Patents by Inventor R. Douglas Armstrong
R. Douglas Armstrong 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).
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Publication number: 20040063201Abstract: Methods, including culture media conditions, which provide for in vitro human stem cell division and/or the optimization of human hematopoietic progenitor cell cultures and/or increasing the metabolism or GM-CSF secretion or IL-6 secretion of human stromal cells and/or a method for assaying the effect of a substance or condition on a human hematopoietic cell population, and/or depleting the malignant cell or T-cell and B-cell content of a human hematopoietic cell population are disclosed. The methods rely on culturing human stem cells and/or human hematopoietic progenitor cells and/or human stromal cells in a liquid culture medium which is replaced, preferably perfused, either continuously or periodically, at a rate of 1 ml of medium per ml of culture per about 24 to about 48 hour period, and removing metabolic products and replenishing depleted nutrients while maintaining the culture under physiologically acceptable conditions. Optionally, growth factors are added to the culture medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2003Publication date: April 1, 2004Applicant: The Regents of the University of MichiganInventors: Bernhard O. Palsson, R. Douglas Armstrong, Michael F. Clarke, Stephen G. Emerson
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Patent number: 6667034Abstract: Methods, including culture media conditions, which provide for in vitro human stem cell division and/or the optimization of human hematopoietic progenitor cell cultures and/or increasing the metabolism or GM-CSF secretion or IL-6 secretion of human stromal cells and/or a method for assaying the effect of a substance or condition on a human hematopoietic cell population, and/or depleting the malignant cell or T-cell and B-cell content of a human hematopoietic cell population are disclosed. The methods rely on culturing human stem cells and/or human hematopoietic progenitor cells and/or human stromal cells in a liquid culture medium which is replaced, preferably perfused, either continuously or periodically, at a rate of 1 ml of medium per ml of culture per about 24 to about 48 hour period, and removing metabolic products and replenishing depleted nutrients while maintaining the culture under physiologically acceptable conditions. Optionally, growth factors are added to the culture medium.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 1997Date of Patent: December 23, 2003Assignee: The Regents of the University of MichiganInventors: Bernhard O. Palsson, R. Douglas Armstrong, Michael F. Clarke, Stephen G. Emerson
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Publication number: 20030087432Abstract: Methods, including culture media conditions, which provide for in vitro human stem cell division and/or the optimization of human hematopoietic progenitor cell cultures and/or increasing the metabolism or GM-CSF secretion or IL-6 secretion of human stromal cells and/or a method for assaying the effect of a substance or condition on a human hematopoietic cell population, and/or depleting the malignant cell or T-cell and B-cell content of a human hematopoietic cell population are disclosed. The methods rely on culturing human stem cells and/or human hematopoietic progenitor cells and/or human stromal cells in a liquid culture medium which is replaced, preferably perfused, either continuously or periodically, at a rate of 1 ml of medium per ml of culture per about 24 to about 48 hour period, and removing metabolic products and replenishing depleted nutrients while maintaining the culture under physiologically acceptable conditions. Optionally, growth factors are added to the culture medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 1997Publication date: May 8, 2003Inventors: BERNHARD O. PALSSON, R. DOUGLAS ARMSTRONG, MICHAEL F. CLARKE, STEPHEN G. EMERSON
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Patent number: 6238908Abstract: An apparatus and related method are disclosed, for receiving, maintaining and growing biological cells ex vivo within a portable cassette, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The portable cassette is used in combination with a processor instrument that facilitates an initial inoculation of the cassette with cells of the kind to be grown and subsequently distributes those cells in a predetermined pattern (e.g., uniformly) throughout a cell growth chamber. Thereafter, the portable cassette is used in combination with an incubator instrument that incubates the cell growth chamber so that the cells are optimally expanded. The same processor instrument then is used to harvest the expanded cells from the portable cassette. Both instruments are configured to condition the portable cassette during stages of the cell growth process, without disturbing the cassette's sterile system.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1997Date of Patent: May 29, 2001Assignee: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.Inventors: R. Douglas Armstrong, James Maluta, David W. Roecker
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Patent number: 6228635Abstract: A portable cassette is disclosed, for receiving, maintaining and growing biological cells ex vivo, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The portable cassette is used in combination with a succession of instruments, to inoculate the cassette's cell growth chamber with cells, to then incubate the chamber so that the cells are optimally expanded, and finally to harvest the expanded cells. Each instrument is configured to condition the portable cassette during a stage of the cell growth process, without disturbing the cassette's sterile system. In addition, an updatable memory device associated with the cassette stores significant information about the cassette and its condition during the various steps of the cell growth process. Such information is useful both for subsequent archival purposes and for facilitating a resumption of the cell growth process in the event of any instrument failure or significant alarm condition.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1997Date of Patent: May 8, 2001Assignee: Aastrom Bioscience, Inc.Inventors: R. Douglas Armstrong, James Maluta, David W. Roecker
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Patent number: 6096532Abstract: A processor apparatus is disclosed, for conditioning a portable cassette as part of a process in which biological cells contained within a sterilizable cell growth chamber of the cassette are maintained and grown ex vivo, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The processor apparatus includes a support configured to removably receive the portable cassette and to be movable in a controlled manner, and it further includes a flow control actuator engageable with a media flow path of the portable cassette, which communicates with the cell growth chamber.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 1997Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignee: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.Inventors: R. Douglas Armstrong, James Maluta, David W. Roecker
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Patent number: 6048721Abstract: A bioreactor for the ex vivo maintenance and growth of mammalian cells includes a disposable, self contained cell cassette, a system manager, an incubator unit matable with a plurality of the cassettes and a processor unit. The cell cassette includes a substantially circular cell growth chamber defined between a substantially planar cell bed and a gas permeable, liquid impervious membrane. A media inlet enters the cell growth chamber communicates at a radially central portion of the cell bed. A plurality of media outlets are radially outwardly spaced from the media inlet by a distance sufficient for cell growth to occur between the inlet and the outlets. The outlets are substantially equiangularly circumferentially spaced about the cell growth chamber.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1997Date of Patent: April 11, 2000Assignee: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.Inventors: R. Douglas Armstrong, James Maluta, David Roecker
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Patent number: 5994129Abstract: A portable cassette is disclosed, for use in receiving, maintaining and growing biological cells ex vivo without exposing the cells to the external environment. The portable cassette is used in combination with a processor instrument that facilitates an initial inoculation of the cassette with cells of the kind to be grown and to distribute those cells in a predetermined pattern (e.g., uniformly) throughout a cell growth chamber. Thereafter, the portable cassette is used in combination with an incubator instrument that incubates the cell growth chamber so that the cells are optimally expanded. The same processor instrument then is used to harvest the expanded cells from the portable cassette. Both instruments are configured to condition the portable cassette during stages of the cell growth process, without disturbing the cassette's sterile system.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 1997Date of Patent: November 30, 1999Assignee: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.Inventors: R. Douglas Armstrong, James Maluta, David W. Roecker
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Patent number: 5985653Abstract: An incubator apparatus is disclosed, for conditioning a portable cassette such that biological cells contained within a cell growth chamber of the cassette are maintained and grown ex vivo, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The incubator apparatus includes first and second receptacles sized and configured to removably receive first and second casings, respectively, of the portable cassette, and it further includes first and second temperature regulators that regulate the temperatures of the respective first and second receptacles to prescribed values. In addition, the incubator apparatus includes a mechanical interface that is engaged by the portable cassette's first and second casings when they are received in their corresponding receptacles, and this mechanical interface controls the transport of growth media and a gas through the cassette's cell growth chamber, without exposing the cell growth chamber to the external environment.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1997Date of Patent: November 16, 1999Assignee: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.Inventors: R. Douglas Armstrong, James Maluta, David W. Roecker
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Patent number: 5688687Abstract: A bioreactor for the ex vivo maintenance and growth of mammalian cells includes a disposable, self contained cell cassette, a system manager, an incubator unit matable with a plurality of the cassettes and a processor unit. The cell cassette includes a substantially circular cell growth chamber defined between a substantially planar cell bed and a gas permeable, liquid impervious membrane. A media inlet enters the cell growth chamber communicates at a radially central portion of the cell bed. A plurality of media outlets are radially outwardly spaced from the media inlet by a distance sufficient for cell growth to occur between the inlet and the outlets. The outlets are substantially equiangularly circumferentially spaced about the cell growth chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: November 18, 1997Assignee: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.Inventors: Bernhard O. Palsson, R. Douglas Armstrong, James Maluta
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Methods for regulating the specific lineages of cells produced in a human hematopoietic cell culture
Patent number: 5635386Abstract: Methods, including culture media conditions, which provide for in vitro human stem cell division and/or the optimization of human hematopoietic progenitor cell cultures and/or increasing the metabolism or GM-CSF secretion or IL-6 secretion of human stromal cells and/or a method for assaying the effect of a substance or condition on a human hematopoietic cell population, and/or depleting the malignant cell or T-cell and B-cell content of a human hematopoietic cell population are disclosed. The methods rely on culturing human stem cells and/or human hematopoietic progenitor cells and/or human stromal cells in a liquid culture medium which is replaced, preferably perfused, either continuously or periodically, at a rate of 1 ml of medium per ml of culture per about 24 to about 48 hour period, and removing metabolic products and replenishing depleted nutrients while maintaining the culture under physiologically acceptable conditions. Optionally, growth factors are added to the culture medium.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1994Date of Patent: June 3, 1997Assignee: The Regents of The University of MichiganInventors: Bernhard O. Palsson, R. Douglas Armstrong, Michael F. Clarke, Stephen G. Emerson -
Patent number: 5312900Abstract: The invention generally relates to the discovery of a 23 kD protein, designated herein as Queb, that has specific binding affinity for the purine base Queuine. The invention particularly relates to polypeptides having specific binding reactivity with Queuine and methods of using such polypeptides to purify Queuine and Queuine-containing substances. The invention also relates to antibodies having specific reactivity with Queuine or Queb. Methods for determining the presence and concentration of Queuine and Queb are also provided as well as methods for the diagnosis of a pathological disease or prognosis of a patient having a disease associated with Queuine, Queuine-containing substances such as Queuine-tRNA, or Queb. Kits useful for performing the methods of the present invention are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 1991Date of Patent: May 17, 1994Assignee: La Jolla Cancer Research FoundationInventor: R. Douglas Armstrong