Patents by Inventor Lowell L. Wood

Lowell L. Wood 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: 11638676
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a garment system including at least one sensor and at least one actuator that operates responsive to sensing feedback from the at least one sensor to cause a flexible compression garment to selectively constrict or selectively dilate, thereby compressing or relieving compression against at least one body part of a subject. Such selective constriction or dilation can improve muscle functioning or joint functioning during use of motion-conducive equipment, such as an exercise bike or rowing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: VENTRK, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Max N. Mankin, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tony S. Pan, Robert C. Petroski, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene, Nicholas W. Touran, Yaroslav A. Urzhumov, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
  • Patent number: 11627214
    Abstract: A computing device determines that the computing device is within wireless proximity to a secondary wireless device. Based on the computing device being within wireless proximity to the secondary wireless device, the computing device determines at least one function of the secondary wireless device, and generates an aggregate user interface for display on a display screen of the computing device. The aggregate user interface identifies the secondary wireless device and indicates the at least one function of the secondary wireless device. The computing device receives, via the aggregate user interface, a user input selecting the secondary wireless device. Responsive to the user input, the computing device presents a second user interface including one or more selectable features for operating the secondary wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20230039421
    Abstract: Residence structures, systems, and related methods are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise administering (e.g., orally) a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. The residence structure may be, in some cases, a gastric residence structure. In some embodiments, the structures and systems described herein comprise one or more materials configured for high levels of active substances (e.g., a therapeutic agent) loading, high active substance and/or structure stability in acidic environments, mechanical flexibility and strength in an internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), easy passage through the GI tract until delivery to at a desired internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), and/or rapid dissolution/degradation in a physiological environment (e.g., intestinal environment) and/or in response to a chemical stimulant (e.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Bellinger, Shiyi Zhang, Carlo Giovanni Traverso, Robert S. Langer, Stacy Mo, Tyler Grant, Mousa Jafari, Dean Liang Glettig, Angela DiCiccio, Lowell L. Wood, JR., Philip A. Eckhoff
  • Patent number: 11541017
    Abstract: Salt formulations, which are resistant to moisture and cooking conditions, are described herein. The formulations provide particles of micronutrients and vitamins encapsulated within heat resistant pH-sensitive water-insoluble polymers, which are packaged within a salt shell. The pH-sensitive, water-insoluble, thermally stable materials stabilize the micronutrients, particularly at high temperatures, such as during food preparation and cooking, and release the micronutrients at the desired locations such as the stomach, small intestine, etc. Preferred pH-sensitive polymers release at a low pH, less than the pH present in the stomach. The particles can be used to deliver daily-recommended doses of micronutrients simultaneously with salt, eliminating the need for vitamin pills. This is particularly important in populations suffering from severe malnutrition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, TOKITAE LLC
    Inventors: Ana Jaklenec, Xian Xu, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Philip A. Welkhoff, William Gates, Boris Nikolic, Robert S. Langer
  • Publication number: 20220387952
    Abstract: Combined combustion and pyrolysis (CCP) systems, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the CCP system includes an input valve fluidly coupleable to a fuel supply to receive a hydrocarbon reactant, a CCP reactor fluidly coupled to the input valve, and a carbon separation component fluidly coupled to the CCP reactor. The CCP reactor can include a combustion chamber, a reaction chamber in thermal communication with the combustion chamber and/or fluidly coupled to the input valve, and an insulating material positioned to reduce heat loss from the combustion chamber and/or the reaction chamber. The CCP reactor can also include a combustion component positioned to combust a fuel within the combustion chamber. The combustion can heat the reaction chamber and the hydrocarbon reactant flowing therethrough. The heat causes a pyrolysis of the hydrocarbon reactant that generates hydrogen gas and carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Roelof E. Groenewald, Kevin J. Hughes, William Kokonaski, Max N. Mankin, Tony S. Pan, Lowell L. Wood, John J. Lorr, Amit Goyal, Guido Radaelli, Vikram Seshadri, MJ Mahdi, Matthew Ballard, Stephen Harris, Alex Pearse, Jeff Henry
  • Publication number: 20220367070
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include nuclear fission reactor cores, nuclear fission reactors, methods of operating a nuclear fission reactor, and methods of managing excess reactivity in a nuclear fission reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Charles E. Ahlfeld, Thomas M. Burke, Tyler S. Ellis, John R. Gilleland, Jonatan Hejzlar, Pavel Hejzlar, Roderick A. Hyde, David G. McAlees, Jon D. McWhirter, Ashok Odedra, Robert C. Petroski, Nicholas W. Touran, Joshua C. Walter, Kevan D. Weaver, Thomas A. Weaver, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., George B. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 11482344
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include nuclear fission reactor cores, nuclear fission reactors, methods of operating a nuclear fission reactor, and methods of managing excess reactivity in a nuclear fission reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TERRAPOWER, LLC
    Inventors: Charles E. Ahlfeld, Thomas M. Burke, Tyler S. Ellis, John Rogers Gilleland, Jonatan Hejzlar, Pavel Hejzlar, Roderick A. Hyde, David G. McAlees, Jon D. McWhirter, Ashok Odedra, Robert C. Petroski, Nicholas W. Touran, Joshua C. Walter, Kevan D. Weaver, Thomas Allan Weaver, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., George B. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20220315424
    Abstract: Systems for producing hydrogen gas for local distribution, consumption, and/or storage, and related devices and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a pyrolysis reactor system that can be coupled to a supply of reaction material that includes a hydrocarbon. The pyrolysis reactor system includes one or more combustion components positioned to transfer heat to the reaction material to convert the hydrocarbon into an output that includes hydrogen gas and carbon particulates. The pyrolysis reactor system also includes a carbon separation system positioned to separate the hydrogen gas the carbon particulates in the output. In various embodiments, the system also includes components to locally consume the filtered hydrogen gas, such as a power generator, heating appliance, and/or a combined heat and power device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Justin B. Ashton, Roelof E. Groenewald, Kevin J. Hughes, William Kokonaski, Max N. Mankin, Tony S. Pan, Levi D. Rodriguez, Lowell L. Wood, John J. Lorr, Amit Goyal, Guido Radaelli, Vikram Seshadri, MJ Mahdi, Matthew Ballard, Stephen Harris, Alex Pearse
  • Patent number: 11389399
    Abstract: Certain embodiments comprise administering a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. In certain embodiments, the structure has a modular design, combining a material configured for controlled release of therapeutic, diagnostic, and/or enhancement agents with a structural material necessary for gastric residence but configured for controlled and/or tunable degradation/dissolution to determine the time at which retention shape integrity is lost and the structure passes out of the gastric cavity. For example, in certain embodiments, the residence structure comprises a first elastic component, a second component configured to release an active substance, and, optionally, a linker. In some such embodiments, the linker may be configured to degrade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Bellinger, Shiyi Zhang, Carlo Giovanni Traverso, Robert S. Langer, Stacy Mo, Tyler Grant, Mousa Jafari, Dean Liang Glettig, Angela DiCiccio, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Philip A. Eckhoff
  • Patent number: 11364380
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a nerve stimulation system includes a headset and an earpiece which includes two or more ear-contacting elements, for example an ear canal insert, and a concha insert. Ear-contacting elements may be mounted onto an earpiece housing have projecting mounting structures, which provide mechanical and electrical connection between ear-contacting elements and housing through various materials and configurations. In an embodiment, a nerve stimulation system includes a neural stimulation subsystem including neural stimulation device control circuitry for use in combination with a personal computing device to control a neural stimulation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Eleanor V. Goodall, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Eric C. Leuthardt, Mark A. Malamud, Stephen L. Malaska, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tim F. Ramsey, Brittany Scheid, Katherine E. Sharadin, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
  • Patent number: 11361573
    Abstract: A system for tracking airborne organisms includes an imager, a backlight source (such as a retroreflective surface) in view of the imager, and a processor configured to analyze one or more images captured by the processor to identify a biological property of an organism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: TOKITAE LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Eric Johanson, Jordin T. Kare, Artyom Makagon, Emma Rae Mullen, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Thomas J. Nugent, Jr., Nathan John Pegram, Nels R. Peterson, Phillip Rutschman, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11357723
    Abstract: Residence structures, systems, and related methods are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise administering (e.g., orally) a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. The residence structure may be, in some cases, a gastric residence structure. In some embodiments, the structures and systems described herein comprise one or more materials configured for high levels of active substances (e.g., a therapeutic agent) loading, high active substance and/or structure stability in acidic environments, mechanical flexibility and strength in an internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), easy passage through the GI tract until delivery to at a desired internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), and/or rapid dissolution/degradation in a physiological environment (e.g., intestinal environment) and/or in response to a chemical stimulant (e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Bellinger, Shiyi Zhang, Carlo Giovanni Traverso, Robert S. Langer, Stacy Mo, Tyler Grant, Mousa Jafari, Dean Liang Glettig, Angela DiCiccio, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Philip A. Eckhoff
  • Patent number: 11294344
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, computer program product, and/or system are described that determine an event, actuate a cushioning element in response to the determining the event, the cushioning element including one or more tension-bearing members, and dissipate at least some of an energy associated with a collision based on deforming at least one of the tension-bearing members during the collision, the deforming including substantially inelastically stretching the at least one of the tension-bearing members. Other example embodiments are also provided relating to actuatable cushioning elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Deep Science, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, Cameron Myhrvold, Conor L. Myhrvold, Nathan P. Myhrvold, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
  • Patent number: 11246829
    Abstract: Residence structures, systems, and related methods are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise administering (e.g., orally) a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. The residence structure may be, in some cases, a gastric residence structure. In some embodiments, the structures and systems described herein comprise one or more materials configured for high levels of active substances (e.g., a therapeutic agent) loading, high active substance and/or structure stability in acidic environments, mechanical flexibility and strength in an internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), easy passage through the GI tract until delivery to at a desired internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), and/or rapid dissolution/degradation in a physiological environment (e.g., intestinal environment) and/or in response to a chemical stimulant (e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Bellinger, Shiyi Zhang, Carlo Giovanni Traverso, Robert S. Langer, Stacy Mo, Tyler Grant, Mousa Jafari, Dean Liang Glettig, Angela DiCiccio, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Philip A. Eckhoff
  • Publication number: 20220044833
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for the thermal storage of nuclear reactor generated energy including diverting a selected portion of energy from a portion of a nuclear reactor system to an auxiliary thermal reservoir and, responsive to a shutdown event, supplying a portion of the diverted selected portion of energy to an energy conversion system of the nuclear reactor system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Clarence T. Tegreene, Joshua C. Walter, Lowell L. Wood, JR., Victoria Y.H. Wood
  • Patent number: 11205523
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for the thermal storage of nuclear reactor generated energy including diverting a selected portion of energy from a portion of a nuclear reactor system to an auxiliary thermal reservoir and, responsive to a shutdown event, supplying a portion of the diverted selected portion of energy to an energy conversion system of the nuclear reactor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: TERRAPOWER, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A Hyde, Muriel Y Ishikawa, Clarence T Tegreene, Joshua C Walter, Lowell L Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
  • Publication number: 20210381772
    Abstract: Portage storage containers including controlled evaporative cooling systems are described herein. In some embodiments, a portable container including an integral controlled evaporative cooling system includes: a storage region, an evaporative region adjacent to the storage region, a desiccant region adjacent to the outside of the container, and an insulation region positioned between the evaporative region and the desiccant region. A vapor conduit with an attached vapor control unit has a first end within the evaporative region and a second end within the desiccant region. In some embodiments, the controlled evaporative cooling systems are positioned in a radial configuration within the portable container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Tokitae LLC
    Inventors: Fong Li Chou, Philip A. Eckhoff, Lawrence Morgan Fowler, Shieng Liu, Peter K. Maier-Laxhuber, Nels R. Peterson, Ralf W. Schmidt, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, JR., Reiner M. Wörz, David J. Yager
  • Publication number: 20210380407
    Abstract: Systems for producing hydrogen gas for local distribution, consumption, and/or storage, and related devices and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a pyrolysis reactor that can be coupled to a supply of reaction material that includes a hydrocarbon. The reactor includes one or more flow channels positioned to transfer heat to the reaction material to convert the hydrocarbon into an output that includes hydrogen gas and carbon particulates. The system also includes a carbon separation system operably coupled to the pyrolysis reactor to separate the hydrogen gas the carbon particulates in the output. In various embodiments, the system also includes components to locally consume the filtered hydrogen gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Justin B. Ashton, Roelof E. Groenewald, Kevin J. Hughes, Arvind Kannan, William Kokonaski, Max N. Mankin, Tony S. Pan, Levi D. Rodriguez, Lowell L. Wood, John J. Lorr, Amit Goyal, Guido Radaelli, Vikram Seshadri
  • Patent number: 11185604
    Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring sterilization status are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Deep Science LLC
    Inventors: Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20210351722
    Abstract: Various disclosed embodiments include combined heating and power modules and combined heat and power devices. In an illustrative embodiment, a combined heat and power device includes a heating system including: at least one burner; at least one igniter configured to ignite the at least one burner; a fluid motivator assembly including an electrically powered prime mover; and a heat exchanger fluidly couplable to the fluid motivator assembly. At least one alkali metal thermal-to-electricity converter (AMTEC) has a high pressure zone and a low pressure zone, the high pressure zone being thermally couplable to the at least one burner, the low pressure zone being thermally couplable to the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Justin B. Ashton, Stephen E. Clark, William Kokonaski, Daniel Kraemer, John J. Lorr, Max N. Mankin, David J. Menacher, Patrick D. Noble, Tony S. Pan, Alexander J. Pearse, Ad de Pijper, Lowell L. Wood