[Federal Register: January 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 16)]
[Notices]
[Page 4153-4155]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25ja06-89]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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
[[Page 4154]]
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.
Active MRI Compatible and Visible iMRI Catheter
Ozgur Kocaturk (NHLBI).
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/716,503 filed 14 Sep 2005 (HHS
Reference No. E-298-2005/0-US-01).
Licensing Contact: Chekesha Clingman; 301/435-5018;
clingmac@mail.nih.gov.
Interventional magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) has gained
important popularity in many fields such as interventional cardiology
and radiology, owing to the development of minimally invasive
techniques and visible catheters under MRI for conducting MRI-guided
procedures and therapies. This invention relates to a novel MRI
compatible and active visible catheter for conducting interventional
and intraoperative procedures under the guidance of MRI. The catheter
features a non conductive transmission line and the use of ultrasonic
transducers that transform RF signals to ultrasonic signals for
transmitting RF signal to the MRI scanner. The unique design of this
catheter overcomes the concern of patient/sample heating (due to the
coupling between RF transmission energy and long conductors within
catheter) associated with the design of conventional active MRI
catheters.
In addition to licensing, the technology is available for further
development through collaborative research opportunities with the
inventors.
Bioreactor Device and Method and System for Fabricating Tissue
Juan M. Taboas (NIAMS), Rocky S. Tuan (NIAMS), et al.
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/701,186 filed 20 Jul 2005 (HHS Reference
No. E-042-2005/0-US-01).
Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich; 301/435-5019;
shmilovm@mail.nih.gov.
Available for licensing and commercial development is a
millifluidic bioreactor system for culturing, testing, and fabricating
natural or engineered cells and tissues. The system consists of a
millifluidic bioreactor device and methods for sample culture. Biologic
samples that can be utilized include cells, scaffolds, tissue explants,
and organoids. The system is microchip controlled and can be operated
in closed-loop, providing controlled delivery of medium and biofactors
in a sterile temperature regulated environment under tabletop or
incubator use. Sample perfusion can be applied periodically or
continuously, in a bidirectional or unidirectional manner, and medium
re-circulated.
An advantage of the millifluidic bioreactor: The device is small in
size, and of conventional culture plate format. A second advantage: The
millifluidic bioreactor provides the ability to grow larger biologic
samples than microfluidic systems, while utilizing smaller medium
volumes than conventional bioreactors. The bioreactor culture chamber
is adapted to contain sample volumes on a milliliter scale (10 [mu]L to
1 mL, with a preferred size of 100 [mu]L), significantly larger than
chamber volumes in microfluidic systems (on the order of 1 [mu]L).
Typical microfluidic systems are designed to culture cells and not
larger tissue samples. A third advantage: the integrated medium
reservoirs and bioreactor chamber design provide for, (1) concentration
of biofactors produced by the biologic sample, and (2) the use of
smaller amounts of exogenous biofactor supplements in the culture
medium. The local medium volume (within the vicinity of the sample) is
less than twice the sample volume. The total medium volume utilized is
small, preferably 2 ml, significantly smaller than conventional
bioreactors (typically using 500-1000 mL). A fourth advantage: the
bioreactor device provides for real-time monitoring of sample growth
and function in response to stimuli via an optical port and embedded
sensors. The optical port provides for microscopy and spectroscopy
measurements using transmitted, reflected, or emitted (e.g.
fluorescent, chemiluminescent) light. The embedded sensors provide for
measurement of culture fluid pressure and sample pH, oxygen tension,
and temperature. A fifth advantage: The bioreactor is capable of
providing external stimulation to the biologic sample, including
mechanical forces (e.g. fluid shear, hydrostatic pressure, matrix
compression, microgravity via clinorotation), electrical fields (e.g.
AC currents), and biofactors (e.g. growth factors, cytokines) while
monitoring their effect in real-time via the embedded sensors, optical
port, and medium sampling port. A sixth advantage: monitoring of
biologic sample response to external stimulation can be performed non-
invasively and non-destructively through the embedded sensors, optical
port, and medium sampling port. Testing of tissue mechanical and
electrical properties (e.g. stiffness, permeability, loss modulus via
stress or creep test, electrical impedance) can be performed over time
without removing the sample from the bioreactor device. A seventh
advantage: the bioreactor sample chamber can be constructed with
multiple levels fed via separate perfusion circuits, facilitating the
growth and production of multiphasic tissues.
In addition to licensing, the technology is available for further
development through collaborative research opportunities with the
inventors.
Universally Applicable Technology for Inactivation of Enveloped Viruses
and Other Pathogenic Microorganisms for Vaccine Development
Yossef Raviv et al. (NCI).
U.S. Provisional Application filed 22 Mar 2004 (HHS Reference No. E-
303-2003/0-US-01);
PCT Application filed 22 Mar 2005 (HHS Reference No. E-303-2003/0-PCT-
02).
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; 301/435-5515; anos@mail.nih.gov.
The current technology describes the inactivation of viruses,
parasites, and tumor cells by the hydrophobic photoactivatable
compound, 1,5-iodoanpthylazide (INA). This non-toxic compound will
diffuse into the lipid bilayer of biological membranes and upon
irradiation with light will bind to proteins and lipids in this domain
thereby inactivating fusion of enveloped viruses with their
corresponding target cells. Furthermore, the selective binding of INA
to protein domains in the lipid bilayer preserves the structural
integrity and therefore immunogenicity of proteins on the exterior of
the inactivated virus. This technology is universally applicable to
other microorganisms that are surrounded by biological membranes like
parasites and tumor cells. The broad utility of the subject technology
has been demonstrated using influenza virus, HIV, SIV and Ebola virus
as representative examples. The inactivation approach for vaccine
development presented in this technology provides for a safe, non-
infectious formulation for vaccination against the corresponding agent.
Vaccination studies demonstrated that mice immunized with INA
inactivated influenza virus mounted a heterologous protective immune
response against lethal doses of influenza virus. This technology and
its application to HIV are further described in the Journal of
[[Page 4155]]
Virology 2005, volume 29, pp 12394-12400.
In addition to licensing, the technology is available for further
studies in application to vaccine development in animal models through
collaborative research opportunities with the inventors. Please contact
Dr. Yossef Raviv at yraviv@ncifcrf.gov.
Dated: January 18, 2006.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E6-909 Filed 1-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4167-01-P