Patents by Inventor Maxine Prior

Maxine Prior 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).

  • Ultraviolet radiation pre-treatment of wastewater, improving its utility for algal cultivation
    Patent number: 10920187
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of remediating wastewaters, preferably agricultural wastewaters resulting from animal production or contained animal feeding operation sites. The water is treated to promote assimilation of nutrients into algal biomass, which can be harvested and sold, and the resultant wastewater is then purified. According to the invention, short wavelength UV radiation (less than 280 nm wavelength) is used to pretreat wastewater, with the dose determined by absorbance of the water, not by bacterial load. Pretreated water exhibits changes in chromophoric dissolved organic matter that allows for improved and increased algae production by as much as 88%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Boise State University
    Inventors: Kevin Feris, Maxine Prior
  • ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION PRE-TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER, IMPROVING ITS UTILITY FOR ALGAL CULTIVATION
    Publication number: 20150275166
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of remediating wastewaters, preferably agricultural wastewaters resulting from animal production or contained animal feeding operation sites. The water is treated to promote assimilation of nutrients into algal biomass, which can be harvested and sold, and the resultant wastewater is then purified. According to the invention, short wavelength UV radiation (less than 280 nm wavelength) is used to pretreat wastewater, with the dose determined by absorbance of the water, not by bacterial load. Pretreated water exhibits changes in chromophoric dissolved organic matter that allows for improved and increased algae production by as much as 88%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kevin Feris, Maxine Prior