Patents by Inventor Jason Ballengee

Jason Ballengee 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: 11035808
    Abstract: A non-invasive NMR based apparatus for measuring a food attribute (moisture, sugar content) in food products comprises a magnetic chamber, an RF pulsing device attached to the magnetic chamber, a sensor receiver, and a data processing unit in communication with the sensor receiver. The pulsing device exposes the food ingredients/snacks to an RF field and produces an NMR response signal that is detected by the sensor receiver. The data processing unit quantitatively measures a food attribute of the food product based on the NMR response signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick W. Bajema, Jason Ballengee, Kevin Minard
  • Patent number: 10837927
    Abstract: A non-invasive NMR based apparatus for measuring a food attribute (moisture, sugar content) in food products comprises a magnetic chamber, an RF pulsing device attached to the magnetic chamber, a sensor receiver, and a data processing unit in communication with the sensor receiver. The pulsing device exposes the food ingredients/snacks to an RF field and produces an NMR response signal that is detected by the sensor receiver. The data processing unit quantitatively measures a food attribute of the food product based on the NMR response signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick W. Bajema, Jason Ballengee, Kevin Minard
  • Patent number: 10801979
    Abstract: A non-invasive NMR based apparatus for measuring a food attribute (moisture, sugar content) in food products comprises a magnetic chamber, an RF pulsing device attached to the magnetic chamber, a sensor receiver, and a data processing unit in communication with the sensor receiver. The pulsing device exposes the food ingredients/snacks to an RF field and produces an NMR response signal that is detected by the sensor receiver. The data processing unit quantitatively measures a food attribute of the food product based on the NMR response signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick W. Bajema, Jason Ballengee, Kevin Minard
  • Publication number: 20200022377
    Abstract: An intermediate food base is manufactured from masa that may comprise waxy corn starch. The intermediate food base is then sheeted and dehydrated to between about 15% to about 40% before coating with a solution or batter, and dehydrating to a shelf stable moisture content. The coating solution may be starch-based, fiber-based, or egg white-based. Breading may be added to the coating solution or batter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Jason BALLENGEE, Joseph Donald DONOVAN, Timothy Allen JOHNSON, Sathya KALAMBUR, Harshal Hemant KSHIRSAGAR, Christina Snider MALVAIZ, Joyce Jincao XU
  • Publication number: 20190159508
    Abstract: A food product is coated with an edible, meltable powder. Upon melting, the powder-coated food product melts into a liquid coating on the food product. The meltable powder comprises a dry component free of starch and at least one of: a sorbitol dry component; an erythritol dry component; an arabitol dry component; a xylitol dry component; a lactitol dry component; a maltitol dry component; a combination of isomalt and sorbitol; a shellac dry component free of fatty acids; a soluble fiber dry component; a fructose dry component, a trehalose dry component, a glucose dry component, a maltose dry component, and an isomaltulose dry component. The polyols when present are free of polysaccharides. A number of food products can be coated with one or more of the dry components, which are subsequently melted to form a coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Jason BALLENGEE, Justin A. FRENCH, Thomas A. TREZZA
  • Publication number: 20190064087
    Abstract: A non-invasive NMR based apparatus for measuring a food attribute (moisture, sugar content) in food products comprises a magnetic chamber, an RF pulsing device attached to the magnetic chamber, a sensor receiver, and a data processing unit in communication with the sensor receiver. The pulsing device exposes the food ingredients/snacks to an RF field and produces an NMR response signal that is detected by the sensor receiver. The data processing unit quantitatively measures a food attribute of the food product based on the NMR response signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Rick W. BAJEMA, Jason BALLENGEE, Kevin MINARD
  • Publication number: 20190064086
    Abstract: A non-invasive NMR based apparatus for measuring a food attribute (moisture, sugar content) in food products comprises a magnetic chamber, an RF pulsing device attached to the magnetic chamber, a sensor receiver, and a data processing unit in communication with the sensor receiver. The pulsing device exposes the food ingredients/snacks to an RF field and produces an NMR response signal that is detected by the sensor receiver. The data processing unit quantitatively measures a food attribute of the food product based on the NMR response signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Rick W. BAJEMA, Jason BALLENGEE, Kevin MINARD
  • Patent number: 10141593
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a composite membrane, includes the steps of: forming a first solution comprising a charged polymer and a first uncharged polymer having a repeat unit of a formula of: where each of X and Y is a non-hydroxyl group; forming a second solution comprising a second uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first solution and the second solution to form a dual fiber mat; and processing the dual fiber mat to form the composite membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Andrew Park, Jason Ballengee
  • Publication number: 20180080887
    Abstract: A non-invasive NMR based apparatus for measuring a food attribute (moisture, sugar content) in food products comprises a magnetic chamber, an RF pulsing device attached to the magnetic chamber, a sensor receiver, and a data processing unit in communication with the sensor receiver. The pulsing device exposes the food ingredients/snacks to an RF field and produces an NMR response signal that is detected by the sensor receiver. The data processing unit quantitatively measures a food attribute of the food product based on the NMR response signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Rick W. BAJEMA, Jason BALLENGEE, Kevin Minard
  • Patent number: 9876246
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, includes fabricating each of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode, and the membrane separately by electrospinning; and placing the membrane between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, and pressing then together to form the fuel cell MEA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Jason Ballengee, Matthew Brodt
  • Publication number: 20160380296
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a composite membrane, includes the steps of: forming a first solution comprising a charged polymer and a first uncharged polymer having a repeat unit of a formula of: where each of X and Y is a non-hydroxyl group; forming a second solution comprising a second uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first solution and the second solution to form a dual fiber mat; and processing the dual fiber mat to form the composite membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Andrew Park, Jason Ballengee
  • Patent number: 9350036
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a composite membrane includes: forming a first polymer solution from a first polymer and a second polymer solution from a second polymer, respectively, where the first polymer includes a charged polymer and the second polymer includes an uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first and second polymer solutions to form a dual fiber mat with first polymer fibers and second polymer fibers; and processing the dual fiber mat by softening and flowing one of the first or second polymer fibers to fill in the void space between the other of the first and second polymer fibers so as to form the composite membrane. In some embodiments, the composite membrane may be a proton exchange membrane (PEM) or an anion exchange membrane (AEM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Andrew Park, Jason Ballengee
  • Publication number: 20160093907
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, includes fabricating each of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode, and the membrane separately by electrospinning; and placing the membrane between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, and pressing then together to form the fuel cell MEA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Jason Ballengee, Matthew Brodt
  • Patent number: 9252445
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) has an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. At least one of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode and the membrane is formed of electrospun nanofibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Jason Ballengee, Matthew Brodt
  • Publication number: 20140349213
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a composite membrane includes: forming a first polymer solution from a first polymer and a second polymer solution from a second polymer, respectively, where the first polymer includes a charged polymer and the second polymer includes an uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first and second polymer solutions to form a dual fiber mat with first polymer fibers and second polymer fibers; and processing the dual fiber mat by softening and flowing one of the first or second polymer fibers to fill in the void space between the other of the first and second polymer fibers so as to form the composite membrane. In some embodiments, the composite membrane may be a proton exchange membrane (PEM) or an anion exchange membrane (AEM).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Andrew Park, Jason Ballengee
  • Publication number: 20140038076
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) has an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. At least one of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode and the membrane is formed of electrospun nanofibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Jason Ballengee, Matthew Brodt