Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080204752 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE, FREE-SPACE OPTICAL DETECTION OF POTENTIAL THREAT AGENT - A system and method for free space, optical remote sensing of a potential threat agent using spectrally responsive sensor material. In one example the sensor material is formed by particles, which in one particular form are porous photonic crystals. The particles are dispersed into an area being monitored for the presence of the potential threat agent. A pair of lasers is used to generate optical light beams that are directed at the sensor particles after the particles have been dispersed. The light reflected by the sensor particles is then analyzed. The presence of the potential threat agent causes a shift in the spectral peak of light reflected from the sensor particles that can be sensed using photo detectors and a processing subsystem. The system can be tuned to remotely detect for specific chemical, biological or environmental agents that may be present within a given area. | 08-28-2008 |
20080212068 | Porous Photonic Crystal with Light Scattering Domains and Methods of Synthesis and Use Thereof - The invention includes sensors and sensing methods for determining cell morphology and/or chemical composition of an analyte. A porous substrate exhibiting a first optical signal is exposed to a target analyte and subsequently monitored for changes in the optical signal. More specifically, a photonic or porous substrate having a well-defined and highly tunable reflectivity or transmission spectrum, such as porous silicon (Si), porous alumina, porous Ge, porous GaAs, porous SiO2 and porous polymer, is used for example. A porous or photonic substrate is exposed to an analyte, such as a cell or other macromolecule, and changes in the scattered light are observed over time to determine cell morphology and/or chemical composition of the analyte using the substrate. | 09-04-2008 |
20080296255 | Magnetic Porous Particles and Method of Making - The invention provides porous particles that produce a predetermined optical response and that may be manipulated magnetically. A preferred particle of the invention has a porous structure that produces a predetermined optical response and magnetic material adhered to the particle. Another preferred particle is amphiphilic. The optical response provided by a particle of the invention enables particles of the invention to be used in sensing, labeling, signaling, display and many other applications. The magnetic nature of the present magnetic particles permits the particles themselves to be manipulated, e.g., vibrated, moved and re-oriented. The porous particles can also be used to control, move, and/or deliver small volumes of liquids and solids associated with the particles. | 12-04-2008 |
20090179171 | CONTROL OF MATERIALS AND POROUS MAGNETIC PARTICLES - The present invention uses externally applied electromagnetic stimulus to control and heat porous magnetic particles and material associated with the particles. The particles contain magnetic material, such as superparamagnetic iron oxide and are associated with a material. Application of a DC magnetic field allows them to be moved with their associated material, and application of an AC RF electromagnetic field allows them to be heated with their associated material. The material can be associated with the particles by being contained in the pores of the particles, or in other cases the particles can adhere to the associated material, which can be an aqueous droplet. The present invention also provides a multi-layer porous magnetic particle. The particle includes a host layer having pores sized to accept magnetic nanoparticles. Magnetic nanoparticles are infused within pores of the host layer An encoding layer includes pores that define a spectral code. The pores in the encoding layer are sized to substantially exclude the magnetic nanoparticles. The encoding layer can also be a multi-layer, exhibiting, for example, a complex spectral code. | 07-16-2009 |
20090208556 | Porous photonic crystals for drug delivery to the eye - A minimally invasive controlled drug delivery system for delivering a particular drug or drugs to a particular location of the eye, the system including a porous film template having pores configured and dimensioned to at least partially receive at least one drug therein, and wherein the template is dimensioned to be delivered into or onto the eye. | 08-20-2009 |
20090215191 | Optical Sensor For Detecting Chemical Reaction Activity - The invention provides an optical sensor for detecting chemical reaction activity, including, e.g., enzyme activity and catalytic or reactive molecule activity. An optical sensor of the invention includes a porous photonic film that produces a predetermined spectral reflectance response. In preferred embodiments, the film has a chemical coating (such as a hydrophobic layer) within its pores with an affinity for the reaction product(s) of the catalytic or otherwise reactive analyte A coating can also act as a protective layer in preferred embodiment. A thin substrate susceptible to reaction by at least one analyte of interest is on the surface of the thin film to block pores of the thin film. A method of detecting chemical reaction activity of the invention exposes the optical sensor to an analyte of interest, such as an enzyme or otherwise catalytic or reactive molecule. The optical sensor is subjected to light and the reflectivity spectrum of the optical sensor is monitored for a change indicative of reaction activity. Monitoring can include observation for a visible change or data acquisition via instruments such as a spectrometer for monitoring for a change in interferometric reflectance spectra. | 08-27-2009 |
20100008619 | Optical fiber-mounted porous photonic crystals and sensors - An embodiment of the invention is a remote sensor that has an optical fiber terminating in a tip. A thin film porous particle having a characteristic optical response that changes in the presence of an analyte is optically coupled and physically attached to the tip of the optical fiber. The optical response of the particle changes in the presence of analyte, and the particle also serves to concentrate analyte. The thin film porous particle can be functionalized toward sensitivity for a predetermined analyte or analytes. A method of remote sensing exposes the remote sensor to an environment to be monitored for analyte. The thin film porous particle is probed with a beam of light. Reflected light is monitored through the optical fiber for a shift in frequency or intensity. | 01-14-2010 |
20100196435 | MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING COMPOSITIONS TO SELECTED TISSUES - This invention relates to devices, systems and methods for delivering preprogrammed quantities of an active ingredient to a biological system over time without the need for external power or electronics. | 08-05-2010 |
20100254914 | NANOWORMS FOR IN VIVO TUMOR TARGETING - The disclosure provides elongated nanostructures useful for biological imaging and measurement. More particularly the disclosure provides nanoworms having an increased bioavailability compared to nanospheres. | 10-07-2010 |
20110170106 | MULTIPLE SUPERIMPOSED INTERFACE PATTERN POROUS MICROSTRUCTURE MULTI LAYER BIOSENSING METHOD - A preferred embodiment biosensor is a multi-layer micro-porous thin film structure. Pores in a top layer of the micro-porous thin film structure are sized to accept a first molecule of interest. Pores in a second layer of the micro-porous thin film structure are smaller than the pores in the top layer and are sized to accept a second molecule of interest that is smaller than the first molecule of interest. The pores in the second layer are too small to accept the first molecule of interest. The pores in the top layer and the pores in the second layer are sized and arranged such that light reflected from the multi-layer micro-porous thin film structure produces multiple superimposed interference patterns that can be resolved. In preferred embodiments, the multi-layer micro-porous thin film structure is a porous silicon thin film multi-layer structure formed on a silicon substrate, such as a silicon wafer. Specific and nonspecific binding can be detected with biosensors of the invention. The position of peaks in the Fourier transform of the reflection spectrum and the shift in peak amplitudes can be used to determine the presence and quantity of targeted biological molecules of interest. | 07-14-2011 |
20110300222 | LUMINESCENT POROUS SILICON NANOPARTICLES, METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME - The disclosure relates to imaging agents and drug delivery systems. | 12-08-2011 |
20120058567 | POROUS OPTICAL SENSOR WITH FIDUCIAL MARKER AND METHOD FOR DETECTION OF ANALYTES - The invention provides a porous sensor and sensing methods that use a porous sensor with a porous nanostructure having an optical response and having a portion of the porous nanostructure filled with a fiducial marker that is non-reactive to an analyte of interest. In a preferred sensing method, reflectance spectra from both the fiducial marker and reactive portions of the porous structure are acquired simultaneously. The fiducial marker provides an internal reference that permits compensation for humidity, as well as off angle measurements. In addition, simple visual observations can reveal the presence of an analyte, including human observations. | 03-08-2012 |
20120059240 | METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF MICELLAR HYBRID NANOPARTICLES FOR THERAPEUTIC AND DIAGNOSTIC APPLICATIONS AND COMPOSITIONS THEREOF - The disclosure provides a long-circulating, micellar hybrid nanoparticles (MHN) that contain MN, QD, and the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) within a single polyethylene glycol (PEG)-phospholipid micelle and provide the first examples of simultaneous targeted drug delivery and dual-mode NIR-fluorescent and MR imaging of diseased tissue in vitro and in vivo. | 03-08-2012 |
20120171292 | LUMINESCENT POROUS SILICON NANOPARTICLES FOR TARGETED DELIVERY AND IMMUNIZATION - The disclosure relates to immunizing agents and devices. | 07-05-2012 |
20130114082 | TEMPERATURE RESPONSE SENSING AND CLASSIFICATION OF ANALYTES WITH POROUS OPTICAL FILMS - Methods and systems of the invention can determine the identity and quantity of analytes in a vapor. In preferred methods, a porous optical film is exposed to vapor which contains analyte. The porous optical film is heated and its optical response is monitored during heating. An optical response observed via heating can determine the identity and/or quantity of the analyte. In preferred embodiments, optical response during a thermal pulse is compared to a database of sensor responses that are characteristic of various analytes. Preferred methods are conducted a relatively low temperatures, for example below about 200° C. In preferred methods, a heating and cooling cycle produces a hysteresis curve in the optical response that is indicative of analytes. In preferred embodiments, a thermal reset pulse resets the porous optical film for later use and also provides an optical response that can be used for sensing. | 05-09-2013 |
20130217786 | POROUS NANOSTRUCTURES AND METHODS INVOLVING THE SAME - A method for simultaneously detecting and separating a target analyte such as a protein or other macromolecule that includes providing a porous silicon matrix on the silicon substrate, exposing the porous silicon matrix to an environment suspect of containing the target analyte, observing optical reflectivity of the porous silicon matrix; and correlating the changes in the silicon substrate to the target analyte. | 08-22-2013 |
20130224302 | POROUS PHOTONIC CRYSTALS FOR DRUG DELIVERY TO THE EYE - A minimally invasive controlled drug delivery system for delivering a particular drug or drugs to a particular location of the eye, the system including a porous film template having pores configured and dimensioned to at least partially receive at least one drug therein, and wherein the template is dimensioned to be delivered into or onto the eye. | 08-29-2013 |
20130236518 | MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING COMPOSITIONS TO SELECTED TISSUES - This invention relates to devices, systems and methods for delivering preprogrammed quantities of an active ingredient to a biological system over time without the need for external power or electronics. | 09-12-2013 |
20130309484 | CARBON AND CARBON/SILICON COMPOSITE NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS AND CASTING FORMATION METHOD - The invention provides nanostructure composite porous silicon and carbon materials, and also provides carbon nanofiber arrays having a photonic response in the form of films or particles. Composite materials or carbon nanofiber arrays of the invention are produced by a templating method of the invention, and the resultant nanomaterials have a predetermined photonic response determined by the pattern in the porous silicon template, which is determined by etching conditions for forming the porous silicon. Example nanostructures include rugate filters, single layer structures and double layer structures. In a preferred method of the invention, a carbon precursor is introduced into the pores of a porous silicon film. Carbon is then formed from the carbon precursor. In a preferred method of the invention, liquid carbon-containing polymer precursor is introduced into the pores of an porous silicon film The precursor is thermally polymerized to form a carbon-containing polymer in the pores of the porous silicon film, which is then thermally carbonized to produce the nano structured composite material. A carbon nanofiber array is obtained by dissolving the porous silicon. A carbon nanofiber array can be maintained as a film in liquid, and particles can be formed by drying the material. | 11-21-2013 |
20140154184 | TIME-GATED FLUORESCENCE IMAGING WITH SI-CONTAINING PARTICLES - A method for imaging leverages the fluorescence lifetime of a fluorescent Si-containing particle to distinguish from background fluorescence. A particle is introduced into tissue. An excitation light pulse is applied to excite luminescence from the fluorescent Si-containing particle. Time-gated measuring of a responsive luminescence signal identifies the particle. In preferred embodiments the particle is coated or encapsulated with an organic material. The fluorescence lifetime of particles can be controlled during manufacture, such as by oxidation levels, quenching treatments, or by aging. This permits introducing and using groups of particles in imaging that have unique lifetimes and multiple time gating can be used to identify different particles or to monitor the change in lifetime of a single set of particles as they respond to a biochemical stimulus. The particles can also be functionalized for affinity to particular tissues and can be loaded with treatment molecules. | 06-05-2014 |
20140166485 | ELECTROADSORPTION AND CHARGE BASED BIOMOLECULE SEPARATION AND DETECTION IN POROUS SENSORS - Electroadsorption and charged based biomolecule separation, concentration and detection with porous biosensors. In preferred embodiments, a potential is applied to a porous electrode to separate and concentrate molecules from solution. The bimolecular analytes are captured by the porous electrode itself, the same electrode that is used to generate the electric field for electroadsorption. In additional preferred embodiments, pH of the solution is adjusted to separate and concentrate biomolecules. Setting the pH equal to the protein isoelectric point was determined by the inventors to maximize concentration of biomolecules into the porous biosensor. The methods include simultaneously optically detecting charged molecules captured by the porous electrode. Methods of the invention are benign to biomolecules of interest, which are demonstrated to retain a high percentage of their activity after being released from the biosensor. Methods of the invention provide label-free detection. Advantageously, small voltages and ultrasmall volumes of solution are used in methods of the invention. | 06-19-2014 |
20150076412 | MANUFACTURED PRODUCT WITH OPTICALLY ENCODED PARTICLE TAG AND ID METHOD - The invention concerns an article of manufacture that is a manufactured product marked with a microparticle and a method of marking manufactured produces. The microparticle tag includes a predetermined code embedded in its physical structure by refractive index changes between different regions of the particle. The particle has a diameter of a few hundred microns or less and has a plurality of layers. | 03-19-2015 |