Patents by Inventor Thomas D. Mays

Thomas D. Mays 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: 4879228
    Abstract: A water-soluble levan having a weight average molecular weight of about 10,0000-40 million, preferably about 5-25 million and especially about 10-20 million which stabilizes a bovine serum albumin colloid having index (EAI) of about 3-100 determined according to the formula EAI=2T/OC wherein T is turbidity measured at 500 nm, C is the weight of emulsified protein per unit volume of the aqueous phase, and O is the volume fraction of a dispersed oil phase is produced by fermenting a nutrient growth medium feedstock having a carbon source consisting essentially of an assimilable sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, raffinose, or a mixture thereof with a Zymomonas mobilis microorganism capable of converting at least 50% of the fructose value of the sugar to said levan under nutrient growth conditions which enhance levan production while suppressing ethanol production. It is useful as a colloid stabilizing agent, particularly with foods, beverages pharmaceuticals, dentrifices, and cosmetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1989
    Assignee: IGI Biotechnology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas D. Mays, Ellen L. Dally
  • Patent number: 4863719
    Abstract: A water-soluble levan having a weight average molecular weight of about 10,000-40 million, preferably about 5-25 million and especially about 10-20 million which stabilizes a bovine serum albumin colloid having index (EAI) of about 3-100 determined according to the formula EAI=2T/OC wherein T is turbidity measured at 500 nm, C is the weight of emulsified protein per unit volume of the aqueous phase, and O is the volume fraction of a dispersed oil phase is produced by fermenting a nutrient growth medium feedstock having a carbon source consisting essentially of an assimilable sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, raffinose, or a mixture thereof with a microorganism capable of converting at least 50% of the fructose value of the sugar to said levan under nutrient growth conditions which enhance levan production while suppressing ethanol production, It is useful as a colloid stabilizing agent, particularly with foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, dentifrices, and cosmetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Inventors: Thomas D. Mays, Ellen L. Dally
  • Patent number: 4794080
    Abstract: A simultaneous sequential anaerobic fermentation process for the in vitro production of propionic and acetic acids is disclosed. The process comprises employing an obligatory two-component co-culture which maintains a relatively constant ratio of species populations over multiple passages. A first co-culture component is a Lactobacillus or Streptococcus which homofermentatively converts the hexose to lactic acid. A second microorganism in the co-culture is a Veillonella which is metabolically incapable of assimillating the hexose and converts the lactic acid product to propionic and acetic acids. The co-culture is inoculated into a nutrient growth feedstock such as whole whey or a clarified dairy whey lactose permeate which contains a metabolizable source of a hexose such as glucose, lactose or sucrose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: IGENE Biotechnology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas D. Mays, Pamela N. Fornili
  • Patent number: 4769254
    Abstract: A water-soluble levan having a weight average molecular weight of about 10,000-40 million, preferably about 5-25 million and especially about 10-20 million which stabilizes a bovine serum albumin colloid having index (EAI) of about 3-100 determined according to the formula EAI=2T/OC wherein T is turbidity measured at 500 nm, C is the weight of emulsified protein per unit volume of the aqueous phase, and O is the volume fraction of a dispersed oil phase is produced by fermenting a nutrient growth medium feedstock having a carbon source consisting essentially of an assimilable sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, raffinose, or a mixture thereof with a microorganism capable of converting at least 50%. of the fructose value of the sugar to said levan under nutrient growth conditions which enhance levan production while suppressing ethanol production. It is useful as a colloid stabilizing agent, particularly with foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, dentifrices, and cosmetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Igene Biotechnology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas D. Mays, Ellen L. Dally
  • Patent number: 4544637
    Abstract: A method for separating bacteriological growth inhibitors from sweet whey ultrafiltrate to form a mother liquor which is useful as a bacteriological culture media and a precipitate which is useful as a food grade additive to cause clouding, stabilization, emulsification, and thickening of food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: IGI Biotechnology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kathleen M. Keggins, Ann C. Davis, Edward M. Sybert, Thomas D. Mays, Robert A. Milch