Patents Examined by Jon P. Weber
  • Patent number: 9055739
    Abstract: A composition for the cryopreservation of cells according to the present invention at least comprises sericin and one or more components selected from the group consisting of amino acids and saccharides. Further, a method for the cryopreservation of cells according to the present invention comprises the steps of placing target cells in the abovementioned composition for the cryopreservation of cells and cryopreserving them. According to the composition for the cryopreservation of cells of the present invention, cells can be cryopreserved over a long period of time without the use of serum and components derived from serum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: SEIREN KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoichi Kato, Masahiro Sasaki, Hideyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 9056123
    Abstract: The present invention relates to specific Lactobacillus strains with an anti-oxidant effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Compagnie Gervais Danone
    Inventors: Gianfranco Grompone, Marie-Christine Degivry, Sophie Legrain-Raspaud, Isabelle Chambaud, Raphaëlle Bourdet-Sicard
  • Patent number: 9051550
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for cellular seeding onto three-dimensional fibroblast constructs, three-dimensional fibroblast constructs seeded with muscle cells, and uses therefore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents, on Behalf of The University of Arizona
    Inventors: Jordan Lancaster, Steve Goldman
  • Patent number: 9051554
    Abstract: Methods are provided for separating algae from an aqueous environment. An aqueous feed containing algae can be mixed in a turbulent manner in an aerated environment. The turbulent mixing can be sufficient to create a foam within the aqueous feed. The formation of the foam can also result in agglomeration of algae into larger size algae aggregates, which can then be filtered under pressure. Due to the larger size of the algae aggregates, the pressurized filtration can reduce/minimize the tendency to clog the filter, as the algae aggregates can generally be too large to fit within the pores of the filter. The filter can preferably be located at the bottom of the vessel holding the aqueous feed. This can assist in allowing the algae to remain in a cake above the filter, as opposed to having the algae dissolve back into the aqueous feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventor: Ramesh Varadaraj
  • Patent number: 9051583
    Abstract: Provided herein are silica shell particles modified on their surface with biomolecules, methods of making these particles, and methods of using these particles, e.g., in transfection methods, methods of inhibiting gene expression, and methods of delivering a therapeutic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Chad A. Mirkin, Kaylie L. Young, Alexander Wesley Scott, Liangliang Hao, Sarah Mirkin
  • Patent number: 9044530
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at a process to form bone grafting material. One may provide a porous collagen scaffold and insert the scaffold into a perfusion chamber of a perfusion flow system. This may then be followed by continuously providing a mineralization perfusion fluid flow through the scaffold at a flow rate to provide dynamic intrafibrillar mineralization of the scaffold and form a collagen/hydroxyapatite composite scaffold. One may optionally provide the scaffold with bone tissue forming cells and then deliver a perfusion fluid including oxygen and one or more nutrients through the collagen/hydroxyapatite composite scaffold and to the bone tissue forming cells at a flow rate such that the bone tissue forming cells remodel the collagen/hydroxyapatite composite scaffold and form a bone tissue extracellular matrix. The bone tissue extracellular matrix may then be decellularized to form an acellular bone repair scaffold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Jian Ling, Ben Antebi, Xingguo Cheng, Jeffrey N. Harris
  • Patent number: 9045726
    Abstract: After culturing blood, a culture liquid determined as positive is transplanted into a plate medium and a bacterial cell suspension that is directly usable for identifying and testing antibiotics-sensitivity is prepared without forming colonies. Provided are a device for automatically analyzing microorganisms and a method therefor whereby blood culture and an identification and antibiotics-sensitivity test can be continuously operated. A device for automatically analyzing microorganisms which is configured so that a blood culture test and an identification and antibiotics-sensitivity test can be automatically and continuously conducted, wherein means for pretreating a cultured blood sample comprises a mechanism for removing culture liquid components in the course of the blood culture and a mechanism for controlling the microbial concentration (bacterial cell count) to a constant level after the blood culture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroko Fujita
  • Patent number: 9046473
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the presence of an intraerythrocytic organism within a sample of liquid whole blood is provided. The method includes the steps of a) creating an image of the sample quiescently residing within a sample chamber; b) evaluating the image for the presence of at least one red blood cell within the image containing at least one first region of decreased hemoglobin content and/or hemoglobin concentration within the red blood cell, which red blood cell has an otherwise homogenous distribution of hemoglobin; and c) determining the presence of an intraerythrocytic organism within the sample using the evaluation of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Abbott Point of Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Levine, Michael B. Jorgensen
  • Patent number: 9045725
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for purifying a molecule of interest from a heterogeneous clarified fluid mixture. The apparatus of the invention generally comprises a continuous perfusion fermentation system, a continuous particle removal system integrated with the perfusion fermentation system; and a continuous purification system integrated with the particle removal system, which is maintained under sterile conditions. The process comprises filtering a heterogeneous clarified fluid mixture by continuous ultrafiltration at a specific flow rate below the transition point of the molecule of interest in the pressure-dependent region of the flux versus TMP curve, wherein the specific flow rate is maintained substantially constant throughout the continuous ultrafiltration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Jens Holger Vogel, Roberto Giovannini, Konstantin B. Konstantinov, Huong My Nguyen, Paul Wu
  • Patent number: 9034617
    Abstract: Processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to oxygenated organic compound that use an in situ method for protecting the microorganisms from hydrogen cyanide contained in the syngas that passes to the fermentation broth. The fermentation broth is maintained at a pH of between about 4 and 6, and dissolved metal cation of one or more of iron, cobalt, nickel and zinc is provided to the fermentation broth in an amount sufficient to form, under the conditions of the fermentation broth, a substantially insoluble metal complex with the metal cation and cyanide anion. The rate of formation of the insoluble complex is sufficiently high that that the amount of cyanide that is taken up by microorganisms does not result in an undue adverse effect on the population of microorganisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Coskata, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hickey, Jianxin Du, Andrew Reeves, Richard E. Tobey
  • Patent number: 9034593
    Abstract: A diagnostic kit for biomarkers of beneficial vaginal health is described. The kit includes a first detection zone within which a D-lactic acid detection signal is capable of being generated, wherein the presence or quantity of D-lactic acid, is determinable from the D-lactic acid detection signal. The kit further includes a second detection zone within which a hydrogen peroxide detection signal is capable of being generated, wherein the presence or quantity of hydrogen peroxide, is determinable from the hydrogen peroxide detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephanie M. Martin, Ronnie L. Phillips, SangWook Lee, JunMo Gil
  • Patent number: 9034595
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the integration of processes for recovering products from algae-derived biomass. The enhanced process integration allows for increased use of input streams and other reagents that are derived from renewable sources. This increases the overall renewable character of the products extracted from the algae-derived biomass. The process integration can include exchange of input streams or energy between an algae processing system and a system for processing non-algal biomass. One example of improving process integration is using oxygenates that are generated in a renewable manner as a reagent for enhancing the algae processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul D. Oldenburg, Michel Daage, Virginia M. Roberts, Paul J. Berlowitz, David C. Long, James R. Bielenberg
  • Patent number: 9034631
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for propagating yeast using a feedstock material such as starch and one or more enzymes (e.g., an enzyme cocktail) to break down the feedstock material into one or more monosaccharides at a sufficient rate so that the yeast can use the monosaccharides as a carbon source for producing more yeast cells while not producing an undue amount of alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Poet Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Neelakantam V. Narendranath, Stephen M. Lewis
  • Patent number: 9029126
    Abstract: A method of hydrothermally treating stillage by heating stillage to 200 degrees F. to 350 degrees F., altering physicochemical properties of the stillage, enabling facile separation of the stillage, and creating unique product fractions. A method of performing ethanol fermentation by treating stillage to enable facile separation by heating the stillage to a temperature of 200 degrees F. to 350 degrees F., and separating the treated stillage to recover a high protein solids fraction, a stickwater fraction, and an oil fraction. A method of improving fermentation by heating stillage to a temperature of 200° F. to 350° F. resulting in hydrothermally treated stillage, using all or a portion of the hydrothermally treated stillage as a component of a media, and using the media for a process including fermentation and biomass production. Oil, stickwater, high protein solids fraction, high protein meal, metabolites, biomass, and media obtained from the methods above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Valicor, Inc.
    Inventors: James Robert Bleyer, Thomas J Czartoski, Puneet Chandra
  • Patent number: 9029096
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and assay useful for determining the sensitivity of the cells of a subject to genetic damage from electromagnetic radiation. The assay may comprise a substrate suitable for mounting a sample of lymphocytes from a subject and an electromagnetic radiation source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: The University of Bradford
    Inventors: David Thomas Sharpe, Morgan Clive Thomas Denyer, Diana Anderson, Stephen Thomas Britland, Rajendran Gopalan
  • Patent number: 9029121
    Abstract: A method for the biological decomposition of organic compounds of the group of hydrocarbons, fats, oils, waxes, and derivatives thereof as well as mixtures thereof in media polluted therewith, in the presence of at least one dispersant, wherein the medium polluted with the pollutants is treated with at least one dispersant and with microorganisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Total Marketing Services
    Inventors: Ursula Fritzmeier, Robert Mallee, Achim Wiessler
  • Patent number: 9023613
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a sperm selecting system and the method thereof. The brief concept of the present invention is to generate a flow field by hydraulic pressure difference then utilize the property that the sperm swims against the flow field so as to difference the sperms by vitality thereof. One of the main features of the present invention is that the sperms be selected are initially set at the entrance of the flow field instead of the exit of the system. Furthermore, an activating design can be selectively added to the present invention so as to activate the sperm be affected by the process of freeze storing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Inventors: Fan-Gang Tseng, Jen-Kuei Wu, Peng-Chun Chen
  • Patent number: 9017964
    Abstract: Methods and devices for preparing a biological sample for analysis are described. The biological sample from an organism has at least macromolecule having a primary structure that naturally degrades after the sample is removed from the organism. The method includes causing the biological sample to adopt a shape to permit rapid and uniform heating. The shaped sample is then rapidly and uniformly heated, thereby altering a secondary structure of the macromolecule while preserving its primary structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Denator Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Karl Sköld, Marcus Svensson, Göran Palmers, Per Andrén
  • Patent number: 9017663
    Abstract: The present invention relates to pluripotent stem cells obtained from the dental pulp of patients of different ages, the invention furthermore comprises cultures of said cells, means for obtaining them and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them, as well as their application in tissue regeneration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
    Inventors: Maher Al-Atari Abou-Asi, Núria Casals Farré, Lluís Giner Tarrida, Eduardo Ferrés Padró
  • Patent number: 9011838
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are hereby disclosed for reducing the numbers of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella or other pathogens in an animal. The methods include administering to the animal a lactic acid producing bacterium at a relatively low dosage in combination with a lactate utilizing bacterium, followed by administration of the lactic acid producing bacterium at a relatively high dosage. The disclosed methods help achieve pre-harvest food safety and enhance feed performance while keeping the total cost relatively low. The preferred lactic acid producing bacterium is Lactobacillus acidophilus/animalis and the preferred lactate utilizing bacterium is Propionibacterium freudenreichii.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Nutrition Physiology Company, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Ware, Peter Anderson