PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “patent technologies”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

A new self-adjusting flow-regulating device for shunting of CSF.

Traditional shunts were primarily designed to manage hydrocephalus by regulating intracranial pressure. However, in some circumstances, their performance characteristics can cause them to underdrain or overdrain CSF. Overdrainage has been linked with clinical complications such as valve-dependent shunt syndrome, cranial stenosis, slit-ventricle syndrome, and subdural hematomas, and it may contribute to ventricular catheter occlusion. In addition to complications associated with hypertension and ventriculomegaly, underdrainage has been linked with residual brain edema, and subcutaneous CSF effusion has been observed at the site of cranial perforation, mainly in pediatric patients. Newer designs attempt to reduce these complications, but fall short for various reasons. The author presents a new shunt design, which utilizes variable aperture technology (patent pending) that results in the physiologic regulation of CSF flow under both positive and negative pressure conditions. This new design offers encouragement for the management of hydrocephalus and the prevention of complications due to overdrainage.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed2005

Ubidecarenone nanoemulsified composite systems.

The nanoemulsified composite (NEC) delivery system is a patented technology based on the incorporation of a double microemulsion into microporous carrier. This approach was applied on the very water insoluble ubidecarenone drug. The resulting composite powder showed good technological properties such as flowability; also good stability was evidentiated, with size of the nano-droplets released from the systems maintained equal to the starting size also after a long storage. Furthermore very good biopharmaceutical properties were originated, with water solubility concentrations up to 50-fold higher than pure ubidecarenone and oral absorption in rats up to three-fold greater than standard commercial products in terms of plasma levels and AUC.

Absorption↗
PubMed2004

Efficacy and tolerability of ClO2-generating gloves.

The transmission of pathogenic microorganisms by the hands of workers continues to be a problem in the medical field and the food industry. Compliance with hand hygiene is often poor, and gloves may be contaminated after being donned and may transmit microorganisms. A novel, patented technology allows materials to be impregnated with microspheres that, when activated by light or moisture, generate ClO2 at sustained rates to produce a disinfecting microatmosphere. Gloves that were seeded with bacteria and then exposed to light were able to reduce the numbers of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella serotype Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes by 1-3 logs within 20 min, both on the gloves and on the hands of wearers. The gloves look and feel like their standard counterparts and were well tolerated in the Draize test. This technology holds promise for reducing cross-contamination and the transmission of pathogens in the medical and food handling environments.

Chlorine Compounds↗
PubMed2004

Random drift and culture change.

We show that the frequency distributions of cultural variants, in three different real-world examples--first names, archaeological pottery and applications for technology patents--follow power laws that can be explained by a simple model of random drift. We conclude that cultural and economic choices often reflect a decision process that is value-neutral; this result has far-reaching testable implications for social-science research.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1999

Biomass conversion to mixed alcohol fuels using the MixAlco process.

The MixAlco process is a patented technology that converts any biodegradable material (e.g., sorted municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, industrial biosludge, manure, agricultural residues, energy crops) into mixed alcohol fuels containing predominantly 2-propanol, but also higher alcohols up to 7-tridecanol. The feedstock is treated with lime to increase its digestibility. Then, it is fed to a fermentor in which a mixed culture of acid-forming microorganisms produces carboxylic acids. Calcium carbonate is added to the fermentor to neutralize the acids to their corresponding carboxylate salt. The dilute (approximately 3%) carboxylate salts are concentrated to 19% using an amine solvent that selectively extracts water. Drying is completed using multi-effect evaporators. Finally, the dry salts are thermally converted to ketones which subsequently are hydrogenated to alcohols. All the steps in the MixAlco process have been proven at the laboratory scale. A techno-economic model of the process indicates that with the tipping fees available in New York (126 dollars/dry tonne), mixed alcohol fuels may be sold for 0.04 dollars/L (0.16 dollars/gal) with a 60% return on investment (ROI). With the average tipping fee in the United States rates (63 dollars/dry tonne), mixed alcohol fuels may be sold for 0.18 dollars/L (0.69 dollars/gal) with a 15% ROI. In the case of sugarcane bagasse, which may be obtained for about 26 dollars/dry ton, mixed alcohol fuels may be sold for 0.29 dollars/L (1.09 dollars/gal) with a 15% ROI.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of volatile and semivolatile hydrocarbons recovered from steam-classified municipal solid waste.

Hazardous household wastes comprise a significant proportion of municipal solid waste (MSW), and therefore serve as the source of many toxic or carcinogenic organic chemicals that are released in the environment through landfill gases or leachates. In the present study, we demonstrate the utility of the steam classification process in removing hazardous semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from MSW. Steam classification is a patented technology that involves the treatment of MSW with steam under pressure to yield a cellulosic biomass product that can be used as a fuel or in building materials. The SVOCs and VOCs from the waste off-gases are collected in the steam condensate and in an effluent charcoal filter. The results of this study show that at least two SVOCs and at least 17 VOCs can be removed from the waste. The most commonly identified compounds were diethylphthalate, styrene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and toluene in the condensates, and styrene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and toluene in the charcoal filters. On a weight basis, aromatic hydrocarbons were primarily recovered in the condensates, while the chloroaliphatic hydrocarbons were recovered almost exclusively from the charcoal filters. 1,3-Dichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and chloroform together comprised nearly 50% of the 4470 micrograms kg(-1) average mass of SVOCs and VOCs recovered from about 454 kg of MSW in these experiments. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) analyses showed that steam classification recovered at least 75 to 91% of tested analytes. Overall, these results suggest that steam classification represents an effective technology for a significant reduction or the removal of hazardous organics from the waste stream, and, consequently, in reducing the extent of environmental contamination associated with landfill leachates and gases.

Environmental Pollutants↗
PubMed2002

FGF-4 gene therapy GENERX--Collateral Therapeutics.

Collateral Therapeutics and Schering AG in Germany are developing a gene therapy product, GENERX for coronary artery disease. Based on the terms of the agreement, Schering or its affliates will be responsible for conducting and financing phase II/III clinical trials which are currently underway in the US and Europe. In particular, Berlex Labs (the US subsidiary of Schering AG), is involved in developing the gene therapy in the US. GENERX is an angiogenic gene therapy which triggers the production of a protein that stimulates new blood vessel growth providing an alternative route for blood to bypass clogged and blocked arteries in the heart. GENERX involves a one-time, non-surgical delivery of an adenovirus vector containing the human fibroblast growth factor-4 (FGF-4) into coronary arteries via a standard catheter. The FGF-4 gene was licensed from New York University. Collateral Therapeutics has been granted a US patent for "gene transfer-mediated angiogenesis therapy" for the nonsurgical administration of angiogenic genes for coronary and peripheral vascular disease. The patented technology has been licensed from the University of California. Collateral and Berlex have initiated pivotal phase IIb/III trials with GENERX in the US and Europe. The US-based study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of GENERX in patients with stable exertional angina due to coronary artery disease. The European-based study will evaluate patients with advanced coronary artery disease who are not considered candidates for interventions such as angioplasty and bypass surgery and/or patients who are unlikely to have positive outcomes from such interventions. Both studies, of a multicentre, randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled design, will evaluate 2 dose levels of GENERX which will be non-surgically administered to the heart via intracoronary infusion through a standard cardiac catheter. Collateral also plans to develop a non-surgical gene therapy product using the FGF-4 gene for the treatment of patients with heart failure. In a blinded placebo-controlled study in a pig model of pacing-induced heart failure, intracoronary delivery of human FGF-4 expressed in an adenovirus vector showed significant improvement in regional cardiac function and a reduction in the size of the heart over a 3-week study period. If these results translated favourably to humans, FGF-4 gene therapy may be a therapeutic option for patients with dilated heart failure. Collateral Therapeutics has also announced a research collaboration with Targeted Genetics on the use of viral vectors to deliver therapeutic genes in cardiovascular disease. Under the terms of the agreement, Targeted Genetics and Collateral Therapeutics each have the option to collaborate further to use Targeted Genetics' recombinant adeno-associated viral vector to treat congestive heart failure. In such an event, Targeted Genetics would be responsible for constructing and manufacturing the vector, and Collateral Therapeutics will fund the costs of future collaboration. Either party may terminate this agreement at any time upon 30 days prior written notice.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1995

Homogeneous immunoassay of whole-blood samples.

Proof of principle has been shown for a rapid, quantitative, homogeneous immunoassay capable of analyzing whole-blood samples. The assay was performed with test cards and a small instrument designed for use at the point of care. The immunoassay has an immunological "front end" combined with a coagulation cascade chemistry "back end" and is made possible by combining two patented technologies: (a) a serine protease inhibitor [Porter and Bruhnke, Photochem and Photobiol 1990; 51(1):37] and (b) paramagnetic iron oxide particles (PIOP) in a mixture of buffers and coagulation assay components supplied as a dry film in a test-card reaction chamber [Oberhardt et al., Clin Chem 1991;37:520]. A model steric-hindrance immunoassay based on these technologies was established for the measurement of biotin. The calibration curve was developed by measuring plasma samples supplemented with biotin. The reagents were inhibited biotinylated thrombin, anti-biotin monoclonal antibody, and PIOP.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The use of modified polystyrene plates in solid-phase immunoenzyme analysis for the diagnosis of infections].

The practical aspects of the theory of the adsorption of bioligands on the plastic surface have been considered and discussed. The possibility of standardizing polystyrene plates, as well as obtaining plates with the predetermined level of adsorption activity with respect to given antigens (antibodies), has been shown with the use of the patented technology for the modification of polystyrene plates. The data on the adsorption of antigens used as an experimental model (human and rabbit immunoglobulin fractions) are presented, and an increase in adsorption activity has been shown with the use of modified plates. For practical confirmation, some examples of using these plates in actual assay systems intended for the evaluation of HBsAg carriership and antibodies to HIV are given. A considerable increase (2- to 10-fold) of the signal from positive samples has been shown to occur, the signal from negative samples remaining practically unchanged.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1997

Targeting technologies--the expanding patent literature.

Progress in the development of drug targeting technologies is advancing at an ever-increasing rate as we hurtle toward the new millennium. Examination of just the past three years of the drug delivery technology patient literature suggests that what was previously thought impossible may now be a reality. As one goes through this literature, the breadth and ingenuity of many of these approaches are obvious. As in the inaugural article, I have grouped information gathered from this search into areas of mucosal targeting, organ and/or tissue targeting, tumor targeting and focal delivery. The patent applications described in this article represent a sampling of the work in these areas, with particular attention being paid to a few of the more novel or intriguing claims.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

How ordinary judges and juries decide the seemingly complex technological questions of patentability over the prior art.

Determinations of patentability over the prior art are often thought to raise questions that are so technologically complex that they require special training and judgment to answer, especially in fast-moving fields like modern biotechnology. This essay explores the somewhat counterintuitive argument that under the U.S. system they do not and should not. According to this view, determinations of patentability over the prior art are based entirely on factual inquiries that are best made by lay judges and juries, just like the factual determinations these people regularly make in any ordinary nonpatent trial. This is good because judges and juries are adept at these determinations, and because appellate courts are adept at reviewing them. It leads to a system that is cheaper overall in allowing private litigants to better predict outcomes that also better approximate the correct answer than would be possible under other regimes premised upon the expert technological knowledge and judgment of a decisionmaker.

Biotechnology↗
PubMed2006

The clinical impact of vehicle technology using a patented formulation of benzoyl peroxide 5%/clindamycin 1% gel: comparative assessments of skin tolerability and evaluation of combination use with a topical retinoid.

A major challenge encountered in clinical practice in patients with acne vulgaris is irritation related to topical medications used for treatment. Advances in vehicle technology have improved formulations containing active ingredients known to produce irritation in some patients, such as benzoyl peroxide (BP) and topical retinoids. Clinical studies, including combination therapy studies have demonstrated that certain additives, such as silicates and specific humectants, reduce irritation by maintaining barrier integrity. A patented gel formulation of BP 5%/clindamycin phosphate 1% (clindamycin) containing dimethicone and glycerin has been studied both as a monotherapy and in combination with topical retinoid use. This article evaluates specific vehicle additives included in this gel formulation and explains their role in reducing irritation. Data from clinical trials utilizing this technology in acne management are also reviewed.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1996

Linkage between research sponsorship and patented eye-care technology.

PURPOSE: To examine the linkage between the funding of ophthalmologic and related biomedical research and the development of patented eye-care technology using data on patents granted and the scientific literature cited by those patents. METHODS: The United States patents granted during the 20-year period from 1975 through 1994 were screened using patent office classifications and key words to identify all eye-care-related patents. Each patent's nonpatent references (references to literature other than previously granted patents) were examined, and those references to scientific papers then were reviewed to determine the authors' institutions and acknowledged funding sources. RESULTS: Major findings include the following: (1) Eye technology innovation has grown steadily, with a threefold increase in number of patents granted from 224 in 1975 to 662 in 1994. (2) The cited scientific base that supports this technology has grown even more rapidly, with a sixfold increase in the average number of nonpatent references, from fewer than 0.5 per patent in 1975 to more than 3.0 in 1994; as a result, the total number of nonpatent references has increased by a factor of 20, from 100 in 1975 to 2000 in 1994. (3) The National Eye Institute is the leading single institution in providing support for this research: 31% of all eye-care patents with science references cite papers that contain at least one acknowledgment to National Eye Institute (NEI) support; and when NEI is combined with the rest of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 41% of the patents with science references are linked to NIH-funded research. (4) Patent science dependence, as measured by science references, is greatest for technologies related to medical treatment, surgical instruments, and intraocular lenses; moderate for diagnostic instruments and contact lens; and least for eyeglasses. CONCLUSIONS: The NIH and other sponsored vision research is of direct and increasing relevance to the growing number of US patented eye-care technologies.

Animals↗