Patents Examined by Katherine Zalasky
  • Patent number: 9907894
    Abstract: A hemodialysis apparatus 1 is provided with a dialyzer 2 for performing hemodialysis, a blood circuit 3 connected to the dialyzer, a dialysis solution circuit 4 connected to the dialyzer, a replacement fluid port 31 provided in the dialysis solution circuit and capable of being opened and closed by a lid member, and a replacement fluid passage 6 having its one end connected to the blood circuit and the other end connected to the replacement fluid port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: SHIBUYA KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Mishima
  • Patent number: 9909955
    Abstract: A method of collecting a urine sample including appropriately locating hydrophobic sand with respect to the urine sample. Use of the hydrophobic sand including providing a barrier in the form of at least one layer of the sand; and collecting a urine sample by appropriately locating the sand with respect to the urine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Coastline Global, Inc.
    Inventors: Zeev Birger, Yoram Hasson, Brian David Cohen, Alon Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 9902625
    Abstract: One or more brevetoxins or other toxins produced by red tides or other harmful algal blooms (HABs) are removed from a body of water by contacting an aqueous phase containing water, algae and one or more HAB-produced toxins with an organic phase, extracting the one or more toxins into the organic phase, and separating the organic phase enriched in the one or more toxins from the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more toxins. In some embodiments, the organic phase is comprised of vegetable oil, mineral oil, or other suitable oil. In some embodiments, an annular centrifugal contactor is used to accomplish the contacting, extracting, and separating. In some embodiments, the toxin-depleted aqueous phase is pumped back into the source of the aqueous phase, and the toxin-enriched organic phase is recirculated until a predetermined threshold concentration of the one or more toxins is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Travis R. Hebig, Joseph Kuczynski, Steven R. Nickel
  • Patent number: 9884266
    Abstract: The invention provides a high-performance liquid chromatography system, said system is controlled in temperature by running a fluid in sleeves that surround the different parts of the system. All parts in contact with the fluid are made in fluoropolymer, carbon-filled fluoropolymer, or carbon-fiber fluoropolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: ORLAB CHROMATOGRAPHY, LLC
    Inventors: Nicolas Dauphas, Francois L. H. Tissot, Reika Yokochi, Thomas J. Ireland, Jingya Hu
  • Patent number: 9872945
    Abstract: A blood treatment filter including: a filter container that introduces blood from an inlet into an internal space, and discharges treated blood from an outlet; a filter material that is housed in the filter container to partition the internal space into an inlet side space and an outlet side space, and filters the passing blood to remove a specific component; an inlet port that forms an inlet channel through which the blood flowing from the inlet to the internal space passes; an outlet port that forms an outlet channel through which the blood flowing from the internal space to the outlet passes, wherein the outlet channel has a tapered outlet passage with an inner diameter increasing from the internal space side toward the outlet side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: ASAHI KASEI MEDICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomohisa Yokomizo
  • Patent number: 9868752
    Abstract: A new strategy to design container molecules is presented. Sulfonylcalix[4]arenes, which are synthetic macrocyclic containers, are used as building blocks that are combined with various metal ions and tricarboxylate ligands to construct metal-organic ‘super-containers’ (MOSCs). These MOSCs possess both endo and exo cavities and thus mimic the structure of viruses. The synthesis of MOSCs is highly modular, robust, and predictable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: South Dakota Board of Regents
    Inventors: Zhenqiang Wang, Feng-Rong Dai
  • Patent number: 9856160
    Abstract: The systems may be used for treatment of water that contains contaminants. Water containing at least one of a nitrate, percholate, chromate, selenate and a volatile organic chemical is combined with nutrients and then is processed in an anoxic-anaerobic bioreactor. The combined effluent may also be oxygenated by dosing with hydrogen peroxide or liquid oxygen. The combined effluent of the bioreactor is dosed with a particle conditioning agent. The combined effluent treated water of the bioreactor is then filtered in a biofilter to produce a treated effluent stream. The influent water and combined effluent of the anoxic-anaerobic bioreactor may also be dosed with hydrogen peroxide to control biomass content in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: BIOTTTA LLC
    Inventors: Jess C. Brown, Christopher T. Cleveland
  • Patent number: 9850155
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating organic waste, in particular to a method for treating sludge from wastewater treatment plants, in order to produce power and/or hygienized organic matter, including a first step of mesophilic or thermophilic digestion (13) of at least one fraction of a stream of organic waste, and comprising the following steps: dehydrating (15) all of the digested and non-digested waste; aerated thermal hydrolysis (16) of the dehydrated waste, including an injection of an oxidizing agent in a quantity lower than the stoichiometric quantity for oxidizing organic matter, and setting to the required temperature by a heating means; and a second mesophilic or thermophilic digestion (17) of the stream of hydrolyzed waste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: DEGREMONT
    Inventor: Pierre-Emmanuel Pardo
  • Patent number: 9844740
    Abstract: Extraction devices, methods, and systems are disclosed. Example devices have a solvent chamber, a plant material chamber, a collection chamber, and a solvent return that create an active, passive, or combination extraction and/or solvent purification process. Any extractable plant material can be used in the disclosed devices, methods, and systems although in some examples some form of the cannabis plant is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: CONNOISSEUR HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Andrew Jones
  • Patent number: 9827850
    Abstract: Techniques for separating a fuel on-board a vehicle include mixing an input fuel stream and a fluid solvent; separating the mixture into a first liquid fuel stream and a second liquid fuel stream, the first liquid fuel stream including a first portion of the input fuel stream defined by a first auto-ignition characteristic value and the fluid solvent, the second liquid fuel stream including a second portion of the input fuel stream defined by a second auto-ignition characteristic value that is different than the first auto-ignition characteristic value; separating the first liquid fuel stream into the fluid solvent and the first portion of the input fuel stream; directing the first portion of the input fuel stream to a first fuel tank on the vehicle; and directing the second portion of the input fuel stream to a second fuel tank on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Esam Z. Hamad, Abdullah Sadek AlRamadan
  • Patent number: 9828458
    Abstract: Provided is a silica particle coated with ?-cyclodextrin, wherein said cyclodextrin is attached to said silica particle via at least one crosslinking agent and/or at least one copolymer. Also provided are methods of removing contaminants from a flowing or stationary liquid phase comprising the step of contacting said liquid phase with the silica particle coated with ?-cyclodextrin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: TEMPLE UNIVERSITY—Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Rominder P. S. Suri, Bikash Bhattarai
  • Patent number: 9827533
    Abstract: An apparatus for reducing the total dissolved solids of a solution includes a unit having at least two chambers; a respective semi-permeable membrane arrangement disposed between each of the at least two chambers; a device for introducing respective solutions into, and withdrawing solutions from, the chambers; and at least one paddle disposed in each of said chambers. The paddles are configured to sweep opposite sides of each of the semi-permeable membrane arrangements. A device provides relative movement between the paddles and the semi-permeable arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: NEW MEXICO TECH RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventor: Ashok Kumar Ghosh
  • Patent number: 9828443
    Abstract: Polydisperse and charged polysaccharides are fractionated into low polydispersity fractions (preferably having pd<1.1), each containing species within a narrow range of molecular weights. An aqueous solution of the polydisperse polysaccharides is contacted with an ion exchange resin in a column and the polysaccharides are subjected to selective elution by aqueous elution buffer. The selective elution consists of at least 3 sequential elution buffers having different and constant ionic strength and/or pH and in which the subsequent buffers have ionic strength and/or pH than those of the preceding step. The new preparations are particularly suitable for the production of PSA-derivatized therapeutic agents intended for use in humans and animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: LIPOXEN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Sanjay Jain, Ioannis Papaioannou, Peter Laing
  • Patent number: 9815695
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for treatment of an apatite-based resin from which retained solutes have been eluted by an elution buffer that contains an alkali metal salt with solutions of calcium ion, phosphate ion, and hydroxide separately from any sample loading and elution buffers. The treatment solutions restore the resin, reversing the deterioration that is caused by the alkali metal salt in the elution buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry J. Cummings, Jie He
  • Patent number: 9789147
    Abstract: Extraction devices, methods, and systems are disclosed. Example devices have a solvent chamber, a plant material chamber, a collection chamber, and a solvent return that create a sealed, closed-cycle extraction and/or solvent purification process. Any extractable plant material can be used in the disclosed devices, methods, and systems although in some examples some form of the cannabis plant is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: CONNOISSEUR HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Andrew Jones
  • Patent number: 9790288
    Abstract: Polydisperse and charged polysaccharides are fractionated into low polydispersity fractions (preferably having pd<1.1), each containing species within a narrow range of molecular weights. An aqueous solution of the polydisperse polysaccharides is contacted with an ion exchange resin in a column and the polysaccharides are subjected to selective elution by aqueous elution buffer. The selective elution consists of at least 3 sequential elution buffers having different and constant ionic strength and/or pH and in which the subsequent buffers have ionic strength and/or pH than those of the preceding step. The new preparations are particularly suitable for the production of PSA-derivatised therapeutic agents intended for use in humans and animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: LIPOXEN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Sanjay Jain, Ioannis Papaioannou, Peter Laing
  • Patent number: 9790110
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are processes for treating high-P fluid involving (1) providing a high-P containing stream; (2) chemically treating the high-P stream such that a majority of dissolved P in the stream is transformed into a solid form via sorption of P onto particles placed or precipitated within the stream; and (3) removing the solid form containing P from the chemically treated fine solids stream, such that >about 90% of the total P is removed from the high-P fluid. Also disclosed are systems for treating a high-P stream, the systems involving (1) a chemical treatment station operable to chemically treat and transform equal to or greater than about 90% of dissolved P in a high-P stream into a solid form; and (2) a liquid-solid separator station operable to remove the solid form containing P from the chemically treated high-P stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignees: The United States of America, as Represented by the Sectary of Agriculture, The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Clinton Church, Ray B. Bryant, Peter J. Kleinman, Alex Hristov
  • Patent number: 9765112
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to methods for recovering multiple products from industrial-scale production of a biomass of an aquatic species. Specifically, the present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to methods for cultivating Lemna for extracting a protein concentrate, a biocrude, and/or a carbohydrate-rich meal. In some embodiments, a process of recovering at least one product from biomass of an aquatic species may comprise: lysing a biomass to generate a lysed biomass; separating the lysed biomass to generate a juice and a first solid phase; filtering the juice to generate a filtered juice and a second solid phase; clarifying at least one juice to generate a clarified juice and a third solid phase, wherein the clarified juice comprises a soluble protein; coagulating the soluble protein from the clarified juice to generate a liquor comprising a wet protein concentrate; and separating the wet protein concentrate from the liquor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: PARABEL LTD.
    Inventors: Laurent Olivier, Greg Havemann, Paul Antalik, Brandi Alderson
  • Patent number: 9764976
    Abstract: A process for reducing the production of sludge by municipal or industrial wastewater purification plants, comprising a step of mesophilic or thermophilic anaerobic digestion (20), or anaerobic digestion combining these two operating modes, of a stream of sludge to be treated (1), and at least one biological solubilization anaerobic treatment step (30); the process comprises, upstream of the anaerobic digestion step, a step of dehydration (10) of the sludge to be treated, followed by a step of mixing (15) the dehydrated sludge with a recirculated fraction of sludge that is more liquid, originating from recycling of the digestion (20), and/or from the anaerobic treatment step (30), and/or centrates originating from a final dehydration (50) of the treated sludge, wherein the recirculation rate is chosen such that the mixture has a dryness suitable for digestion, this mixture then being directed towards the digestion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: DEGREMONT
    Inventor: Pierre-Emmanuel Pardo
  • Patent number: 9751047
    Abstract: An energy-efficient liquid-gap distillation apparatus includes a source of a feed liquid; a distillation module comprising: (a) a feed-liquid chamber n fluid communication with the feed-liquid source to establish a flow of the feed liquid there through, wherein the feed-liquid chamber includes a selectively porous material that allows a component of the feed liquid to pass through the selectively porous material and exit the feed-liquid chamber in vapor form but not in liquid form; (b) a condensing surface maintained at a lower temperature than the feed liquid in the feed-liquid chamber, wherein the condensing surface is sufficiently hydrophobic to produce a contact angle with water of at least 150; and (c) a gap between the selectively porous material and the condensing surface. Vapor passing through the membrane can be condensed as jumping droplets at the condensing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: John H. Lienhard, David Elan Martin Warsinger, Jaichander Swaminathan