U.S. Patents Awarded to Inventors in Maryland (Sept. 26)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- The following federal patents were awarded to inventors in Maryland.

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Maryland, South Carolina Inventors Develop Integrated Oxygen Generation, Carbon Dioxide Absorption Method

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- Michael E. Delaney of Columbia, Md., and Thomas H. Elledge Jr. of St. George, S.C., have developed a method for generating oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide.

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A method for producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide in a single operation using a solution that contains an oxygen source and a redox partner that can react to form oxygen and a chemical species that can form an insoluble carbonate to precipitate and chemically store carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is introduced into the solution and the carbonate precipitates as the oxygen is generated."

An abstract of the invention, released by the Patent Office, said: "In particular, the invention uses an aqueous solution of permanganate and hydrogen peroxide that react in the presence of a catalyst to produce oxygen and manganese (II) ions. Carbon dioxide gas introduced into the solution reacts with the manganese (II) ions to precipitate manganese carbonate. Other cations capable of reacting with carbon dioxide to form an insoluble carbonate, for example calcium, barium and magnesium, may also be added to the solution to precipitate carbonate salts. Calcium permanganate may used as a source of both calcium and permanganate."

The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,427,449 on Sept. 23.

The patent has been assigned to General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Va.

The original application was filed on Oct. 22, 2002, and is available at: http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,427,449.PN.&OS=PN/7,427,449&RS=PN/7,427,449.

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Maryland, Georgia Inventors Develop Ribonucleic Acid: Deoxyribonucleic Acid Hybrids Immunological Detection

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- James G. Lazar of Bethesda, Md., Joan M. Zakel of Ellicott City, Md., Christina M. Strange of Frederick, Md., Inna R. Williams of Rockville, Md., Attila T. Lorincz of North Potomac, Md., Abel De La Rosa of Alpharetta, Ga., have developed a method for detecting ribonucleic acid: deoxyribonucleic acid hybrids.

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The present invention provides a hybridization method and kit for the detection and measurement of biological molecules. A test sample containing the biological molecules of interest is hybridized with an unlabeled or optionally a detectably-labeled complementary biomolecule to form a double-stranded hybrid immobilized to a solid phase. The immobilized hybrid may be detected with an entity which specifically recognizes an ribonucleic acid:deoxyribonucleic acid hybrid, followed by analyses and quantification. Therefore, the present invention provides a method and kit to detect and measure biological molecules that is simple to use, highly specific, sensitive, and accurate for screening a plurality of biological molecules."

The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,399,589 on July 15.

The patent has been assigned to Digene Corp., Gaithersburg, Md.

The original application was filed on Dec. 11, 2003, and is available at: http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,399,589.PN.&OS=PN/7,399,589&RS=PN/7,399,589.

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U.S., Israeli Inventors Develop Activity Dependent Neurotrophic Factor I Complex Neurothrophic Component

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- Douglas E. Brenneman of North Wales, Pa., Raquel Castellon of Norwalk, Calif., Catherine Y. Spong of Arlington, Va., Janet M. Hauser of Bethesda, Md., and Illana Gozes of Ramat Hasharon, Israel, have developed a complex polypeptide.

According to a description of the invention, released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "This invention relates to Activity Dependent Neurotrophic Factor I (ADNF I) complex and polypeptides of this complex, which produce their neurotrophic effects through multiple proteases intrinsic to the ADNF I complex. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising ADNF I complex polypeptides, as well as methods for reducing neuronal cell death in vitro and in vivo, methods for treating oxidative stress in a patient, methods for reducing a condition associated with fetal alcohol syndrome in a subject, and methods of enhancing learning and memory both pre- and post-natally, all of which methods use the ADNF I complex polypeptides of the invention."

The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,427,590 on Sept. 23.

The patent has been assigned to The US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, N/A (Tel Aviv, Israel, and Ramot at Tel-Aviv University, Ltd.

The original application was filed on Sept. 12, 2002, and is available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,427,590.PN.&OS=PN/7,427,590&RS=PN/7,427,590.

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Maryland Inventors Develop Micro-Optical Sensor System for Pressure

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- Miao Yu of Boyds, Md., and Balakumar Balachandran of Rockville, Md., have developed a pressure gradient measurement method.

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A micro-optical fiber tip based sensor system for pressure, acceleration, and pressure gradient measurements in a wide bandwidth, the design of which allows for multiplexity of the input side of the system is based on micro-electromechanical fabrication techniques. The optical portion of the system is based on low coherence fiber-optic interferometry techniques which has a sensor Fabry-Perot interferometer and a read-out interferometer combination that allows a high dynamic range and low sensitivity to the wavelength fluctuation of the light source. A phase modulation and demodulation scheme takes advantage of the Integrated Optical Circuit phase modulator and multi-step phase-stepping algorithm for providing high frequency and real time phase signal demodulation. The system includes fiber tip based Fabry-Perot sensors each of which has a diaphragm that is used as a transducer."

The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,428,054 on Sept. 23.

The patent has been assigned to University of Maryland, College Park, Md.

The original application was filed on Jan. 21, 2005, and is available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,428,054.PN.&OS=PN/7,428,054&RS=PN/7,428,054.

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Maryland Inventors Develop Animal Feeding Device

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- Robert Michael Turner of Boyds, Md., and Mark Douglas Olcott of Germantown, Md., have developed a feeding device for animal.

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An automated feeding system for pets with special diets includes a feeder dish which is made accessible to a pet only when an ID tag on the pet is recognized as authorized by a receiver on the device and only for a certain time period. The appropriate amount of food is thereby made available at appropriate time intervals. If a plurality of tags is pre-programmed as authorized, each animal's tag can sequentially activate the feeding device to feed each animal, respectively. However, if more than one authorized tag is present in the feeding time set for one animal, the drawer closes."

The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,426,901 on Sept. 23.

The original application was filed on April 16, 2007, and is available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,426,901.PN.&OS=PN/7,426,901&RS=PN/7,426,901.

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Maryland, Pennsylvania Inventors Develop Gas Concentration Monitoring Method

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- Nicholas R. Bachur Jr. of Monkton, Md., Timothy G. Foley of Forest Hill, Md., and Patrick S. Beaty of Felton, Pa., have developed a method for optically monitoring gas concentration.

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A system and method employing infrared laser spectrography and dual wavelength modulation to monitor the concentration of a gas, such as oxygen or carbon dioxide, in the sample vial, or to monitor the pressure in the sample vial, to thus detect for microorganism growth in the sample vial. The system and method each employ an energy emitting device, such as an infrared laser, a detector and a signal analyzer, such as a spectroscopy device. The infrared laser emits toward the container infrared energy having a substantially single wavelength substantially equal to a wavelength at which the gas absorbs the infrared energy. The detector detects a portion of the energy signal that passes through the container, and the signal analyzer spectroscopically analyzes the detected portion of the energy signal to determine whether the gas exists in the container, or to determine the pressure in the container. The system and method thus determines whether an organism or cell of interest is present or viable in the container based on the results of the gas or pressure detection."

The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,427,501 on Sept. 23.

The patent has been assigned to Becton, Dickinson and Co., Franklin Lakes, N.J.

The original application was filed on June 26, 2001, and is available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,427,501.PN.&OS=PN/7,427,501&RS=PN/7,427,501.

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Maryland Inventors Develop Biological Data Pattern Matching Determination System

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- James C. Diggans and Michael Elashoff, both of Germantown, Md., Carter Coberley of Hagerstown, Md., and Doug Dolginow of Potomac, Md., and Larry Mertz of Rockville, Md., have developed a method for organizing biological data.

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A computer-based system and method are provided for retrieving information from a number of data sources on a computer network containing biological data. The network database is organized in a b-tree configuration having a plurality of sample nodes. Each sample node includes a curated data set of pre-formatted and pre-computed summary biological data obtained from at least one biological sample. The plurality of sample nodes are organized in a hierarchical arrangement according to clinical relevance. A set of attributes is assigned to each sample node to facilitate navigation through the database using a browser accessible through a graphical user interface. The set of attributes including at least one taxonomy designation selected from the group including tissues, diseases, medications and sample parameters. Search results that are produced include automated reports of the summary biological data stored in the sample nodes and custom reports generated using the summary biological data."

The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,428,554 on Sept. 23.

The patent has been assigned to Ocimum Biosolutions Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.

The original application was filed on May 20, 2004, and is available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,428,554.PN.&OS=PN/7,428,554&RS=PN/7,428,554.

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Maryland Inventors Develop Polynucleotide Encoding Human Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26 -- Jian Ni of Rockville, Md., Craig A. Rosen of Laytonsville, Md., and Reiner L. Gentz of Silver Spring, Md., have developed a yumor necrosis factor receptor family.

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The present invention relates to novel members of the Tumor Necrosis Factor family of receptors. The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a human TR2 receptor and two splice variants thereof. TR2 polypeptides are also provided as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of TR2 receptor activity. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting disease states related to the aberrant expression of TR2 receptors. Further provided are therapeutic methods for treating disease states related to aberrant proliferation and differentiation of cells which express the TR2 receptors."

The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,427,492 on Sept. 23.

The patent has been assigned to Human Genome Sciences Inc., Rockville, Md.

SmithKline Beecham Corporation, Philadelphia.

The original application was filed on Oct. 30, 1996, and is available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,427,492.PN.&OS=PN/7,427,492&RS=PN/7,427,492.

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