Patents by Inventor Jennifer Chu

Jennifer Chu 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: 6058938
    Abstract: A modality of twitch obtaining intramuscular stimulation (IMS) pain relief therapy employs an EMG needle having a Teflon coated shaft and exposed conductive tip to apply micro-electrical stimulation locally and focally to muscle motor end plate zones or regions of adjacent motor end plate zones. The electrical stimulation facilitates the elicitation of strong twitch responses from muscle fibers associated with the stimulated motor end plates, generally without requiring physical needle manipulation following the initial pin insertion. Less skill is required to effectively elicit pain relieving twitch responses, thus facilitating training of medical personnel to carry the procedure. Rapid movement between multiple treatment sites is possible allowing treatment of a larger number of afflicted muscles and muscle areas in a single treatment session. The strength and number of twitches obtained at the treatment sites can provide substantial relief from regional and diffuse myofacsial pain of radiculopathic origin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Medelec Limited
    Inventors: Jennifer Chu, Peter Styles
  • Patent number: 5999904
    Abstract: A processing system which acts as a participant in the collaborative dialogue is first trained using a training algorithm. The training algorithm computes, in conjunction with a current turn of the training dialogue, a task initiative index and a dialogue initiative index for a next turn of the dialogue, using cues observed during the current turn, probability assignments associated with the observed cues, and current values of the task initiative index and the dialogue initiative index. The algorithm then predicts a task initiative holder and a dialogue initiative holder for the next turn of the training dialogue, using the task initiative index and dialogue initiative index computed for the next turn. The probability assignments associated with the observed cues are adjusted if the predicted task and dialogue initiative holders do not agree with corresponding respective actual task and dialogue initiative holders for the next turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll
  • Patent number: 5968063
    Abstract: Intramuscular stimulation (IMS) pain relief therapy is facilitated by a hand-held tool which, once positioned against a patient's skin, can be controlled to automatically advance a needle to penetrate the patient's flesh, reciprocate the needle within the patient's flesh a predetermined number of times through a predetermined stroke, and retract the needle. A tubular guide member is provided at its distal end with a skin contact member forming a constricted orifice closely matching the diameter of the needle. The orifice allows substantially free passage of the needle therethrough and at the same time prevents bowing of the needle as it is advanced--a primary source of patient pain. Automation and control of the needle penetration, reciprocation and retraction sequence reduces the amount of manual and mental effort required on the part of the treating physician, thereby allowing physicians to perform IMS procedures more consistently, effectively and efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Jennifer Chu
    Inventors: Jennifer Chu, Zhen Guo Yan
  • Patent number: 5340483
    Abstract: A method for the selective separation of a particular compound from a mixture of compounds, by enzymatically converting a weakly adsorbable compound to a strongly adsorbable compound, and binding the converted compound to a material of appropriate chemical properties is described. Also described are methods for removing contaminants from wastewater streams, and from intermediate chemical process streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: University of Maryland at College Park
    Inventors: Gregory F. Payne, Jennifer Chu, Kimberlee K. Wallace, Wei-Qiang Sun
  • Patent number: 4936294
    Abstract: A massage device having a substantially planar support of foamed plastic and a plurality of massaging elements in the form of halves of balls distributed uniformly about the support is disclosed. The massaging elements may be substantially the size and firmness of tennis balls and are secured to the support in closely-spaced parallel rows by sleeves in which the massaging elements are arranged end-to-end. The sleeves are gathered between adjacent massaging elements and are secured to the support between adjacent massaging elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Inventor: Jennifer Chu