[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34695-34696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16366]


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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, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by agencies 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.

Structure Determination of Materials Using Electron Microscopy

Sriram Subramaniam (NCI)

[DHHS Reference No. E-187-01/0 filed 23 Apr 2001]

    Licensing Contact: Dale Berkley; 301/496-7735 ext. 223; e-mail: 
[email protected]
    The invention is a method for automating the acquisition of 
electron microscopic images from a desktop computer interface to 
provide for data collection by any user from any location. Automated 
low-dose image acquisition procedures are used to record high-
resolution images on either film or CCD, at desired defocus values, and 
under conditions that satisfy user-specified limits for drift rates of 
the specimen stage. In a fully automated procedure of the invention, 
the determination of regions suitable for imaging are carried out 
automatically using spiral search algorithms. All steps subsequent to 
insertion of the specimen in the microscope can be carried out on a 
remote personal computer connected to the microscope computer via the 
Internet.

Lever Coil Sensor for Respiratory and Cardiac Motion

Kenneth W. Fishbein (NIA)

DHHS Reference No. E-134-01/0 filed 30 Mar 2001]

    Licensing Contact: Dale Berkley; 301/496-7735 ext. 223; e-mail: 
[email protected]
    The invention is a device that generates a signal for synchronizing 
an MRI scanner with a subject's respiratory and cardiac motion to 
prevent blurring of the image during the scan. This device uses a small 
electromagnetic pickup coil to simultaneously sense

[[Page 34696]]

respiratory and cardiac motion and provide a synchronization signal. 
The invention uses a mechanical linkage to keep the pickup coil far 
from the center of the scanner's radio frequency and gradient coils, 
thereby eliminating artifacts in the sensor signal and magnetic 
resonance images caused by mutual inductance. The signal generated by 
this device is proportional to chest velocity rather than chest height 
and is, therefore, free of any offset voltages, permitting peak 
location with a simple threshold detector, and is large in amplitude 
even for small animal subjects. The invention operates without the need 
for any electrical leads inside the magnet and thus eliminates any burn 
hazards for the patient. This device provides an inexpensive 
alternative to commercially available bellows sensors and fiber 
optically coupled units. Unlike competing sensors, this invention can 
be inserted, removed, or adjusted without removing the subject from the 
magnet and can operate with the subject in a prone or supine position. 
This invention has applications in both animal and human imaging 
studies.

Vessel Surface Reconstruction With a Tubular Deformable Model

Yim et al. (CC)

[DHHS Reference No. E-239-01/0 filed 15 Feb 2001]

    Licensing Contact: Dale Berkley; 301/496-7735 ext. 223; e-mail: 
[email protected]
    The invention is a method for modeling a carotid or renal artery to 
measure stenosis from 3D angiographic data that may otherwise exhibit 
limited image resolution and contrast. The method reconstructs vessel 
surfaces from 3D angiographic data using a deformable model that 
employs a tubular coordinate system. Vertex merging is incorporated 
into the coordinate system to maintain even vertex spacing and to avoid 
problems of self-intersection of the surface. This method produces 
reconstructed surfaces that have a realistic smooth appearance and 
accurately represent vessel shape. The method allows for an objective 
evaluation of vessel shape and may improve the precision of shape 
measurements from 3D angiography.
    This abstract revises one published in the Federal Register on 
Tuesday, May 20, 2001 (66 FR 29154) as DHHS Reference No. E-202-00/1.

Development of Mutations Useful for Attenuating Dengue Viruses and 
Chimeric Dengue Viruses

Stephen S. Whitehead, Brian R. Murphy, Kathryn A. Hanley, Joseph E. 
Blaney Jr. (NIAID)

[DHHS Reference No. E-120-01/0 filed 22 May 2001]

    Licensing Contact: Carol Salata; 301/496-7735 ext. 232; e-mail: 
[email protected]
    Although flaviviruses cause a great deal of human suffering and 
economic loss, there is a shortage of effective vaccines. This 
invention relates to dengue virus mutations that may contribute to the 
development of improved dengue vaccines. Site directed and random 
mutagenesis techniques were used to introduce mutations into the dengue 
virus genome and to assemble a collection of useful mutations for 
incorporation in recombinant live attenuated dengue virus vaccines. The 
resulting mutant viruses were screened for several valuable phenotypes, 
including temperature sensitivity in Vero cells or human liver cells, 
host cell restriction in mosquito cells or human liver cells, host cell 
adaptation for improved replication in Vero cells, and attenuation in 
mice or in mosquitoes. The genetic basis for each observed phenotype 
was determined by direct sequence analysis of the genome of the mutant 
virus. Mutations identified through these sequencing efforts have been 
further evaluated by re-introduction of the identified mutations, 
singly, or in combination, into recombinant dengue virus and 
characterization of the resulting recombinant virus for phenotypes. In 
this manner, a menu of attenuating and growth promoting mutations was 
developed that is useful in fine-tuning the attenuation and growth 
characteristics of dengue virus vaccine candidates. The mutations 
promoting growth in Vero cells have usefulness for the production of 
live or inactivated dengue virus vaccines.

Subgenomic Replicons of the Flavivirus Dengue

Xiaowu Pang (CBER/FDA)

[DHHS Reference No. E-228-00/0 filed 09 Mar 2001]

    Licensing Contact: Carol Salata; 301/496-7735 ext. 232; e-mail: 
[email protected]
    Dengue virus, with its four serotypes Den-1 to Den-4, is the most 
important member of the Flavivirus genus with respect to infection of 
human producing diseases that range from flu-like symptoms of dengue 
fever (DF) to severe or fatal illness of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) 
and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Dengue outbreaks continue to be a 
major public health problem in densely populated areas of the tropical 
and subtropical regions, where mosquito vectors are abundant. This 
invention relates to the construction of all four types of dengue 
subgenomic replicons (chromosome and plasmid which contain genetic 
information necessary for their own replication) containing large 
deletions in the structural region (C-preM-E) of the genome. 
Immunization using these replicons should be effective in eliciting not 
only a humoral-mediated immune response but also a cell-mediated immune 
response. These replicons should be safer than a live attenuated 
vaccine because they cannot cause disease in the host and they should 
be better than subunit vaccines because they can replicate in the host.

    Dated: June 22, 2001.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 01-16366 Filed 6-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P