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97080 – Methods of utilizing ursodiol and its derivatives to limit cell apoptosis have been developed and can inhibit programmed cell death originating from multiple causes in various body systems. This invention discloses methods to inhibit apoptosis in autoimmune diseases, cardio and cerebrovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. Ursodiol has also been shown to maintain... Read More
99089 – Nicotine receptor ligands have the potential to provide a treatment option for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The nicotine-like compounds in these agonists have shown neuroprotective effects that may help to slow the progression of these neurodegenerative diseases and have some memory enhancing effects. Preliminary testing in animals has shown... Read More
20130135 – iNeuron™ is an interactive educational game for teaching neuroscience and neurological disorder concepts at the classroom level and beyond. It teaches key neuroscience concepts by transforming a set of handheld mobile devices into functionally connected neurons to solve sets of story-based, neuroscience challenges. iNeuron was developed in collaboration by BrainU at the... Read More
20110209 – Cationic peptides could be used as an alternative to treat staph infections in place of antibiotics. Bacteriostatic cationic peptide analogs block the ability of S. aureus to produce exotoxins, thus inhibiting their ability to colonize. Blocking colonization will stop the staph infection in its first stage and prevent the bacteria from becoming pathogenic. This mechanism is different... Read More
z00030 – A fungal biological control agent has been identified that is effective against multiple nematode species and is an alternative to nematicides. The endoparasitic fungus Hirsutella minnesotensis was discovered to be a parasite of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). The fungal biocontrol not only works on SCN, but studies on root knot nematode (RKN) populations have demonstrated a 61-98%... Read More
z05173 – The MovieLens database is a large movie ratings database composed of approximately 11 million ratings of around 8500 movies. The movie ratings are submitted by users online for a specific movie and are then stored in the database. Identification information for each movie is included in the MovieLens database but user ratings contain no trace of... Read More
z08050 – The Account Reporting Tool is a software package that aids users in the creation of financial reports by allowing users to fill in the holes left by central data systems. Data is taken from the financial, payroll, and human resources departments in the University’s data warehouse and is added where data is missing. It then can be entered in by the individual user to prepare their... Read More
z02049 – Electronic light detectors can be used to image and/or map biological samples and for DNA chip analysis. In contrast to conventional biological imaging techniques, this method scans across the sample and detects multiple images constructed from light emitted by the biological sample. The detector may be a linear charged-couple device (CCD) which gathers slices of the sample to be... Read More
20130022 – The Image Correlation software suite uses proven image correlation algorithms combined with a graphical user interface (GUI) to measure strain in tissues. The program includes algorithms capable of handling noisy images and performing field smoothing to handle the complex task of strain calculation in tissue systems. Engineering strain calculator packages are routinely used to measure... Read More
20130195 – The German Grammar Guide iPad app helps students learn the German language by providing different and effective means of accessing relevant grammar information for advanced and beginning students. Often times, those learning the German language are on different levels of language proficiency. The grammar guide focuses on what is known in language pedagogy as raising the affective filter.... Read More
20130097 – The direct fuel injection system design incorporates a fuel injection assembly to deliver continuously variable injection flow rate by controlling the injector needle position. An iterative learning control feedback circuit controller is utilized to provide the optimum fuel injection rate at all times. This increases the fuel combustion efficiency and leads to improved fuel economy.... Read More
z09142 – Growing wireless applications, driven primarily by mobile broadband, are creating a challenging environment where many experts predict that the most innovative radio frequency spectrum management policies and technologies may not provide sufficient bandwidth. ProTOMAC (Proactive Transmit Opportunity Detection at the MAC Layer) is a spectrum sensing cognitive radio algorithm capable of... Read More
z09085b – Ultrasmooth thin metal films with a nanoscale bull’s eye pattern of circular concentric grooves produce a monochromatic beam of collimated light when heated. The plasmonic device can be made from different metals such as tungsten, gold and silver or other combinations of materials. The wavelength of the emitted light can be tuned by changing the metal and the spacing of the concentric... Read More
z09043 – The DVD includes an award-winning short film and a feature-length film featuring the unique personal stories from transgender individuals. Alex, Andrea, Debra, Elijah, Grady, Katrina, Morgan, Patrick, Safonia, Shawn and Susan talk candidly about the challenges they encounter in their daily lives before, during, and after transitioning and how in the end they all strive for acceptance and... Read More
z08214 – SMART Signal is a high resolution traffic data collection and arterial traffic performance measurement system that collects and archives event-based traffic data at multiple intersections simultaneously. Using the traffic data, SMART Signal generates time-dependent performance measures for intersections and arterials, including intersection queue length and arterial travel time. Traffic... Read More
z07095 – Computer hard disk errors decrease storage capacity. Error detection and correction mechanisms in these hard drives are used to ensure accurate reads of the recorded sequences. The most common detection method is the single parity bit check, which utilizes the parity (even or odd) of a sequence. However, the dominant storage media, so-called perpendicular media, is prone to... Read More
z07093-z08040 – The CMOS image sensor technology with adaptive frame rate and high dynamic range enables sharp imaging of fast-moving objects as well as improved dynamic range in cameras. The technology results in twice the dynamic range of comparable CMOS chips and allows the photographing of fast moving images. The high dynamic range (HDR) is obtained by a combination of in-pixel memory and... Read More
z07046 – Current uncooled infrared detectors are broadband devices that are not sensitive enough to use narrow spectral lines to detect trace amounts of material. Their performance is fundamentally limited by excessive background noise levels. Uncooled infrared detectors have traditionally been limited to detecting single gases because they need special wavelength-selective filters. The... Read More
z06164 – Programmable self-assembly is a breakthrough directed self-assembly method that enables low-cost, highly consistent and high volume manufacturing of complex meso systems and devices (optical and fluidic, integrated circuits, sensors, actuators). Programmable self-assembly enables batch integration both in two and three dimensions, is highly parallel and works up to 1000 times faster than... Read More
z06066 – Compounds have been proven to inhibit a unique enzyme in mycobacterium tuberculosis not found in humans and is not required by the host flora. This mechanism disrupts the activity of the bacteria’s iron chelators known as siderophores. The bacteria that cause TB lose their virulence without the ability to extract iron from the surrounding environment. Since the iron chelators target... Read More
z05221 – Uncooled, focal plane arrays are designed to absorb broadband light with extremely high thermal sensitivity. This causes difficulty for the array to process “hot spots” since the signals are highly uneven. A focal plane array has been designed that combines an etalon with a microbolometer in order to produce continuously tunable infrared detection. Tunable detection is produced by... Read More
z05107 – With an aging population, cost-effective management of chronic heart disease is a high priority. In particular, pacemaker and defibrillator companies are increasingly interested in adding sensors and monitors to implantable devices to monitor for signs of cardiac problems. With early warning, the cardiac patient can seek medical attention prior to a life threatening event, resulting in... Read More
z04220 – Online instructional modules teach complementary therapies and holistic medicine in a timely and relevant method. The modules are written and reviewed by experts from the University of Minnesota Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Medicine and the Center for Spirituality and Healing, which has a national reputation for its research and education on complementary therapies and holistic... Read More
z04117 – Ultra wideband radio (UWB) receivers often use coherent architectures, which require estimation of a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal and the channel response. Synchronization error between incoming signal and template, distorted template signal, or noise in template signal degrade the performance of a coherent receiver. Non-coherent architectures use extremely short duration... Read More
z04067 – 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 existing hardware of a cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device such as a cardiac pacemaker, a cardiac resynchronization therapy device (CRT-D) or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). By taking advantage of... Read More
z04007 – Microbial biosynthesis of chalcones, stilbenes and flavonoids in engineered microbes offers a production route with greater selectivity and purity than current methods that rely on chemical extraction from plants. In addition, the feedstock for microbial biosynthesis (phenylpropionic acid) can be derived from lignin, an inexpensive agricultural byproduct. Microbial biosynthesis of... Read More
z03102-z02021 – A technique has been developed to create, store and transmit images using only half of the data of conventional techniques without losing image quality. Digital images often require large amounts of data for storage and high bandwidth for transmission. Medical imaging, for example, frequently produces huge volumes of data which need to be stored or transmitted to a remote location. Most... Read More
z03098-z08001 – The high resolution xerographic printer uses electrostatic interactions to create high resolution circuits on the nano scale and operates like a laser printer for microelectronics. These devices use a stamp to produce a micro assembly based on deposition. The xerographic printer produces micropatterns on circuits. ** View the Term Sheet ** ** Contact Larry Micek for specific... Read More
z03043 – A single camera system creates 3D data from a 2D video and reduces costs and complexity of traditional systems for obtaining 3D geometry data. Typical methods for obtaining 3D geometry from a 2D video require either a complicated multiple camera system or a single camera system that only has limited uses. For example, some single-camera 3D systems require the target object to be planar... Read More
z02056 – This medical device can close congenital heart defects and is self-centering, can completely occlude defects, and be retrieved back to the catheter in the event of sub-optimal deployment. The device is designed to be bioresorbable and has no metallic components. This simplifies the manufacturing of the device and allows the device to degrade over time and be replaced by natural fibrous... Read More
z00220 – A method using polynucleotide analogues selectively represses the specific genes in the zebrafish, making it possible to ascribe a particular biological function to a known nucleic acid sequence. Similar gene inhibition techniques have proven extremely useful in model systems such as the fruit fly, D. malenogaster, and the nematode, C. elegans, but have previously not been feasible with... Read More
z00216 – The single-wire arc spray apparatus and methods yield a narrow beam spray and a controlled width spray pattern having highly defined edges. Current arc spray technologies can suffer from spray divergence of up to 20 degrees, leading to the spray coating having uneven thickness. The described method generates a narrow beam thermal spray of liquid droplets to overcome this problem and... Read More
z00135 – Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic quality can be improved by acquiring more half spin echo data and using an iterative numerical method to reconstruct missing data points of the corresponding full symmetrical echo data. This method avoids the degrading effects of noise and provides higher-quality NMR spectrum with sharper peaks. The baseline of this technique is also... Read More
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z00046 – A method of identifying, producing, and using as probiotics certain Bifidobacterium longum strains that inhibit gram positive and gram negative bacteria and promote healthy GI function has been developed. These strains function in the large intestine where they secrete an iron binding molecule that depletes the iron supply for unwanted iron-dependent bacteria and therefore afford... Read More
20130112 – The valve control system results in more consistent decellularized tissue while allowing those working in the lab to effectively cut large amounts of time and effort out of the decellularization and recellularization process of organs. In the process of tissue engineering a large amount of time is spent on changing fluids and carboys manually while the decell/recell process takes place,... Read More
20130033 – The high efficiency hydraulic transformer operates at high efficiency across the full displacement range. Conventional variable displacement pumps suffer from low efficiency when operated at partial loads and low displacements, but the described architecture overcomes these problems. Potential applications for the system include hydraulic hybrid vehicles, hydrostatic transmission for wind... Read More
20120205-20130254 – A real-time active piston motion control acts as the virtual crankshaft in a free piston engine to coordinate the combustion and the load. The control system forces the piston to follow a pre-determined trajectory by sensing the combustion event and the load in real-time. This allows the piston motion to be precisely controlled in real-time, which is difficult with the current free piston... Read More
20120188 – Tests of verbal fluency (VF) are widely used in neurological, psychiatric, mental health, and school settings. There are two main types of VF tests - phonemic and semantic. The phonemic test consists of naming as many words as possible in 60 seconds that begin with a specified letter of the alphabet. The semantic test consists of naming words belonging to a semantic category (e.g.,... Read More
20120134 – A device that can measure the tension placed on tissues during orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries would enhance outcomes for those procedures. During orthopedic surgery, the proper treatment of the surrounding soft tissues, not just the bone, is crucial to a successful surgery. The soft tissues are often manipulated extensively, but there are currently no methods to measure the amount... Read More
20120116 – Nanoparticles for cancer treatment are designed to deliver effective amounts of anticancer agents more directly to tumors so less anticancer agents are needed, reducing the overall toxicity and side effects of the treatment. Current nanoparticle delivery methods use the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect to deliver the agents to a particular depth within the tumor. Due to a... Read More
20120099 – A method of biomass gasification using solar energy produces a higher yield of syngas when compared to traditional combustion methods. The solar-powered biomass gasifier forgoes the traditional method of combusting biomass or fossil fuels and instead uses solar energy to obtain the necessary energy from heat. Using the biomass feedstock as the source of energy to drive the gasification... Read More
20120069 – The microfluidic device can increase recovery and viability of cells, as well as increase extraction of the cryopreservation agent dimethly sulfoxide (DMSO), all at a low cost. Freezing cells such as cord blood, bone marrow, and stem cells require DMSO, but this cryopreservation agent needs to be removed before the cells are used in clinical applications. While current methods of... Read More
20120012 – Certain tumors, such as triple negative breast cancer and gliomas, are especially difficult to treat due to unique metabolic features of these tumors. In particular, tumor hypoxia in these cancers can lead to treatment failure, relapse, and patient mortality as these cells are resistant to standard chemo- and radiation therapy. Hypoxic areas develop when tumor metabolism rate outpaces... Read More
20110171 – The increased miniaturization of CMOS logic devices (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor), which is the dominant technology for constructing integrated circuits, have led to challenges such as increased power dissipation and device variability. Moore’s law for CMOS is approaching fundamental physical limits. There is a concerted effort to identify alternative or hybrid technologies... Read More
20110070 – A vaccine targeting antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevents infection by targeting several secreted bacterial toxins. S. aureus produces a family of exotoxins (superantigens and cytolysins) that hyper-activate the immune system and facilitate the organism’s ability to cause infections and death. These toxoid vaccine candidates provide 100% immunity in separate rabbit models of... Read More
20110052 – A method to inhibit ornithine decarboxylase that is suitable for use as a pharmaceutical for the treatment of cancer has been developed. The compound has been shown to be effective at ornithine decarboxylase inhibition potentially without the hearing loss associated with eflornithine. This invention provides a method for treating cancer as well as a method for inhibiting initial cancer... Read More
20110019 – A thermochemical reactor has been developed to produce syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from concentrated solar energy, water, and carbon dioxide. The solar reactor efficiently produces affordable hydrogen that can be used directly as fuel. The reactor features dual zones for the simultaneous reduction and oxidation through the continuous cycling of metal oxide to split... Read More
98119 – A method has been developed that utilizes cryopreservative agents for improving the survivability of hematopoietic cells when frozen. Using a balanced electrolyte solution with an arabinogalactan equivalent, a high-survival rate of hematopoietic cells is maintained. It contains a much smaller concentration of glycerol compared to other methods and does not use DMSO, thus decreasing cell... Read More
20130012 – Chronos is a course scheduler that integrates with enterprise information systems such as PeopleSoft and is intended to be used by university students and academic advisors. This technology gives students the means to effectively find university courses and produce a class schedule following the students’ preferences. The system allows students to input their desired university courses... Read More
20100117 – An improved MRI pulse sequence and post processing technique have been developed that dramatically improve MT imaging while improving safety by reducing specific absorption rate (SAR), which is a measure of tissue heating. Clinical usage of magnetization transfer (MT) imaging with MRI scanners has been limited due to radio frequency (RF) heating of the subject, which ultimately limits the... Read More
