[Federal Register: March 28, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 59)]
[Notices]
[Page 14593-14594]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28mr07-83]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S.
Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance
with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results
of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent
applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage
for companies and may also be available for licensing.
ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent
applications listed below may be obtained by writing to the indicated
licensing contact at the Office of Technology Transfer, National
Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville,
Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7057; fax: 301/402-0220. A
signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive
copies of the patent applications.
Microdialysis Probe for Accessing Tissue in-vivo
Description of Technology: Available for licensing and commercial
development is a microdialysis probe. This device permits in-vivo
measurement of bioavailable substances (e.g., cytokines, growth
factors, neuropeptides, inflammatory mediators, etc.) at picogram
levels of concentration directly from soft tissue and organ systems.
The probe may also serve as an in-situ drug delivery vehicle of micro
doses of medication to specific anatomical sites by slow diffusion. It
also permits measurement of efficacy of drug delivery, whether given
orally, systemically or topically, at the local
[[Page 14594]]
tissue level. It can be utilized in a variety of patient populations
and conditions. For example, the probe can be used to monitor the local
biochemical milieu in soft tissue and organ systems to provide insights
into the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, rheumatic,
gastrointestinal, renal, cardiovascular and endocrinologic diseases,
cancers, dermatological conditions, and pediatric disorders, especially
in premature newborns.
The probe is made from a small-bore (32 gauge) needle, whose probe
surface has been fashioned to permit near trauma-less entry, containing
both a fluid delivery and recovery tube within the bore. A molecular
exchange membrane is positioned about 200 microns from the tip. Fluid
flows across the membrane removing diffused molecules to a collection
device. The rounded tip of the needle is designed to cause minimal
tissue damage while allowing investigations to be performed on local
tissue fluids. Additionally, this device allows simultaneous delivery
of small concentrations of drug. In summary, this unique apparatus
provides a minimally invasive means for sampling biological fluids in
any human or animal organ or tissue and for in-situ drug-delivery, in
continuous or incremental dosing, of extremely small doses.
Applications: Measurement of bioavailable substances in organs and
soft tissues; Localized drug delivery vehicle; Measurement of tissue
drug levels.
Market: Drug discovery; Tissue/fluid sampling; Pain management.
Inventors: Jay Shah (NIHCC), Terence Martyn Phillips (ORS), Jerome
V. Danoff (NIHCC), Lynn Gerber (NIHCC).
Publication: JP Shah, TM Phillips, JV Danoff, LH Gerber. An in vivo
microanalytical technique for measuring the local biochemical milieu of
human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol. 2005 Nov; 99(5):1977-1984. Epub
2005 Jul 21.
Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/795,176 filed 27
Apr 2006 (HHS Reference No. E-024-2006/0-US-01).
Licensing Contact: Michael A. Shmilovich, Esq.; 301/435-5019;
shmilovm@mail.nih.gov.
Fluorescent Intracellular Calcium Indicators
Description of Technology: Calcium is a key element in the
regulation of many cellular processes, including muscle contraction,
hormone excretion from gland cells, neurotransmitter release from nerve
synapses, and the regulation of cellular metabolism. Elevated calcium
levels are found in a number of diseases.
The present invention relates to chromophoric or fluorescent dye
calcium indicators that are superior for measurement of high
concentrations of calcium ions due to their high dissociation
constants. As a result of the high calcium ion dissociation constants,
the perturbation resulting from introducing the indicator into the cell
is greatly reduced. These calcium ion indicators can be measured by
various techniques including 19F NMR spectroscopy, flow cytometry, and
quantitative fluorescence techniques, and are useful for measuring
calcium levels within the cytosol or within cellular organelles.
Application: Research tool for quantifying intracellular calcium
concentrations.
Inventors: Robert E. London, Louis A. Levy, and Elizabeth Murphy
(NIEHS).
Patent Status: U.S. Patent Application No. 08/175,590 filed 30 Dec
1993, which issued as U.S. Patent No. 5,516,911 on 14 May 1996 (HHS
Reference No. E-015-1993/0-US-01).
Licensing Status: Available for nonexclusive licensing.
Licensing Contact: Tara Kirby, PhD; 301/435-4426;
tarak@mail.nih.gov.
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NIEHS Laboratory of
Structural Biology is seeking statements of capability or interest from
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop,
evaluate, or commercialize this technology. Please contact Dr. Robert
London at 919/541-4879 or london@niehs.nih.gov for more information.
Dated: March 19, 2007.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E7-5676 Filed 3-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P