| THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120111117 | ULTRASONIC METHOD OF MONITORING PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF A MEDIUM - The present invention provides embodiments relating to novel methods for determining, monitoring or detecting particle size distribution of a medium. In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises comparing a measured ultrasound attenuation spectrum of the medium with a calculated attenuation spectrum, where the calculated attenuation spectrum is obtained by accounting for the scattering of ultrasound waves into the receiver. The methods of the present invention can be used to determine particle size distribution in a dense suspension of particles in the intermediate wavelength regime. In other aspects, methods of the present invention may also be used to monitor changes in particle size distribution, infer the shape of particles, provide feedback to a process involving a change in particle size, and determine the completion of a dissolution process. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120096956 | PHOTONIC CRYSTAL PRESSURE SENSOR - The present invention provides a microscale pressure sensor that exhibits high sensitivity in a small form factor. The sensor is a bridged device in which a photonic crystal waveguide, surrounded by a photonic crystal slab, is suspended over a dielectric substrate. Under applied pressure, the photonic crystal waveguide is deflected toward the substrate, causing a decrease in optical transmission across the waveguide due to the coupling of the evanescent field of the guided mode to the dielectric substrate. In a preferred embodiment, the waveguide is coupled to a photonic crystal microcavity, which increases evanescent coupling. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120061558 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING HYPERTHERMAL HYDROGEN MOLECULES AND USING SAME FOR SELECTIVELY BREAKING C-H AND/OR Si-H BONDS OF MOLECULES AT OR ON SUBSTRATE SURFACES - A method for producing hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is disclosed and use of same for selectively breaking C—H or Si—H bonds without breaking other bonds are disclosed. A hydrogen plasma is maintained and protons are extracted with an electric field to accelerate them to an appropriate kinetic energy. The protons enter into a drift zone to collide with molecular hydrogen in gas phase. The cascades of collisions produce a high flux of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen with a flux many times larger than the flux of protons extracted from the hydrogen plasma. The nominal flux ratio of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen to proton is controlled by the hydrogen pressure in the drift zone, and by the length of the drift zone. The extraction energy of the protons is shared by these hyperthermal molecules so that average energy of the hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is controlled by extraction energy of the protons and the nominal flux ratio. Since the hyperthermal molecular hydrogen projectiles do not carry any electrical charge, the flux of hyperthermal hydrogen can be used to engineer surface modification of both electrical insulating products and conductive products. When this method of generating a high flux of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is applied to bombard organic precursor molecules (or silicone, or silane molecules) with desirable chemical functionality/functionalities on a substrate, the C—H or Si—H bonds are thus cleaved preferentially due to the kinematic selectivity of energy deposition from the hyperthermal hydrogen projectiles to the hydrogen atoms in the precursor molecules. The induced cross-linking reactions produce a stable molecular layer having a controllable degree of cross-linking and retaining the desirable chemical functionality/functionalities of the precursor molecules. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120056167 | METHOD FOR FABRICATION OF LAYERED HETEROJUNCTION POLYMERIC DEVICES - Method for growing multilayer polymer based heterojunction devices which uses selective breaking of C—H or Si—H bonds without breaking other bonds leading to fast curing for the production of layered polymer devices having polymer heterojunctions deposited by the common solution-based deposition methods. In one embodiment, a hydrogen plasma is maintained and protons are extracted with an electric field to accelerate them to an appropriate kinetic energy. The protons enter into a drift zone to collide with molecular hydrogen in gas phase. The cascades of collisions produce a high flux of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen with a flux many times of the flux of protons extracted from the hydrogen plasma. The nominal flux ratio of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen to proton is easily controllable by the hydrogen pressure in the drift zone, and by the length of the drift zone. The extraction energy of the protons is shared by these hyperthermal molecules so that average energy of the hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is easily controlled by extraction energy of the protons and the nominal flux ratio. Since unlike protons the hyperthermal molecular hydrogen projectiles do not carry any electrical charge, the high flux of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen can be used to engineer surface modification of both electrical insulating products and conductive products. In a typical embodiment, organic precursor molecules (or silicone, or silane molecules) with desirable chemical functionality or a set of functionalities and with desirable electrical properties are condensed on a substrate with a solution-based deposition method. The molecular layer is bombarded by the high flux of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen derived from a hydrogen plasma. The C—H or Si—H bonds are thus cleaved preferentially due to the kinematic selectivity of energy deposition from the hyperthermal hydrogen projectiles to the hydrogen atoms in the precursor molecules. The induced cross-linking reactions produce a stable molecular layer retaining the desirable chemical functionality/functionalities and electrical properties carried to the substrate by the precursor molecules. The molecular layer is thus cured and ready for additional molecular layer formation for the production of polymer devices which typically comprise one or more than one polymer heterojunction. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120040192 | METHOD FOR INHIBITING THE OXIDATION OF VO(ACAC)2 IN SOLUTION - The present invention provides a method to effectively inhibit the oxidization of VO(acac) | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120010314 | SELF-CLEANING COATINGS - The present invention provides two methods for synthesizing novel titania-polyurethane (nTiO | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120009643 | INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR HYDROGEN AND METHANE PRODUCTION FROM INDUSTIAL ORGANIC WASTES AND BIOMASS - The present invention provides a system that has been devised to overcome the two most important limitations for sustained biological hydrogen production, namely contamination of the microbial hydrogen-producing cultures with methane-producing cultures necessitating frequent re-start-up and/or other methanogenic bacteria inactivation techniques, and the low bacterial yield of hydrogen-producers culminating in microbial washout from the system and failure. The system includes a continuously stirred bioreactor (CSTR) for biological hydrogen production, followed by a gravity settler positioned downstream of the CSTR, which combination forms a biohydrogenator. The biomass concentration in the hydrogen reactor is kept at the desired range through biomass recirculation from the bottom of the gravity settler and/or biomass wastage from the gravity settler's underflow. The gravity setter effluent is loaded with volatile fatty acids, as a result of microbiological breakdown of the influent waste constituents by hydrogen-producing bacteria, and is an excellent substrate for methane-forming bacteria in the downstream biomethanator. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120003563 | POROUS DENDRITIC PLATINUM TUBES AS FUEL CELL ELECTROCATALYSTS - Platinum particles have been formed as porous, hollow tubular dendrites by using silver dendrite particles in a galvanic replacement reaction conducted in an aqueous solution of a platinum compound. The dendritic platinum particles have been found useful as catalysts and particularly useful as a hydrogen-oxidation electrocatalyst and/or an oxygen-reduction catalyst in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20110213228 | ORAL DEVICE - An oral device for use with a person in which at least one non-toxic gas pulse is delivered to a predetermined location in the mouth via a device conduit. The oral device may be provided as a kit with at least one device for measuring the subject's responses and representing them as feedback to the subject/clinician. A method of creating a gas bolus pulse train, delivering it to a predetermined mouth area, and monitoring the subject's responses to it, is also shown. The oral device and method may be used as a diagnostic tool, or a therapeutic tool, in swallowing or speech rehabilitation of children and adults who have swallowing, speech, salivary, and/or oral sensorimotor impairments. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110197710 | Making metal and bimetal nanostructures with controlled morphology - A method of making metal nanostructures having a nanometer size in at least one dimension includes preparing an aqueous solution comprising a cation of a first metal and an anion, and mixing commercial elemental powder particles of an elemental second metal having a greater reduction potential than the first metal with the aqueous solution in an amount that reacts and dissolves all of the second metal and precipitates the first metal as metal nanostructures. The temperature and concentration of the aqueous solution and the selection of the anions and the second metal are chosen to produce metal nanostructures of a desired shape, for example ribbons, wires, flowers, rods, spheres, hollow spheres, scrolls, tubes, sheets, hexagonal sheets, rice, cones, dendrites, or particles. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110121113 | APPARATUS FOR UNIFORMLY DISPERSING ADDITIVE PARTICLES IN FINE POWDERS - Blending methods for adding and uniformly mixing a small fraction of relatively small particles (additives) to a bulk particulate powder of larger size than the additives. In particular, the present invention provides blending methods for adding and uniformly mixing a small percentage of flow/fluidization additives into fine powders, especially fine paint powders. The fine powder and additives are first pre-mixed for macro-scale homogeneity and then further mixed at a micro-scale (such as with a screen mixing process) for micro-scale homogeneity. With these methods, optimum dispersions and maximum functionalities of additives can be obtained and the disadvantages caused by severe agglomerates of additives can be avoided. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110114019 | DIRECT COATING SOLID DOSAGE FORMS USING POWDERED MATERIALS - The present invention provides a method and apparatus for dry coating solid dosage forms. The method includes the steps of placing solid dosage forms in a rotatable, electrically grounded housing, and spraying a film forming polymer powder composition into the housing during rotation thereof to form a polymer coating on the solid dosage forms, the polymer powder composition being sprayed using an electrostatic spray gun, and curing the coated solid dosage forms. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110046637 | SENSORIZED MEDICAL INSTRUMENT - The present invention provides a sensorized medical instrument that is suitable for application to, and training and skills assessment for, a variety of therapeutic, diagnostic, surgical and medical procedures. It is comprised of a sterilizable sensorized instrument capable of measuring forces in five degrees of freedom and tip position in six degrees of freedom. The instrument can be used to perform a variety of tasks through the integration of interchangeable instrument tips and handles. The system is capable of providing feedback to the user regarding critical forces/torques acting on the tissue, position and orientation of the instrument and its tip near critical areas within the body, or user performance during training and skills evaluation. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110041912 | PHOSPHONIUM IONIC LIQUIDS AND COATINGS MADE THEREFROM - The present invention provides phosphonium ionic liquids (11) and coatings made therefrom. Highly fluorinated phosphonium ionic liquids based on (11) having been produced exhibiting high thermal stabilities, low melting points and temperature dependent solvent miscibilities. These salts and derivatives of (11) have also been employed in the preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces, indicating that ionic liquids are not only new alternative solvents, but also viable functional materials. All derivatives of (11) form biphasic systems with common laboratory solvents of ranging polarity at room temperature. Based on the solvent miscibility experiments with water and the high fluorine loading, the PILs showed obvious evidence of being hydrophobic. Coatings made with these phosphonium ionic liquids (11), salts and derivatives thereof were superhydrophobic with water contact angles were measured and all of the surfaces were determined to be superhydrophobic with contact angles >150°. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20100316873 | ONE-DIMENSIONAL METAL NANOSTRUCTURES - Tin powder is heated in a flowing stream of an inert gas, such as argon, containing a small concentration of carbon-containing gas, at a temperature to produce metal vapor. The tin deposits as liquid on a substrate, and reacts with the carbon-containing gas to form carbon nanotubes in the liquid tin. Upon cooling and solidification, a composite of tin nanowires bearing coatings of carbon nanotubes is formed. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100307320 | FLEXIBLE MUSIC COMPOSITION ENGINE - An apparatus, method and system for generating music in real time are provided. A pipeline for coordinating generation of a musical piece is created. At least one producer is loaded into the pipeline, the at least one producer for producing at least one high level musical element of the musical piece, independent of other producers in the pipeline. At least one generator is called by the at least one producer, the at least one generator for generating at least one low level music element of the musical piece. The at least one low level musical element and the at least one high level musical element are integrated, such that the musical piece is generated in real time. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20100133158 | Liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed waste water treatment system for simultaneous carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal - Biological nutrient removal (BNR) in wastewater treatment to remove carbonaceous substrates, nutrients and phosphorus, has recently become increasingly popular worldwide due to increasingly stringent regulations. Biological fluidized bed (BFB) technology, which could be potentially used for BNR processes, can provide some advantages such as high efficiency and compact structure. This present invention incorporates the fixed-film biological fluidized bed technology with the biological nutrient removal in a twin liquid-solid fluidized bed, which has achieved the simultaneous elimination of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, in a very efficient manner and with very compact space requirements. The BNR-LSFB has two fluidized beds, running as anoxic/anaerobic and aerobic processes to accomplish simultaneous nitrification and denitrification and to remove carbonaceous substrates, nutrients and phosphorus, with continuous liquid and solids recirculation through the anoxic/anaerobic bed and the aerobic bed. The new BNR-LSFB system is not only an excellent alternative for conventional activated sludge type BNR technologies but is also capable of processing much higher loadings and suitable for industrial applications. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100130351 | SYNTHESIS OF RARE EARTH ELEMENT-CONTAINING ALUMINA NANOWIRES - Rare earth element(s) doped alumina nanowires are formed by a thermal evaporation method in which vapor from aluminum powder and vapor from a rare earth element compound (such as an halide) are reacted in an oxygen-containing inert gas stream to form alumina which deposits as alumina nanowires and as a rare earth element and oxygen-containing material that deposits with and/or on the alumina nanowires. Where the RE-doped alumina nanowires are to be used as catalyst supports, a catalyst material, such as platinum, may be deposited as small particles on the nanowires. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100040909 | Bio-fuel cell system - The present invention discloses a new type of bio-fuel cell, based on the microbial regeneration of the oxidant, ferric ions. The bio-fuel cell is based on the cathodic reduction of ferric to ferrous ions, coupled with the microbial regeneration of ferric ions by the oxidation of ferrous ions, at a pH less than about 1.0, with fuel (such as hydrogen) oxidation on the anode electrode. The microbial regeneration of ferric ions is achieved by microorganisms such as | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100028364 | INHIBITION OF SOX9 FUNCTION IN THE TREATMENT OF PROTEOGLYCAN-ASSOCIATED PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS - A method of treating a pathophysiological condition caused by the production of growth-inhibiting proteoglycans is provided. It is based on the finding that down-regulation of SOX9 results in decreased production of growth-inhibiting factors such as proteoglycans, and increased production of growth-promoting factors such as a laminin and fibronectin. The method of the present invention comprises the inhibition of SOX9 expression and function with an inhibitor such as an antisense oligonucleotide or a siRNA. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20090305083 | Fuel Cell Bioreactor - The present invention discloses a fuel cell bioreactor, based on the microbial regeneration of the oxidant, ferric ions and on the cathodic reduction of ferric to ferrous ions, coupled with the microbial regeneration of ferric ions by the oxidation of ferrous ions, with fuel (such as hydrogen) oxidation on the anode. The microbial regeneration of ferric ions is achieved by iron-oxidizing microorganisms such as | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090116621 | RADIOSTEREOMETRIC CALIBRATION CAGE - A calibration cage for use in Roentgen Stereophotogrammetric Analysis (RSA), comprising a biplanar configuration of two compartments, each with a fiducial plate at the bottom and a control plate at the top and parallel thereto, the fiducial and control plates of one compartment being oriented at approximately 90° to fiducial and control plates of the other compartment such that a region of interest is positioned on one side of the fiducial and control plates of both compartments. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090032683 | Flexible bioelectronic photodetector and imaging arrays based on bacteriorhodopsin (BR) thin films - The direct deposit of photoelectric materials onto low-cost prefabricated patterned flexible electrodes provided by the present invention introduces a new design approach that permits the development of innovative lightweight, durable and non-planar sensing systems. By extending single and multi-spectral bioelectronic sensing technology to flexible plastic substrates, the invention offers a number of potential advantages over structurally rigid silicon-based microelectronics (e.g. CMOS) including a reduction in spatial requirements, weight, electrical power consumption, heat loss, system complexity, and fabrication cost. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090005298 | Bone Sialoprotein Collagen-Binding Peptides - The present invention provides Novel collagen-binding peptides of bone sialoprotein (BSP). Peptides comprising a portion of the N-terminal collagen binding domain of BSP (residues 1-100) are used to stimulate mineralization, nucleate hydroxyapatite, and promote bone formation in collagen expressing tissues. Medicaments for use in the same are also contemplated. Chimeric and conjugate peptides comprising said collagen-binding BSP peptides are also included. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090004552 | NANOWIRE SUPPORTED CATALYSTS FOR FUEL CELL ELECTRODES - Metal oxide nanowires and carbon-coated metal nanowires are effective as supports for particles of an expensive catalyst material, such as platinum metal group catalyst. Such supported catalysts are useful when included in an electrode on, for example, a proton exchange membrane in a hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell. For example, tin oxide nanowires are formed on carbon fibers of carbon paper and platinum nanoparticles are deposited on the tin oxide nanowires. The nanowires provide good surfaces for effective utilization of the platinum material. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20080292789 | ONE-DIMENSIONAL METAL AND METAL OXIDE NANOSTRUCTURES - Metal powder (such as tin, titanium, or tungsten powder) is heated in a flowing stream of an inert gas, such as argon, containing a small abundance of oxygen at a temperature to produce metal vapor. The metal reacts with the oxygen to form and deposit one-dimensional nanostructures of oxygen-containing metal on the metal powder (in the case of Ti and W) or on a suitable nearby substrate in the case of the lower melting tin. The metal oxides are not necessarily stoichiometric compounds. Water may be introduced into the flowing inert gas to increase or control the oxygen content. Sulfur vapor or a carbon source may be introduced to dope the nanostructures with sulfur or carbon. Reaction conditions may be modified to vary the shapes of the one-dimensional nanostructures. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080197012 | Apparatus and Process for the Pyrolysis of Agricultural Biomass - An integrated combustion chamber and fluidized bed pyrolysis reactor. In one embodiment, the combustion chamber is cylindrical and the pyrolysis reactor is provided annularly about the combustion chamber with an annular wall that provides a common surface for heat transfer. A lift tube in fluid communication with the pyrolysis reactor is provided within the combustion chamber for circulating biomass and an inert fluidizable media upwardly through the lift tube; this advantageously increases heat transfer and leads to more rapid pyrolysis. The media and biomass exit the lift tube into either a freeboard area of the pyrolysis reactor or into a low density region of the fluidized bed. A condensable gaseous product is produced during pyrolysis that has economic value. The apparatus and process are especially well suited to the pyrolysis of low density agricultural biomass. The apparatus is compact and particularly well suited to mobile operation. | 08-21-2008 |
