Patents by Inventor Nicholas N. Ashton

Nicholas N. Ashton 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: 20210386505
    Abstract: Methods and devices for removing non-viable tissue at a treatment situs are described. The method can include administering a selective biofilm stain dye to the treatment situs at a dilution that selectively stains non-viable tissue compared to viable tissue at a selectivity ratio that provides a visually identifiable separation between the non-viable tissue and the viable tissue. The selective biofilm stain dye is diluted in water to a concentration of from about 0.001 mg/mL to about 0.5 mg/mL. The method can also include visually identifying the non-viable tissue, and removing the non-viable tissue based on the visual identification. A biofilm staining device can include an applicator having a dispense tip, a rupture lever adapted to rupture a rupturable capsule and release a selective biofilm stain dye, and a housing sized to retain the rupturable capsule and adapted to allow released selective biofilm stain dye to flow to the dispense tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Jeremy D. Shaw, Nicholas N. Ashton, Dustin L. Williams
  • Publication number: 20210102152
    Abstract: A biofilm reactor substrate support system can comprise a base holder shaped to retain a reactor vessel and comprising a magnetic alignment feature. The biofilm reactor substrate can also comprise a set of reactor racks including a complementary magnetic alignment feature which can be magnetically coupleable to the magnetic alignment feature so as to anchor the base holder and the set of reactor racks in a fixed position relative to one another. Each reactor rack can be coupleable to at least one removable biofilm support microstructure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Nicholas N. Ashton, Dustin L. Williams