Patents by Inventor Ulrich Zimmermann

Ulrich Zimmermann 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: 4289756
    Abstract: Loaded cells suspended in a physiological solution are prepared in a process in which their volume is expanded by osmotic pressure. Cells so prepared suspended in a physiological solution, when injected into the bloodstream of a living body are preferentially accumulated in the spleen and liver of the body, which treats them as foreign bodies, even though the original cells may have been cells of an animal of the same species. Similarly by storing the loaded cells in a solution containing substances such as glutadialdehyde, formaldehyde that react with the protein phase of membranes or which, like difluoro dinitrobenzene, react with the lipid layer thereof, the loaded cells can also be caused to be broken down by the spleen and/or liver. Premature release of the contents of the loaded cells is prevented and timely release of such contents is assured by incorporating other materials into the loaded cells during the preparation process in accordance with the related application of the same inventors, Ser. No.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1981
    Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Zimmermann, Gunter Pilwat, Karin Bock, Hermann J. Buers
  • Patent number: 4269826
    Abstract: Magnetic substances in particles of a diameter in the range between 1 and 20 nm are suspended in the physiological solution by which cells are loaded with materials when their cell membranes have increased permeability, the magnetic materials being provided in such dosing, that when the cells are loaded, separated from the loading solution and prepared for use in a fresh physiological solution, thereafter injected to a living body, they can be collected and held fast at a predetermined location, for example, at the location of a tumor, by the effect of an external magnetic field. Ferritin, magnetite, cobalt ferrite, nickel ferrite and other ferrimagnetic, ferromagnetic or even paramagnetic compounds can be incorporated into loaded cells for this purpose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1981
    Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Ulrich Zimmermann, Gunter Pilwat
  • Patent number: 4224313
    Abstract: A material capable of forming hydrogen bonds or covalent bonds with loading materials incorporated in loaded cells is introduced into the cells with the loading materials to inhibit the destruction of the cell membranes by the loading material after the permeability of the membranes is brought back down to its normal value. In order to provide for the hydrogen bond formation with common loading materials, such as methotrexate, proteins such as albumin and sugars such as sucrose are effective. The time period during which these materials inhibit a destructive effect on the membranes of loaded cells is well defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1980
    Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Ulrich Zimmermann, Gunter Pilwat, Karin Bock, Hermann-Josef Buers
  • Patent number: 4220916
    Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for determining the dielectric breakdown chateristics and size of membrane-sheathed particles such as living-organism cells and the apparent size of such particles after breakdown of the membrane, makes use of two measuring orifices traversed by an electrolyte across which an increasing electric field is applied during the measuring process in which the particles successively traverse one of the orifices. The current through the measuring orifice deviates from the linear with increasing field generated preferably by a sawtooth voltage, the current change being used to measure the particle variables stated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1980
    Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Ulrich Zimmermann, Gunter Pilwat, Michael Groves
  • Patent number: 4154668
    Abstract: A device for increasing the permeability of the skin of cells of living bgs, according to which the respective cells are introduced in the form of a suspension into an electrically conductive liquid thereby there is formed a physiological electrolyte solution which is passed into one of two chambers through a passage of a partition. This partition separates a container into these two chambers, each chamber having an electrode. This passage surrounds the focus of an electric field. The cells in the electrolyte solution are exposed to the electric field while passing from one chamber to the other chamber until macromolecules having a radius of at least 5.degree. are exchanged through the cell skin between the solution in the interior of the cells and the physiological electrolyte solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1979
    Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Ulrich Zimmermann, Friedrich Riemann, Gunter Pilwat
  • Patent number: 4081340
    Abstract: A method of and device for increasing the permeability of the skin of cells f living beings, according to which the respective cells are introduced in the form of a suspension into an electrically conductive liquid. Thereby there is formed a physiological electrolyte solution which is passed into one of two chambers through a passage of a partition. This partition separates a container into these two chambers, each chamber having an electrode. This passage surrounds the focus of an electric field. The cells in the electrolyte solution are exposed to the electric field while passing from one chamber to the other chamber until macromolecules having a radius of at least 5 A are exchanged through the cell skin between the solution in the interior of the cells and the physiological electrolyte solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1978
    Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Ulrich Zimmermann, Friedrich Riemann, Gunter Pilwat
  • Patent number: 4055799
    Abstract: A method of and device for ascertaining elastic and di-electric properties f the diaphragm of individual living cells of living beings or of the diaphragms of such living cells in a physiological liquid in suspension or of such living cells in an association in the form of a layer. One or more of such cells or one or more layers of such cells is or are introduced into a physiological liquid which has a temperature of between 0.degree. and 40.degree. C and which is electrically conductive and forms an electrolyte solution. The cell, cells or layer of cells are located between two electrodes in such a way that the flow lines of an electric field provided between the two electrodes penetrate the diaphragm of the cell, cells or layer of cells introduced into the electrolyte solution. Thereupon a succession of voltage pulses with a constant pulse duration of from 1 .mu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1977
    Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Hans Coster, Gunter Pilwat, Ulrich Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 4024054
    Abstract: In a method of separating ionized substances such as heavy metal ions from mixture dissolved in aqueous solution such as sea water, lake water, waste water and the like containing at least 0.5 mM ions by means of complex formers adapted to react and enter into a combination with the substances to be separated. The method is characterized primarily by adding to the aqueous solution bubbles formed by cells of living organisms the content of which has an osmolarity differing within limitation from osmolarity of the aqueous solution. The complex formers for purposes of being received through the cells are added to a solution the osmolarity of which is lower than the cell content of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1977
    Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventor: Ulrich Zimmermann