The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued twelve U.S. patents to UNM Rainforest Innovations during the months of April, May, and June, for technologies invented at the University of New Mexico. The patents, issued during UNM Rainforest Innovations’ 2021 fiscal fourth quarter, are for a variety of technologies created by researchers in the Departments of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology; Pathology; Pediatrics; Surgery; Internal Medicine – Molecular Medicine; Chemistry; Chemical & Biological Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Electrical & Computer Engineering; Chemical & Nuclear Engineering; the Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center for High Technology Materials.
Issued Patent for “Innovative Nanopore Sequencing Technology Including a Self-Assembled Porous Membrane”
Patent No. 10,969,364, issue date April 6, 2021
This technology is currently licensed.
Inventors: Steven R.J. Brueck, Jeremy S. Edwards, Alexander Neumann, C. Jeffrey Brinker, Yuliya Kuznetsova, Edgar A. Mendoza
This invention provides methods and apparatus for long read, label-free, optical nanopore long chain molecule sequencing. In general, the present disclosure describes a novel sequencing technology based on the integration of nanochannels to deliver single long-chain molecules with widely spaced (>wavelength), about .1-nm aperture “tortuous” nanopores that slow translocation sufficiently to provide massively parallel, single base resolution using optical techniques. A novel, directed self-assembly nanofabrication scheme using simple colloidal nanoparticles is used to form the nanopore arrays atop nanochannels that unfold the long chain molecules. At the surface of the nanoparticle array, strongly localized electromagnetic fields in engineered plasmonic/polaritonic structures allow for single base resolution using optical techniques.
Issued Patent for “Fabrication of Enclosed Nanochannels using Silica Nanoparticles”
Patent No. 10,976,299, issue date April 13, 2021
This technology is currently licensed.
Inventors: Steven R.J. Brueck, Alexander Neumann, Yuliya Kuznetsova
In accordance with the disclosure, a method of forming a nanochannel is provided. The method includes depositing a photosensitive film stack over a substrate; forming a pattern on the film stack using interferometric lithography; depositing a plurality of silica nanoparticles to form a structure over the pattern; removing the pattern while retaining the structure formed by the plurality of silica nanoparticles, wherein the structure comprises one or more enclosed nanochannels, wherein each of the one or more nanochannels comprise one or more sidewalls and a roof; and partially sealing the roof of one or more nanochannels, wherein the roof comprises no more than one unsealed nanochannel per squared micron.
Issued Patent for “Method of Dispersing Nanoparticles in Different Mediums and Methods to Achieve Superior Thermoelectric Performances in Carbon Nanotube Polymer Systems”
Patent No. 10,978,629, issue date April 13, 2021
Inventor: Mehran Tehrani
Provided herein is a method for forming a composite. The method can include mixing a plurality of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and a plurality of magnetic nanoparticles in a non-polar medium. At least some of the plurality of CNTs form entangled CNTs. The method also includes attaching first ones of the plurality of magnetic nanoparticles to exposed surfaces of the entangled CNTs; disentangling the entangled CNTs to form a plurality of dispersed CNTs; and aligning the plurality of dispersed CNTs. The disentangling of the entangled CNTs to form a plurality of dispersed CNTs includes exposing the plurality of magnetic nanoparticles and the plurality of entangled CNTs to electromagnetic energy.
Issued Patent for “Method for Treating Obesity, Diabetes, Cardiovascular and Kidney Diseases by Regulating GPR30/GPER Activity”
Patent No. 10,980,785, issue date April 20, 2021
This technology is currently licensed.
Inventors: Eric R. Prossnitz, Geetanjali Sharma, Matthias Barton, Matthias R. Meyer
The current invention is in the field of molecular biology/pharmacology and provides methods of using compounds that modulate the effects of GPR30/GPER for treating obesity and diabetes (preferably agonists) as well as disease states and/or conditions that result from excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (preferably antagonists). These compounds may function as agonists and/or antagonists of the disclosed estrogen receptor and/or modulate the expression/upregulation of nox and nox-associated reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Issued Patent for “Anti-pre-BCR Antagonists and Methods”
Patent No. 10,988,533, issue date April 27, 2021
This technology is currently licensed.
Inventors: Bridget S. Wilson, Stuart S. Winter, Michael Frank Erasmus, Michael Horowitz
This disclosure describes the identification of pre-B Cell Receptor (pre-BCR) antagonists and the use of pre-BCR antagonists as a targeted therapy. The compositions and methods generally involve a composition that includes a pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) antagonist and is engineered for expression as a T cell chimeric receptor. In some embodiments, the pre-BCR antagonists can include an anti-pre-BCR antibody.
Issued Patent for “Integrated Bound-Mode Spectral/Angular Sensors”
Patent No. 10,989,590, issue date April 27, 2021
This technology is currently licensed.
Inventors: Steven R.J. Brueck, Alexander Neumann, Payman Zarkesh-Ha
A 2-D sensor array includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of pixels disposed on the semiconductor substrate. Each pixel includes a coupling region and a junction region, and a slab waveguide structure disposed on the semiconductor substrate and extending from the coupling region to the region. The slab waveguide includes a confinement layer disposed between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The first cladding and the second cladding each have a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of the confinement layer. Each pixel also includes a coupling structure disposed in the coupling region and within the slab waveguide. The coupling structure includes two materials having different indices of refraction arranged as a grating defined by a grating period. The junction region comprises a p-n junction in communication with electrical contacts for biasing and collection of carriers resulting from absorption of incident radiation.
Issued Patent for “Method for Generating Single Picosecond Optical Pulses with Substantially Suppressed Transient Emission Tail in Semiconductor Diode Laser”
Patent No. 10,992,106, issue date April 27, 2021
Inventors: Marek Osinski, Gennady A. Smolyakov
This invention describes a method for generating single optical pulses of picosecond-range duration with suppressed transient emission tails.
Issued Patent for “Rugged, Single Crystal Wide-Band-Gap-Material Scanning-Tunneling-Microscopy/Lithography Tips”
Patent No. 11,002,758, issue date May 11, 2021
Inventors: Steven R.J. Brueck, Daniel Feezell, John Randall, Tito Busani, Joshua B. Ballard, Mahmoud Behzadirad, Ashwin Krishnan Rishinaramangalam
Provided is a composite metal-wide-bandgap semiconductor tip for scanning tunneling microscopy and/or scanning, tunneling lithography, a method of forming, and a method for using the composite metal-wide-bandgap semiconductor tip.
Issued Patent for “Double Gate Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor”
Patent No. 11,008,611, issue date May 18, 2021
Inventors: Payman Zarkesh-Ha, Steven R.J. Brueck, Jeremy Edwards
Described here are devices that include a substrate; a source region and a drain region formed within the substrate and having a channel region provided therebetween; a first insulating layer formed over the channel region; a first floating gate formed over the first insulating layer, the first floating gate configured to respond to an analyte in a target material; and a second gate formed over the first floating gate, the second gate capacatively coupled but not electrically connected to the first floating gate.
Issued Patent for “Proppant Compositions and Methods of Use”
Patent No. 11,028,318, issue date June 8, 2021
Inventors: Richard A. Kemp, Timothy J. Boyle, Bernadette A. Hernandez-Sanchez, James E. Miller, Chad Cannan, Terrence Palisch
Proppant compositions for use in hydraulic fracturing and methods of using same are disclosed herein. The proppant compositions include a plurality of proppant particulates and at least one particulate of the plurality of proppant particulates containing at least one tracer, wherein the at least one tracer separates from the at least one particulate located inside a fracture of a subterranean formation after a period of time.
Issued Patent for “Arginine-Rich Polypeptide Compositions and Methods of Using Same”
Patent No. 11,045,519, issue date June 29, 2021
Inventors: Zurab Surviladze, Michelle A. Ozbun, Andrew Cowan
Described here is an arginine-rich polypeptide composition that includes an arginine-rich polypeptide and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Generally, the arginine-rich polypeptide has at least nine arginine residues that represent at least 10% of the amino acid residues in the polypeptide. The arginine-rich polypeptide may be used in a method of inhibiting a human papilloma virus (HPV) from binding to a cell, a method of inhibiting intracellular processing of human papilloma virus (HPV) by a cell, or a method of treating a subject having, or at risk of having, a human papilloma virus (HPV) infection.
Issued Patent for “Lipid-Coated Particles for Treating Viral Infections”
Patent No. 11,045,554, issue date June 29, 2021
Inventors: Jeffrey C. Brinker, Torri Rinker, Oscar Negrete, Annette Estelle LaBauve
The present invention relates to lipid-coated particles for treating viral infections, including viral encephalitis infections. In particular, an antiviral compound can be disposed within the lipid-coated particle, thereby providing an antiviral carrier. Methods of making and using such carriers are described herein.