| BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20110110139 | MULTI-STATE MEMORY AND MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DEVICES COMPRISING MAGNETOPLASTIC OR MAGNETOELASTIC MATERIALS - Apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable writing data on, and reading data of, multi-state elements having greater than two states. The elements may be made of magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic materials, including, for example, magnetic shape-memory alloy or other materials that couple magnetic and crystallographic states. The writing process is preferably conducted through the application of a magnetic field and/or a mechanical action. The reading process is preferably conducted through atomic-force microscopy, magnetic-force microscopy, spin-polarized electrons, magneto-optical Kerr effect, optical interferometry or other methods, or other methods/effects. The multifunctionality (crystallographic, magnetic, and shape states each representing a functionality) of the multi-state elements allows for simultaneous operations including read&write, sense&indicate, and sense&control. Embodiments of the invention may be used, for example, for storing, modifying, and accessing data for device, sensor, actuator, logic and memory applications. Embodiments may be particularly effective for non-volatile memory or other read&write, sense&indicate, and/or sense&control functions in computer or other applications; such simultaneous operation of two (or more) of said multiple functionalities open new pathways for miniaturization of devices. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110064965 | POLYCRYSTALLINE FOAMS EXHIBITING GIANT MAGNETIC-FIELD-INDUCED DEFORMATION AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME - Magnetic materials and methods exhibit large magnetic-field-induced deformation/strain (MFIS) through the magnetic-field-induced motion of crystallographic interfaces. The preferred materials are porous, polycrystalline composite structures of nodes connected by struts wherein the struts may be monocrystalline or polycrystalline. The materials are preferably made from magnetic shape memory alloy, including polycrystalline Ni—Mn—Ga, formed into an open-pore foam, for example, by space-holder technique. Removal of constraints that interfere with MFIS has been accomplished by introducing pores with sizes similar to grains, resulting in MFIS values of 0.12% in polycrystalline Ni—Mn—Ga foams, close to the best commercial magnetostrictive materials. Further removal of constraints has been accomplished by introducing pores smaller than the grain size, dramatically increasing MFIS to 2.0-8.7%. These strains, which remain stable over >200,000 cycles, are much larger than those of any polycrystalline, active material. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20100103495 | SURFACE PLASMON OPTICAL MODULATOR - A high-speed optical modulator based on Surface Plasmon-Polariton (SPP) at the hetero-junction of a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) tunneling diode and including a phase-matching optical element, such as a prism or gold-lattice structure, is described. An investigation using the coupled mode theory shows that the applied bias across the hetero-junction changes the optical reflectance of an optically coupled MIS tunneling diode, such as a prism-coupled MIS tunneling diode or a gold lattice-coupled MIS tunneling diode, while the modulation efficiency achievable of the device depends on the thickness of the metal film used to construct the tunneling diode. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100064771 | TRANSITION METAL-DOPED OXIDE SEMICONDUCTOR EXHIBITING ROOM-TEMPERATURE FERROMAGNETISM - An oxide semiconductor doped with a transition metal and exhibiting room-temperature ferromagnetism is disclosed. The transition metal-doped oxide semiconductor is preferably manufactured in powder form, and the transition metal is preferably evenly distributed throughout the oxide semiconductor. The preferred embodiments are iron-doped tin dioxide and cobalt-doped tin dioxide. Gases may be detected by passing them across a material and measuring the change in magnetic properties of the material; the preferred material is iron-doped tin dioxide. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100062538 | IDENTIFYING AND COUNTING PROTEINS IN A SAMPLE - The proteins in a cell are preferably proteolytically cleaved and chemically attached to another peptide of unique and known sequence. In one embodiment of the invention, peptide-linker-peptide triplets are synthesized with linker molecules such as polyhistidine. In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, peptide-mass differentiated group (MDG) constructs are synthesized. The MDG's may be obtained from a library of oligo-N(K)-peptides synthesized on resin beads, wherein N is the length of the peptides (with a default value of 4) and K is the number of alternative amino acids (with a default value of 10) at each position. Coupling between given peptides and linkers or MDG's creates recombinants with different overall masses that migrate separately in chromatographic separations. The peptides-linker/MGD's recombinants may be purified and sequenced by MS/MS analysis. The resulting purified and sequenced peptides are then counted, and the ratios of the different peptides within and/or between samples obtained. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100027324 | VARIABLE INTEGRATED ANALOG RESISTOR - The invention relates to the use of chalcogenide devices exhibiting negative differential resistance in integrated circuits as programmable variable resistor components. The present invention is a continuously variable integrated analog resistor made of a chalcogenide material, such as a GeSeAg alloy. Continuously variable resistor states are obtained in the material via application of an electrical pulse to it. The pulse sequence, duration and applied potential determine the value of the resistance state obtained. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20090137666 | FLUORESCENT PARTICLES COMPRISING NANOSCALE ZnO LAYER AND EXHIBITING CELL-SPECIFIC TOXICITY - Multifunctional “smart” nanostructures are disclosed that include fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-encapsulated SiO | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090136580 | PREFERENTIAL KILLING OF CANCER CELLS AND ACTIVATED HUMAN T CELLS USING ZnO NANOPARTICLES - Here we disclose the response of normal human cells to ZnO nanoparticles under different signaling environments and compare it to the response of cancerous cells. ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a strong preferential ability to kill cancerous T cells (˜28-35X) compared to normal cells. Interestingly, the activation state of the cell contributes toward nanoparticle toxicity as resting T cells display a relative resistance while cells stimulated through the T cell receptor and CD28 costimulatory pathway show greater toxicity in direct relation to the level of activation. The novel findings of cell selective toxicity towards potential disease causing cells indicate a potential utility of ZnO nanoparticle in the treatment of cancer and/or autoimmunity. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090133473 | MAGNETIC GAS SENSOR AND METHODS USING ANTIFERROMAGNETIC HEMATITE NANOPARTICLES - A nanoscale antiferromagnetic gas sensing apparatus and methods of measuring gas using the apparatus are described. The use of the magnetic properties of an antiferromagnetic material as gas sensing parameters explores the concept of magnetic gas sensing. According to a preferred embodiment, a nanoscale magnetic hydrogen sensor apparatus is developed based on varying of the saturation magnetization and remanence of nanoscale antiferromagnetic hematite with hydrogen flow. For example, the saturation magnetization and remanence of nanoscale hematite has been shown to increase one to two orders of magnitude in the presence of flowing hydrogen gas at concentrations in the 1-10% range and at 575 K, indicating that a magnetic hydrogen sensor using hematite material may be practical and useful for detecting hydrogen in various environments such as those wherein production, storage, transportation, and/or vehicle use of hydrogen is being conducted. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090092817 | MAGNETIC MATERIAL WITH LARGE MAGNETIC-FIELD-INDUCED DEFORMATION - A magnetic materials construct and a method to produce the construct are disclosed. The construct exhibits large magnetic-field-induced deformation through the magnetic-field-induced motion of crystallographic interfaces. The construct is a porous, polycrystalline composite structure of nodes connected by struts wherein the struts may be monocrystalline or polycrystalline. If the struts are polycrystalline, they have a “bamboo” microstructure wherein the grain boundaries traverse the entire width of the strut. The material from which the construct is made is preferably a magnetic shape memory alloy, including polycrystalline Ni—Mn—Ga. The construct is preferably an open-pore foam. The foam is preferably produced with a space-holder technique. Space holders may be dissolvable ceramics and salts including NaAlO | 04-09-2009 |
| 20080276424 | SELF-CLOSING HINGE - A compact and aesthetically-pleasing self-closing door hinge comprises a gravity-assist feature and preferably a spring-assist feature, wherein the spring may be easily adjustable, replaceable, and even left out of the hinge. The preferred embodiment is reversible for easily changing from a right-opening to a left-opening door, and the hinge lift-off capability, wherein the door and the blade connecting the door to the hinge body may be lifted up off the body of the hinge without any significant disassembly of the hinge. The spring is preferably placed around the gravity-assist cams of the hinge, rather than above or below the cams, which arrangement significantly reduces the overall height of the hinge with only slightly increased diameter of the hinge main body. The preferred hinge has no bolts or other fasteners visible or protruding out from the main housing of the hinge, and the preferred hinge has no exposed spring sleeve. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080227731 | BIPHENYL INHIBITORS OF CARBONYL REDUCTASE - Compositions of matter and methods of treating cancer patients may prevent or limit cardiotoxicity during or after chemotherapy, and/or may prevent or lower resistance to anthracycline drugs, both of which are believed to be caused by the human enzyme carbonyl reductase. Thus, the compositions and methods may be used to reduce the dosages of anthracycline anti-cancer drugs necessary to produce a desired cancer-cell-killing performance. Preferred embodiments comprise treating cancer patients with a pharmaceutical composition comprising biphenyl compounds having two halogenated (or pseudo-halogenated) and/or hydroxylated, aryl groups that are linked by a bridging atom. The preferred composition of biphenyl compound(s) may be administered in a pharmaceutical composition also comprising at least one anthracycline compound, or may be administered separately than the at least one anthracycline compound. Especially-preferred biphenyl compounds include triclosan, hexachlorophene, and dichlorophene. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080225575 | MULTI-STATE MEMORY AND MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DEVICES COMPRISING MAGNETOPLASTIC OR MAGNETOELASTIC MATERIALS - Apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable writing data on, and reading data of, multi-state elements having greater than two states. The elements may be made of magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic materials, including, for example, magnetic shape-memory alloy or other materials that couple magnetic and crystallographic states. The writing process is preferably conducted through the application of a magnetic field and/or a mechanical action. The reading process is preferably conducted through atomic-force microscopy, magnetic-force microscopy, spin-polarized electrons, magneto-optical Kerr effect, optical interferometry or other methods, or other methods/effects. The multifunctionality (crystallographic, magnetic, and shape states each representing a functionality) of the multi-state elements allows for simultaneous operations including read&write, sense&indicate, and sense&control. Embodiments of the invention may be used, for example, for storing, modifying, and accessing data for device, sensor, actuator, logic and memory applications. Embodiments may be particularly effective for non-volatile memory or other read&write, sense&indicate, and/or sense&control functions in computer or other applications; such simultaneous operation of two (or more) of said multiple functionalities open new pathways for miniaturization of devices. | 09-18-2008 |
