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94087 – A robust, cost effective process for olefin production uses the autothermal reforming method. This process dehydrogenates hydrocarbons to produce a mono-olefin using a catalyst consisting of platinum modified with copper or tin on a ceramic monolith. The worldwide demand for the production of olefins is higher than any other chemical. Traditionally, steam cracking is heavily relied on... Read More
z09049 – The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that corneal blindness affects more than 10 million people worldwide. Despite the increased prevalence, only 100,000 people receive corneal transplants each year through a process called keratoprosthesis. This shortfall is due to inadequate supply of donor corneas along with the unsuitability of some patients to receive a corneal graft due to... Read More
z08156 – The Savvy Caregiver is an educational program focused on providing instructional material for Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers. The Savvy Caregiver Program can be used by individual caregivers or in workshops facilitated by service agencies to train both family and professional Alzheimer caregivers. The program teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to handle the... Read More
99091 – The Virtual Dental Patient is a combination of systems and methods that read digital medical records to create three-dimensional models. This computerized method for dental assessment provides an accurate three-dimensional representation of the surface anatomy of hard and soft tissues, tooth contacts, and motion of the patient’s jaw. The Virtual Dental Patient can accurately and... Read More
20120039 – Approximately 70 percent of all snowplow accidents result from drivers rear-ending a snowplow. The University of Minnesota has developed an innovative lighting device that increases the vehicle visibility of snowplows under low-visibility conditions such as snow and fog. Currently, reflective tape and flashing snowplow lights are used to increase vehicle visibility. Reflective tape... Read More
z04199 – Fluidic valves are used to control the flow of fluid between two locations. These valves typically have partial openings which can lead to pressure loss. A pulse width modulated fluidic valve has been developed that uses a rotary design in either a fully on or fully off configuration. Since the valve is either on or off, the time the valve is in transition is small. The result is a... Read More
20120016 – Rare earth magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnets made and are integral to the high tech industry, particularly in clean energies, such as electric vehicle motors and wind turbine generators. China extracts and produces about 95% of the world's rare earth minerals and since 2010 has cut its exports. In addition to supply chain concerns, the extraction process is highly... Read More
20110133 – Most wireless, charge-based sensors are based upon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, which are micron-sized electro-mechanical devices. Typically, the capacitance is tuned by changing the mechanical spacing between two electrodes. The resulting sensors are large and not well-suited for in vivo applications. A graphene based variable capacitor varactor has been... Read More
20100103 – This neuroimaging method for seizure source imaging and brain mapping uses high-density EEG and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to localize the source. Independent component analysis is used to decompose the data into independent spatial temporal components. The spatial decomposition, together with the time series data, helps segregate the sources of brain activity into separate time and... Read More
z07178 – Lantibiotics are peptide-based antimicrobial compounds produced by several types of bacteria that inhibit other closely-related bacteria. The most common lantibiotic exhibits a wide range of effectiveness against most Gram-positive bacteria, supporting its common use in extending shelf life. However, this lantibiotic is ineffective in preventing the growth of Gram-negative bacteria such... Read More
20100235 – High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a technology that produces high frequency, focused ultrasound beams to destroy diseased tissues. Ablation of tissues occurs when the ultrasound beams locally increase the temperature of diseased tissue in order to destroy the tissue. Presently, it has approval from the FDA as a treatment for uterine fibroids, though it's in clinical... Read More
z06015 – The proliferation of Blu-Ray players has increased the demand for blue LEDs and blue laser diodes that rely on gallium nitride (GaN) and other group III-nitrides. The best solution for producing high quality, long-lived devices is to use bulk GaN substrates, which are expensive. Alternatively, GaN on thin-film, non-GaN substrates can be used as a low cost alternative, but these... Read More
z07191 – A highly precise navigation system uses visual-aided inertial navigation measurements that feeds into a unique Kalman filter based algorithm for pose estimation (position and orientation). The pose estimation algorithm can provide a unified basis for stability control, traction control, slip detection and obstacle avoidance in ground-based applications and navigation and tracking in... Read More
z08062 – Wheeled and tracked vehicles, while cheaper than bipedal or jumping robots, often have problems with slippage. The Loper robotic platform has solved this problem with an innovative wheel design for mobile robots consisting of three lobes connected by to a central hub that essentially act as cogs for the purpose of stair climbing. The design enables fast stair climbing at a reduced... Read More
z06055 – Matrix converters are used to convert an AC signal to an AC signal with a different voltage and phase. Matrix converters do not require capacitor and inductors and offer an all-silicon solution for AC-AC power conversion, which is fundamental in motor drive and other applications. Typically, a matrix converter consists of multiple switches that are controlled using complicated space... Read More
z04203 – Tooth Explorer is a three dimensional dental software program designed to teach oral anatomy in a highly efficient digital environment. This program provides dentistry students with an interactive, three-dimensional dental library of 32 individual adult teeth. Students are able to engage in self-paced learning by rotating and identifying significant features of individual, anatomically... Read More
94074 – The Minnesota Laboratory for Low-Vision Research at the University of Minnesota has designed a continuous-text reading chart to measure reading acuity, critical print size and reading speed. The charts can be used to measure reading vision for people with normal vision and those with a wide range of vision impairments ("low vision"). The MNREAD Charts are available in both English and... Read More
20110014 – Carcinomas are invasive malignant tumors of transformed epithelial cells. It has been proposed that tumor cells derive from a small population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) - self-generating progenitor cells that can migrate, replicate, and differentiate into mature cancer cells. CSCs appear resistant to chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatment. Although the majority of cancer cells may... Read More
z09057 – A power transformer design reduces the size and complexity while improving the efficiency by using only two semiconductor switches and not requiring a capacitor. Traditionally, power transformers are large and heavy due to the massive amounts of steel and copper windings contained inside of them. Due to operation at low-frequencies, the transformers are massive in size. Today's... Read More
z05201 – AMSOL is a computational chemistry software program that calculates the free energy of a solvated molecule. The software application calculates the change in energy when molecules are dissolved in water or an organic solvent. The results may also be used to calculate partition coefficients and their logarithms (Log P). The SM1 - SM5.42R solvation models are used to calculate the free... Read More
20110025 – The Digital Pathology Virtual Microscope Slides allow medical students and allied health professionals to access hematology microscope slides through an online database for distance learning and enhanced curriculum delivery. The Digital Pathology Virtual Microscope Slide database is the only database that offers a high quality resolution of 83X oil immersion, which is necessary for the... Read More
20100042 – The Fluid Mechanics Simulation Software tool, LBHydra®, is a modular, extensible Lattice-Boltzmann simulator capable of modeling a wide array of fluid mechanical behavior. The Lattice-Boltzmann methods provided are capable of simulating laminar and turbulent flows, heat and mass transport, and multiple phase and multiple component fluids in complex and changing fluid flow geometries. ... Read More
z09171 – The miniature robots combine the best qualities of air and ground based robots into a compact mobile robot that can transform between rolling over the ground and flying short distances. Ground-based robots are typically limited by their inability to get over grass, sand, rocks, and other obstacles, while air-based robots oftentimes have a short range due to their limited battery... Read More
z09085a – A fabrication method to obtain ultra-smooth pure metal films with a variety of nanometer sized structural features including grooves, bumps, pyramids, ridges, and holes for sensor and plasmonic applications has been developed. It is a simple, high throughput process that is highly reproducible and produces fewer surface imperfections than other processes. The devices produced using... Read More
z08220 – One of the major problems facing patients with heart failure is pulmonary edema. It is now possible to monitor the extent of pulmonary edema by measuring impedance from the leads of a cardiac pacemaker, a cardiac resynchronization therapy device (CRT-D) or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). By taking advantage of the body's natural electrophysiology, decreases in the... Read More
99014 – Macroporous structures are a revolutionary breakthrough in highly-ordered porous three dimensional structures. Due to its high degree of order, the macroporous structures have unique optical and thermal properties. Of particular interest is that the 3D colloidal crystals resemble naturally occurring opals, making the technology practical for cosmetic applications. The three dimensional... Read More
97120 – The most outstanding feature of a Zestar!® Brand, Minnewashta apple variety is its sprightly sweet-tart taste with a hint of brown sugar. And, unlike other early season apples that are often soft or mealy, Zestar! apples are juicy with a light, crisp texture. Just one bite and you will savor the zesty flavor and crunch. Growers and apple lovers will delight in this tasty apple that... Read More
z07167 – Design and manufacturing specifications for a durable, mobile, versatile and adaptable workstation for education and professional design environments. Shelves and accessories, mounted on the unique "ladder-back" design, encourage the user to configure the workstation to suit the way they work and enables interaction with the work environment.
z08118 – The principal goal of the electronic Primary Care Research Network (ePCRN) is to enable the development of an electronic infrastructure to support clinical research activities in primary care practice-based medical research networks (PBRNs). ePCRN is a set of software tools that can connect practitioners within a medical organization and has the potential to connect practitioners with... Read More
z07098 – Thousands of cancer patients each year develop drug refractory cancer. Refactory cancer cells are malignant cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapy treatments. Sometimes therapies include immunotoxins which kill carcinoma cells by a mechanism entirely unrelated to conventional chemotherapeutic agents and kill drug resistant cells. These immunotoxins are important as alternative or... Read More
z03140 – Can an apple taste sweet, tart and almost buttery? Yes. The SnowSweet® Apple is sweet with a slight tart balance and rich overtones. As one of our taste testers described it, "This apple has substance. It's satisfying." Great taste is definitely the best feature of SnowSweet. The second outstanding feature of SnowSweet is its firm, snow white flesh. After being cut and exposed to... Read More
20090008 – Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a method for the rapid creation of liquid hydrocarbon fuel from biomass that does not require the addition of expensive hydrogen. This process creates liquid hydrocarbon fuel directly from biomass and alcohol or alkane reactants using a single reactor. ** View the Term Sheet ** ** Contact Larry Micek for specific details. **... Read More
20100204 – The use of digital models in orthodontics is rapidly increasing as the industry undergoes analog to digital conversions in record keeping. More than 2 million new orthodontic patients are started each year, and the 3D Dental Models for Computer Automated Treatment Simulation could be used for the orthodontics treatment of all patients. The current use of computerized treatment simulation... Read More
z04147 – A hybrid energy system that includes a fuel cell and geothermal heat pump has been developed that improves the efficiency of a ground-source heat pump by using low-grade heat from the fuel cell. The system takes the waste heat from the fuel cell and incorporates the waste heat into the geothermal heat exchange system. The fuel cell provides electricity to the geothermal system and the... Read More
20100206 – The Formative Assessment Instrumentation and Procedures for Reading reduces the measurement error of progress monitoring with Curriculum Based Measurement of Oral Reading. An improved development procedure establishes reading passages that enhance the quality of progress monitoring by increasing the reliability and accuracy of the reading assessment. Passage sets from first through... Read More
20090028 – High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) stationary phases based on carbon-coated silica have better mechanical strength and retentivity than pure carbon phases which makes them ideal for two-dimensional liquid chromatography. Carbon stationary phase results in unique selectivity for polar and non-polar compounds as well as structural and stereoisomers. Carbon coated silica also... Read More
20100205 – The Computer Based Assessment System for Reading (CBAS-R) software program provides educators with a formative assessment than includes screening, progress monitoring, and skills analysis to be used in the classroom. The reading assessment software dynamically formulates individualized reading assessments for students with a kindergarten to fifth grade skill level. Computer adaptive... Read More
z07054 – Hydraulic energy storage systems store energy by compressing air similar to a battery storing energy in an electric circuit. Existing hydraulic accumulator designs are large and heavy due to the need for two storage tanks and do not have the high energy density needed for many applications. The need for two storage tanks and two accumulators can be eliminated and the entire hydraulic... Read More
z07062 – Ion gel can replace solid polymers as an insulator of logic gates in field effect transistors. Solid polymers are transparent but have issues with degradation and conductibility. This problem was solved by using a polymer finely blended with an ionic liquid to create an ion gel. This ion gel gate material has dramatic improvements in conductivity which allows for potentially faster... Read More
z09126 – A geothermal power generation system has been designed that will allow a power plant to be run from geothermal heat energy and uses carbon dioxide (CO) gases accumulated from carbon dioxide sequestration. This method of geothermal energy production is twice as efficient as traditional geothermal power systems because it uses carbon dioxide in place of groundwater as the working fluid.... Read More
z06090 – Abnormal heart rhythms or cardiac arrhythmia such as ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter are common electrical activity anomalies of the heart. Effective? treatment relies on the ability to precisely locate these anomalies; the more site-specific the treatment, the better the clinical outcome. The heart electrical activity algorithm in this software creates... Read More
20100031 – Applying digital pathology to immunohistochemistry offers an enhanced method to quantify gene expression at the protein level. The Quantitative Immunohistochemistry Software has the ability to perform complex analyses of the expression patterns of multiple genes in tissues, specifically cancer tissues. After analyzing expression patterns, the software quantifies the protein signal of... Read More
z07135 – The separation membrane has high throughput, and can be used in separation and purification of gas and/or liquid substances. Due to its high strength, the polymer nanofiltration membrane can be used as a high surface area catalyst support or as a proton exchange membrane in fuel cell applications. The membrane demonstrated good separation of ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen. The polymer... Read More
z05056 – Aerodynamic lenses are commonly used with mass spectrometers. The lenses take particles suspended in a carrier gas and focus them into collimating beams. Then, a series of apertures remove the particles that become scattered from the main beam. Due to the natural diffusion of small particles away from the main portion of the beam, current aerodynamic lenses are not effective for particles... Read More
z07166 – A minimally invasive medical device detects the onset of syncope, warns patients of oncoming episodes and records data to enable clinicians to assess the underlying cause of the disease and determine an appropriate treatment course. Syncope is a common form of fainting that involves a loss of consciousness. The device uses impedance electrodes implanted near an artery outside of the... Read More
z05135 – A method has been developed to produce a biodegradable polyester known as poly(3-hydroxypropionic acid). The method combines the high-molecular weight and control aspects of ring-opening polymerization with the commercial availability of the beta hydroxy acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid which is abbreviated as 3-HP. Since 3-HP can be derived from biological sources, the resulting material,... Read More
z07163 – A process that biologically synthesizes biodiesel directly from feedstock without glycerin by-products uses a special enzyme that breaks down phytol and starches. This enzyme is biologically produced using a genetically engineered bacterium. Because there is no glycerin produced as a by-product, the biodiesel purity is greatly improved and costs can be reduced. The enzyme also has 150... Read More
20110026 – Bio-based pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are a developing area in the adhesives market. Of particular importance is the latex-based pressure sensitive adhesive. These latex-based PSAs have a wide variety of applications from self-adhesive stamps to bandages but are derived from petroleum which is a limited resource and is susceptible to price fluctuations. ** View the Term Sheet... Read More
20100213-20130278-20150357 – Phthalate esters are plasticizers used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to soften the hard PVC by 'lubricating' the areas between polymer strands so that it can be used in consumer products like inflatable pools and food packaging. Unfortunately, phthalate esters frequently leach from the plastic into human bodies. Consumers blame phthalate-based PVC plasticizers for many health issues,... Read More
z09174 – Organic photovoltaics , a solar cell technology, can provide flexible, wearable, lightweight and low cost solar panels for personal electronics. Organic solar cells have lower production costs because the cells are printed onto a substrate. Commercially available organic solar cells posses less than 3 percent power conversion efficiency (conversion of light into electricity, a higher... Read More
