggregate, the economical heavy concrete weight coating can have a higher density than a coating having just slag. Economical heavy concrete weight coating can have a density greater than 190 pcf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Mohammed Al-Mehthel, Mohammed Maslehuddin, Bakr Hammad, Alaeddin A. Al-Sharif, Mohammed Ibrahim
  • Patent number: 9320835
    Abstract: Provided are a polymer composition on a substrate and a surface modification method which is non-selective to substrate materials. Chemical vapor deposition polymerization is used to deposit a maleimide-functionalized poly-p-xylylene coating on a substrate. The substrate is readily available to perform a thiol-maleimide coupling reaction under mild conditions so as to modify the surface thereof. Furthermore, through a tailored thiol-terminal molecule, a designer surface can be created via thiol-maleimide coupling on a substrate, and the resulting surface can exhibit various desired biological functions for biotechnological applications. Therefore, this modification technique can be applied to biological fields extensively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Hsien-Yeh Chen, Sheng-Tung Huang, Meng-Yu Tsai
  • Patent number: 9321863
    Abstract: The present invention relates to polyvinyl sulfonic acid comprising a vinyl sulfonic acid unit represented by a specific general formula (1), wherein the molar amount of sulfonic acid groups derived from vinyl sulfonic acid monomers with respect to the molar amount of total monomer units is 50.0 to 98.0 mol %, and the polyvinyl sulfonic acid has an absorbance of 0.1 or greater (aqueous solution: 0.2 mass %, cell length: 10 mm) in a wavelength range of 255 to 800 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: Asahi Kasei Finechem Co., Ltd., University of Yamanashi
    Inventors: Hiroshi Akikaze, Hidenobu Higashi, Hidenori Okuzaki
  • Patent number: 9323284
    Abstract: There is set forth in one embodiment an apparatus and method for imparting a phase shift to an input waveform for output of a converted waveform. In one embodiment, a phase shift can be provided by four wave mixing of an input waveform and a pump pulse. In one embodiment, there is set forth an apparatus and method for generating a high resolution time domain representation of an input waveform comprising: dispersing the input waveform to generate a dispersed input waveform; subjecting the dispersed input waveform to four wave mixing by combining the dispersed input waveform with a dispersed pump pulse to generate a converted waveform; and presenting the converted waveform to a detector unit. In one embodiment a detector unit can include a spectrometer (spectrum analyzer) for recording of the converted waveform and output of a record representing the input waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Mark Foster, Alexander Gaeta, David Geraghty, Michal Lipson, Reza Salem, Amy Foster
  • Patent number: 9320832
    Abstract: An implantable catheter is provided that may be disinfected without removal from the body of a patient, using an electrochemical method to generate an electric field on the catheter surface and thus destroy microorganisms in a biofilm that is present or forming. A catheter system includes the implantable catheter and a voltage source that is operably connected to electrodes on or embedded in the exterior and optionally the interior catheter surface. Methods are also provided for disinfecting the implantable catheter in vivo and for detecting or confirming the presence of a pathogenic biofilm thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: SRI INTERNATIONAL, The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Jose P. Joseph, Pablo E. Garcia, Karen F. Shakespear, Sarah Young, Janus A. J. Haagensen, Sanjeev Dutta
  • Patent number: 9321824
    Abstract: The present invention is further directed to methods and compositions for modulating the activity of the Toso protein. The invention further encompasses treatment of disorders associated with inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and cancer using compositions that include a soluble Toso protein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Health Network
    Inventors: Michael W. Tusche, Tak W. Mak, Pamela S. Ohashi, Philipp Lang, Karl Lang, Dirk Brenner, Gloria Lin
  • Patent number: 9321743
    Abstract: Compounds and pharmaceutical compositions are contemplated that inhibit N-acyl-ethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase (NAAA) to so increase the concentration of the substrate of NAAA, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). NAAA inhibition is contemplated to be effective to alleviate conditions associated with a reduced concentration of PEA. Among other uses, various NAAA inhibitors are especially contemplated as therapeutic agents in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Universita Degli Studi Di Parma, Universita Degli Studi Di Urbino “Carlo Bo”
    Inventors: Daniele Piomelli, Giorgio Tarzia, Marco Mor, Andrea Duranti, Andrea Tontini
  • Patent number: 9321806
    Abstract: A novel method for processing soluble plant leaf proteins is described. While leaf proteins are considered potentially the most abundant source of protein in nature, the lack of efficient processing techniques for leaf proteins has limited their commercial use. The method described in this patent provides a means of extracting and purifying leaf proteins from plants which is suitable for leaf protein production on an industrial scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Martin Lo, Hong Fu
  • Patent number: 9322121
    Abstract: A stitched sensor including a plurality of threads stitched to a textile in a stitch geometry is described. The plurality of threads includes a conductive thread, and the stitch geometry is configured such that an electrical property of the stitched sensor changes based on at least one of stretching, relaxation, or bending of the textile. Methods for forming a stitched sensor are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Lucy E. Dunne, Guido Gioberto
  • Patent number: 9325493
    Abstract: Methods for preventing activation of hardware backdoors installed in a digital circuit, the digital circuit comprising one or more hardware units to be protected. A timer is repeatedly initiated for a period less than a validation epoch, and the hardware units are reset upon expiration of the timer to prevent activation of a time-based backdoor. Data being sent to the hardware unit is encrypted in an encryption element to render it unrecognizable to a single-shot cheat code hardware backdoor present in the hardware unit. The instructions being sent to the hardware unit are reordered randomly or pseudo-randomly, with determined sequential restraints, using an reordering element, to render an activation instruction sequence embedded in the instructions unrecognizable to a sequence cheat code hardware backdoor present in the hardware unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Lakshminarasimhan Sethumadhavan, Adam Waksman
  • Patent number: 9322115
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a porous electrospun fiber with uniform minute pores and very large surface area, and thus porous electrospun fiber can be preferably applicable to various uses that need mesoporous materials, and a method of preparing the same. The porous electrospun fiber comprises an acrylamide-based polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: LG CHEM, LTD., IUCF-HYU (Industry University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University)
    Inventors: Yang-Kyoo Han, Su-Hwa Kim, Je-Gwon Lee
  • Patent number: 9321368
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle and method for estimating peak power of a battery system of the electrified vehicle are presented. In one exemplary implementation, the method includes receiving, at a controller of the electrified vehicle, measured current, voltage, and temperature of the battery system and determining, at the controller, operating parameters for the battery system based on the measured current, voltage, and temperature. An initial peak current at a start of a current prediction period for the battery system is determined, at the controller, based on the operating parameters, and an instantaneous peak current of the battery system is determined based on its initial peak current by performing voltage-limited extrapolation of resistances and open-circuit voltage (VLERO) of a battery model for the battery system. The battery system and an electric motor of the electrified vehicle are controlled, by the controller, based on the instantaneous peak current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: FCA US LLC, McMaster University
    Inventors: Hong Yang, Pawel Malysz, Jin Ye, Ran Gu, Ali Emadi
  • Patent number: 9322896
    Abstract: Systems, methods of reducing off-resonance blurring in acquired magnetic resonance imaging data. The method includes acquiring a first set of spiral interleaf data for each of one or more spiral-in/out interleaves by performing a first sampling each of one or more locations in k-space along a first redundant spiral-in/out trajectory, and acquiring a second set of spiral interleaf data for each of the one or more spiral-in/out interleaves by performing a second sampling of each of the one or more locations in the k-space along a second redundant spiral-in/out trajectory, wherein the second redundant spiral-in/out trajectory corresponds to a time-reversed trajectory of the first redundant spiral-in/out trajectory. The method may yet further include combining the first set of spiral interleaf data and the second set of spiral interleaf data with an averaging operation such as to reduce artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: Samuel W. Fielden, Craig H. Meyer, Xue Feng
  • Patent number: 9324932
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a nanoimprinted film which is made from a ferroelectric polymer having a first conformation state and coated on a substrate. The ferroelectric polymer is heated at a temperature between a Curie point (Tc) and a melting point (Tm) of the ferroelectric polymer to cause a change in conformation of the ferroelectric polymer from the first conformation state to a second conformation state, and is then subjected to a nanoimprinting process at an imprinting temperature lower than Tc to cause a change in conformation of the ferroelectric polymer from the second conformation state to a third conformation state that is different from the first conformation state, thereby obtaining the nanoimprinted film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
    Inventors: Chien-Chong Hong, Alan Chen, Tong-Miin Liou
  • Patent number: 9324310
    Abstract: A musical keyboard touch sensor pad having a plurality of integrated sensors disposed in an array is disclosed. The plurality of integrated sensors represents a keyboard key. A processor is electronically coupled to the plurality of integrated sensors. The processor is programmed to receive signals from several of the plurality of integrated sensors and to generate a sound signal based on input from the several of the plurality of integrated sensors. The output is variable based on the number in the plurality and the location of the plurality in the array. An audio output device is electronically coupled to the processor to generate a sound based on the sound signal. A keyboard using a plurality of the sensor pads as well as a method of generating sounds from the keyboard are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Drexel University
    Inventors: Andrew McPherson, Youngmoo Kim