Patents by Inventor Andrew S. Utada

Andrew S. Utada has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10316873
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to multiple emulsions, and to methods and apparatuses for making multiple emulsions. A multiple emulsion generally describes larger droplets that contain one or more smaller droplets therein. The larger droplets may be suspended in a third fluid in some cases. These can be useful for encapsulating species such as pharmaceutical agents, cells, chemicals, or the like. In some cases, one or more of the droplets can change form, for instance, to become solidified to form a microcapsule, a liposome, a polymerosome, or a colloidosome. Multiple emulsions can be formed in one step in certain embodiments, with generally precise repeatability, and can be tailored to include one, two, three, or more inner droplets within a single outer droplet (which droplets may all be nested in some cases).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: David A. Weitz, Darren Roy Link, Andrew S. Utada
  • Publication number: 20150285282
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to multiple emulsions, and to methods and apparatuses for making multiple emulsions. A multiple emulsion generally describes larger droplets that contain one or more smaller droplets therein. The larger droplets may be suspended in a third fluid in some cases. These can be useful for encapsulating species such as pharmaceutical agents, cells, chemicals, or the like. In some cases, one or more of the droplets can change form, for instance, to become solidified to form a microcapsule, a liposome, a polymerosome, or a colloidosome. Multiple emulsions can be formed in one step in certain embodiments, with generally precise repeatability, and can be tailored to include one, two, three, or more inner droplets within a single outer droplet (which droplets may all be nested in some cases).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: David A. Weitz, Darren Roy Link, Andrew S. Utada
  • Patent number: 9039273
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to multiple emulsions, and to methods and apparatuses for making multiple emulsions. A multiple emulsion generally describes larger droplets that contain one or more smaller droplets therein. The larger droplets may be suspended in a third fluid in some cases. These can be useful for encapsulating species such as pharmaceutical agents, cells, chemicals, or the like. In some cases, one or more of the droplets can change form, for instance, to become solidified to form a microcapsule, a liposome, a polymerosome, or a colloidosome. Multiple emulsions can be formed in one step in certain embodiments, with generally precise repeatability, and can be tailored to include one, two, three, or more inner droplets within a single outer droplet (which droplets may all be nested in some cases).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: David A. Weitz, Darren Roy Link, Andrew S. Utada
  • Patent number: 7776927
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to emulsions such as multiple emulsions, and to methods and apparatuses for making emulsions, and techniques for using the same. A multiple emulsion generally describes larger droplets that contain one or more smaller droplets therein which, in some cases, can contain even smaller droplets therein, etc. Emulsions, including multiple emulsions can be formed in certain embodiments with generally precise repeatability, and can be tailored to include any number of inner droplets, in any desired nesting arrangement, within a single outer droplet. In addition, in some aspects of the invention, one or more droplets may be controllably released from a surrounding droplet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Liang-Yin Chu, Ho Cheung Shum, Alberto Fernandez-Nieves, Andrew S. Utada, Enric Santanach Carreras, David A. Weitz
  • Publication number: 20090131543
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to multiple emulsions, and to methods and apparatuses for making multiple emulsions. A multiple emulsion generally describes larger droplets that contain one or more smaller droplets therein. The larger droplets may be suspended in a third fluid in some cases. These can be useful for encapsulating species such as pharmaceutical agents, cells, chemicals, or the like. In some cases, one or more of the droplets can change form, for instance, to become solidified to form a microcapsule, a liposome, a polymerosome, or a colloidosome. Multiple emulsions can be formed in one step in certain embodiments, with generally precise repeatability, and can be tailored to include one, two, three, or more inner droplets within a single outer droplet (which droplets may all be nested in some cases).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: David A. Weitz, Darren Roy Link, Andrew S. Utada
  • Publication number: 20090012187
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to emulsions such as multiple emulsions, and to methods and apparatuses for making emulsions, and techniques for using the same. A multiple emulsion generally describes larger droplets that contain one or more smaller droplets therein which, in some cases, can contain even smaller droplets therein, etc. Emulsions, including multiple emulsions can be formed in certain embodiments with generally precise repeatability, and can be tailored to include any number of inner droplets, in any desired nesting arrangement, within a single outer droplet. In addition, in some aspects of the invention, one or more droplets may be controllably released from a surrounding droplet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE
    Inventors: Liang-Yin Chu, Ho Cheung Shum, Alberto Fernandez-Nieves, Andrew S. Utada, Enric Santanach Carreras, David A. Weitz