Patents Examined by Manwel Mendez
  • Patent number: 6336912
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for modifying and feeding a liquid nutritional feeding composition. The apparatus comprises a chamber (3) for receiving a beneficial agent for modifying a liquid nutritional feeding composition, the chamber has an inlet (7) connectable to a container (5) that contains the nutritional feeding composition and an outlet (13) connectable to a feeding means (8,9). A pumping means is associated with the chamber (3) for pumping the nutritional feeding composition from the container into the chamber and back into the container to mix the beneficial agent with the nutritional feeding composition before the outlet (13) of the chamber is connected to the feeding means (8,9). The chamber (3) may comprise at least one flexible wall capable of being squeezed and released for pumping the nutritional feeding composition. The invention also relates to a method for modifying and feeding a liquid nutritional feeding composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventor: Michel Bourguignon
  • Patent number: 6298264
    Abstract: This invention discloses an apparatus and method for producing microcavitational activity in aqueous fluids for non-invasive macromolecule delivery into living cells. A standard electrohydraulic shock wave lithotripter is fitted with an adjustable ring reflector that shares the same foci as the standard lithotripter hemi-ellipsoidal reflector. A small portion of the spherical shock wave, generated by the spark discharge at the first focus (F1), is reflected and diffracted by the ring reflector, resulting in a weak preceding shock wave approximately 8.5 &mgr;s in front of the lithotripter shock wave reflected and diffracted by the hemi-ellipsoidal reflector. The peak negative pressure of the preceding weak shock wave or pulse at F2 can be adjusted from −0.96 to −1.91 MPa, using an output voltage of 25 kV. Living cells are exposed to the preceding shock wave and the lithotripter shock wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Pei Zhong, Franklin H. Cocks, Glenn M. Preminger, Haifan Lin