Patents by Inventor Francois Picard

Francois Picard 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).

  • Publication number: 20230138875
    Abstract: Apparatus for converting Spent Pot Lining (SPL) into inert slag, aluminum fluoride and energy includes a plasma arc furnace such that the destruction of SPL occurs therein. The furnace generates an electric arc within the waste, which arc travels from an anode to a cathode and destroys the waste due to the arc's extreme temperature, thereby converting a mineral fraction of SPL into vitrified inert slag lying within a crucible of the furnace. The furnace gasifies the carbon content of the SPL and produces a well-balanced syngas. The gasification takes place due to the controlled intake of air and steam into the furnace. The gasification reaction liberates significant amount of energy. Steam captures this excess energy, to provide part of the oxygen requirement for gasification and to contribute to raise the syngas H2 content. Steam also contributes to converting some SPL fluorides (NaF and Al2F3) into hydrogen fluoride.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Jean-René GAGNON, Ali SHAHVERDI, François RIVARD, François PICARD, Pierre CARABIN
  • Publication number: 20150218720
    Abstract: It is described a process for extracting magnesium from magnesium-bearing materials comprising the steps of leaching the magnesium-bearing material with HCl as to obtain a leachate comprising the magnesium in solution and a solid form; purify said leachate to produce magnesium chloride and electrolysing the magnesium chloride producing magnesium metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: François Picard, Joël Fournier
  • Patent number: 8183015
    Abstract: This invention relates to reagent comprising: any one of cells, viral particles, organelles, parasites, cells comprising organelles, cells comprising viral particles, cells comprising parasites, cells comprising bacterial cells and any combination thereof, the cells, viral particles, organelles or parasites comprising at least one nucleic acid sequence serving as an internal control (IC) target for nucleic acid testing (NAT) assay; wherein the reagent is suitable to be added to a test sample undergoing sample preparation to release, concentrate and/or purify nucleic acids and amplification and/or detection of nucleic acids so as to be used to verify: (i) the efficiency of sample preparation; and (ii) the efficiency of nucleic acid amplification and/or detection. The present invention also relates to a method to verify or validate the preparation and amplification and/or detection of a nucleic acid target sequence in a sample spiked with a reagent of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Geneohm Sciences Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Jean Pierre Gayral, Francois Picard, Maurice Boissinot, Martine Bastien
  • Publication number: 20120035071
    Abstract: Compositions and methods for the detection of vancomycin-resistant pathogens using primers and/or probes to the vanA and vanB genes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: GENEOHM SCIENCES CANADA, INC.
    Inventors: MICHEL G. BERGERON, MAURICE BOISSINOT, ANN HULETSKY, CHRISTIAN MENARD, MARC OUELLETTE, FRANCOIS PICARD, PAUL H. ROY
  • Publication number: 20100267012
    Abstract: Compositions and methods for the detection of vancomycin-resistant pathogens using primers and/or probes to the vanA and vanB genes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Michel G. Bergeron, Maurice Boissinot, Ann Huletsky, Christian Menard, Marc Ouellette, Francois Picard, Paul H. Roy
  • Publication number: 20100233720
    Abstract: This invention relates to reagent comprising: any one of cells, viral particles, organelles, parasites, cells comprising organelles, cells comprising viral particles, cells comprising parasites, cells comprising bacterial cells and any combination thereof, the cells, viral particles, organelles or parasites comprising at least one nucleic acid sequence serving as an internal control (IC) target for nucleic acid testing (NAT) assay; wherein the reagent is suitable to be added to a test sample undergoing sample preparation to release, concentrate and/or purify nucleic acids and amplification and/or detection of nucleic acids so as to be used to verify: (i) the efficiency of sample preparation; and (ii) the efficiency of nucleic acid amplification and/or detection. The present invention also relates to a method to verify or validate the preparation and amplification and/or detection of a nucleic acid target sequence in a sample spiked with a reagent of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Jean Pierre Gayral, Francois Picard, Maurice Boissinot, Martine Bastien
  • Patent number: 7718402
    Abstract: This invention relates to reagent comprising: any one of cells, viral particles, organelles, parasites, cells comprising organelles, cells comprising viral particles, cells comprising parasites, cells comprising bacterial cells and any combination thereof, the cells, viral particles, organelles or parasites comprising at least one nucleic acid sequence serving as an internal control (IC) target for nucleic acid testing (NAT) assay; wherein the reagent is suitable to be added to a test sample undergoing sample preparation to release, concentrate and/or purify nucleic acids and amplification and/or detection of nucleic acids so as to be used to verify: (i) the efficiency of sample preparation; and (ii) the efficiency of nucleic acid amplification and/or detection. The present invention also relates to a method to verify or validate the preparation and amplification and/or detection of a nucleic acid target sequence in a sample spiked with a reagent of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Geneohm Sciences Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Jean Pierre Gayral, Francois Picard, Maurice Boissinot, Martine Bastien
  • Publication number: 20070015139
    Abstract: This invention relates to reagent comprising: any one of cells, viral particles, organelles, parasites, cells comprising organelles, cells comprising viral particles, cells comprising parasites, cells comprising bacterial cells and any combination thereof, the cells, viral particles, organelles or parasites comprising at least one nucleic acid sequence serving as an internal control (IC) target for nucleic acid testing (NAT) assay; wherein the reagent is suitable to be added to a test sample undergoing sample preparation to release, concentrate and/or purify nucleic acids and amplification and/or detection of nucleic acids so as to be used to verify: (i) the efficiency of sample preparation; and (ii) the efficiency of nucleic acid amplification and/or detection. The present invention also relates to a method to verify or validate the preparation and amplification and/or detection of a nucleic acid target sequence in a sample spiked with a reagent of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: INFECTIO DIAGNOSTIC (I.D.I.), INC.
    Inventors: Jean Gayral, Francois Picard, Maurice Boissinot, Martine Bastien
  • Publication number: 20060263810
    Abstract: DNA-based methods employing amplification primers or probes for detecting, identifying, and quantifying in a test sample DNA from (i) any bacterium, (ii) the species Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Enterococcus faecium, Neisseria meningitidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans, and (iii) any species of the genera Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Neisseria and Candida are disclosed. DNA-based methods employing amplification primers or probes for detecting, identifying, and quantifying in a test sample antibiotic resistance genes selected from the group consisting of blatem, blarob, blashv, blaoxa, blaZ, aadB, aacC1, aacC2, aacC3, aacA4, aac6?-IIa, ermA, ermB, ermC, mecA, vanA, vanB, vanC, satA, aac(6?)-aph(2?), aad(6), vat, vga, msrA, sul and int are also disclosed. The above microbial species, genera and resistance genes are all clinically relevant and commonly encountered in a variety of clinical specimens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventors: Michel Bergeron, Francois Picard, Marc Ouellette, Paul Roy
  • Publication number: 20050037349
    Abstract: The present invention decribes reagents free of detectable contaminating nucleic acids for performing highly sensitive and specific nucleic acids amplification and/or detection. It relates to an improvement in the technology of nucleic acid inactivation prior to nucleic acid testing (NAT) in order to prevent false-positive results. Specifically, this invention describes optimized and standardized reagents and ultra-violet treatment to achieve an effective and highly reproducible nucleic acid inactivation prior to NAT without substantially affecting the performance of the assay. More specifically, this nucleic acid inactivation process resulted in a reduction of up to four logs of the background signal associated with the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification of DNA contaminating PCR reagents. This optimized and standardized method is also adaptable for use with NAT technologies other than PCR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Inventors: Francois Picard, Christian Menard, Martine Bastien, Maurice Boissinot
  • Publication number: 20040076990
    Abstract: This invention describes a rapid (10 to 15 minutes), simple, flexible and efficient method of nucleic acids extraction for nucleic acid testing assays. This method has the following basic steps: i) mechanical cell lysis using solid particles in the presence of a chelating agent, followed by ii) controlling the presence and/or activity of NAT assays inhibitors. This method is applicable to various biological samples and universal for microorganisms, as one can use it to extract nucleic acids from test samples containing target viruses, bacteria, bacterial spores, fungi, parasites or other eukaryotic cells, including animal and human cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: Francois . Picard, Christian Menard
  • Patent number: 5680227
    Abstract: A device for emulating a personal computer printer with a facsimile-machine printer (14) including a buffer memory (21) which receives data from the personal computer (3), circuits (22, 24) coupled to both a command buffer circuit (23) and a calculation block (25). The circuits (22, 24), command buffer circuit (23) and the calculation block (25) control the facsimile-machine printer (14) in response to the data, determine the availability the facsimile-machine printer (14) by effecting cyclic scanning of the facsimile-machine and control the printing of the facsimile-machine (14) printer in response to the data when the facsimile-machine printer (14) is determined to be available for printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Societe d'Applications Generales d'Electricite et de Mecanique SAGEM
    Inventor: Francois Picard
  • Patent number: 4393597
    Abstract: A stabilized sighting device for use on a carrier comprises an outer unit mounted for rotation about a bearing axis which may be parallel to the yaw axis of the carrier. An intermediate unit is mounted for rotation on the outer unit about an elevation axis and a sight unit provided with a gyro is mounted on the intermediate unit for rotation within a predetermined angular range about an inner axis located in a plane perpendicular to the elevation axis. First and second motors are provided for driving the intermediate unit and the sight unit about the intermediate and inner axes, respectively and are controlled by first and second servo loop circuits receiving signals from the gyroscope. A detector delivers a signal representative of the deviation of the inner unit from the canonical position and a position reproducing loop controlled by the detector actuates a motor driving the outer unit. The configuration of the outer gimbal is preferably reversed for decreasing the perturbating torques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Societe D'Applications Generales
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Picard, Paul Jacquard
  • Patent number: D919447
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: AGROPUR COOPERATIVE
    Inventors: Yohann Archambault, Kyla Latty, Patrick Mainville, Benoit Orban, Marc-Andre Coutu, Greg Kimmett, Amelie Lepine, Andree-Anne Halle, Anne Maltais, Ceren Koca, Jacinthe Guyot, Jack Klejka, Jean-Francois Clermont, Jean-Francois Perreault, Jean-Francois Picard, Sophie Valentine