[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13193-13195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5511]



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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.

System and Method for Automatic Speed Adaptation Control of a Treadmill

    Description of Invention: The invention offered for further 
commercial development relates to the coupling of virtual reality 
technology with a treadmill to implement goal-oriented walking 
practices effectively and to promote improved learning skills during 
gait training. The technology will be useful in rehabilitation of 
individuals with gait impairments resulting from Parkinson's disease, 
Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, Cerebral Palsy, and Spinal Cord Injury. 
In order to allow patients practice (e.g., voluntary change of walking 
speed in a natural way), software has been developed that automatically 
updates the velocity of a treadmill following the intention of the 
person walking on the treadmill. The invention uses a swing foot 
velocity measurement to control the velocity of the treadmill which can 
quickly and precisely detect the user's intention of changing walking 
velocity. Swing foot velocity measurement allows users to voluntarily 
change walking velocity while they have a realistic feel of walking 
(such as over-ground walking). We are seeking a CRADA collaborator to 
expand implementation of the invention into a fully integrated system 
that can control treadmill velocity in real time and can be reliably 
adapted to typical commercial treadmills.
    Applications:
     Rehabilitation of individuals with gait impairments as a 
complication of Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, 
cerebral palsy, or spinal cord injury.
     The technology can also be used for walking through 
architectural models, for educational purposes (student walk through 
historical sites or geological surfaces), military or law enforcement 
training, gaming, motor and sensory rehabilitation, and exercise and 
recreation.
    Development Status: Development partner with experience designing 
virtual reality environments is sought for a CRADA collaboration.
    Inventors: Hyung S. Park (NIH/CC) and Jung Won Yoon.

    Relevant Publications:

1. Lichtenstein L, Barabas J, Woods RL, Peli E. A feedback control 
interface for treadmill locomotion in virtual environments. ACM 
Trans Appl Percept. 2007 Jan;4(1):Article No. 7; doi 10.1145//
1227134.1227141.
2. Souman JL, Giordano PR, Frissen I, De Luca A, Ernst MO. Making 
virtual walking real: Perceptual evaluation of a new treadmill 
control algorithm. ACM Trans Appl Percept. 2010 Feb;7(2):Article No. 
11; doi 10.1145//1670671.1670675.
3. Christensen RR, Hollerbach JM, Xu Y, Meek SG. Inertial force 
feedback for the treadport locomotion interface. Presence: 
Teleoperators and Virtual Environments. 2000 Feb;9(1):1-14; 
doi:10.1162/105474600566574.
4. von Zitzewitz J, Bernhardt M, Riener R. A novel method for 
automatic treadmill speed adaptation. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil 
Eng. 2007 Sep;15(3):401-409. [PubMed: 17894272]
5. Farnet MG. Treadmill having an automatic speed control system. 
U.S. Patent 5,368,532 issued November 29, 1994.
6. Potash RL, Jentges CJ, Burns SK, Potash RJ. Adaptive treadmill. 
U.S. Patent 5,314,391 issued May 24, 1994.
7. Minetti AE, Boldrini L, Brusamolin L, Zamparo P, McKee T. A 
feedback-controlled treadmill (treadmill-on-demand) and the 
spontaneous speed of walking and running in humans. J Appl Physiol. 
2003 Aug;95(2):838-843. [PubMed: 12692130]

    Patent Status: HHS Reference No. E-046-2011/0--One aspect of the 
overall invention currently exists in software form, for which the U.S. 
Government will not be seeking patent protection.
    Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
    Licensing Contacts:
     Uri Reichman, PhD, MBA; 301-435-4616; [email protected].
     Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institutes of 
Health Clinical Center is seeking statements of capability or interest 
from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, 
evaluate, or commercialize ``A system and method for automatic speed 
adaptation control of a treadmill for patients.'' Please contact Dr. 
Hyung S. Park at 301-451-7533 for more information.

Method for the Detection of a Subdural Hematoma Using a Handheld 
Hematoma Detector and Discriminator

    Description of Invention: The invention offered for licensing and 
further development is a device and method for detecting hematomas. The 
device is based on near infrared light emitted perpendicularly into a 
tissue from a non-stationary emitter and on continuous detection of the 
reflected light with a non-stationary probe. The device is designed as 
a handheld detector that can be used either in an ER or at the scene of 
an accident, which will allow the Doctor or EMT to diagnose hematoma 
for patients with a Traumatic Brain Injury at the scene. Furthermore, 
this device can be utilized to discriminate between subdural and 
epidural hematoma. The invention also discloses a novel method of data 
analysis. The specific combination and sequences of data analysis are 
performed to discriminate healthy tissue from tissue perfused with 
blood. In addition, an interface to a laptop will be provided that 
creates a 3D surface image of the location of the hematoma is 
displayed. This invention will result in a better triage and treatment 
for patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and fills a must filled 
gap in TBI health care.
    Applications:
     Diagnosis for hematoma
     Early screening and triage for diagnosis of hemorrhage 
from head trauma
     At-the-scene diagnostic
     On-going patient monitoring
     Neurosurgical procedure preparation
     The device will be useful in combat critical care and/or 
third world care where CT may not be readily available
     Potential use of the device in a field deployable sense
    Advantages:
     Improved capabilities of accurately diagnosing hematoma
     At-the-scene detection capabilities
     The device is inexpensive, simple in its design and easy 
to operate

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     Potential improvement in medical procedures
    Development Status:
     The invention is fully developed
     May need to develop a prototype for testing on phantoms
    Inventors: Jason D. Riley (NICHD) et al.
    Patent Status:
     U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/286, 626 filed 15 Dec 
2009 (HHS Reference No. E-010-2010/0-US-01)
     PCT Application No. PCT/US2010/060506 filed 15 Dec 2010 
(HHS Reference No. E-010-2010/0-PCT-02)
    Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
    Licensing Contacts:
     Uri Reichman, PhD, MBA; 301-435-4616; [email protected].
     Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of Child 
Health and Human Development, Section on Biomedical Stochastic Physics, 
is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested 
in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or 
commercialize the topic of this invention or related laboratory 
interests. Please contact Alan Hubbs, PhD at 301-594-4263 or 
[email protected] for more information.

System and Method for Monitoring and Controlling Radio Frequency 
Signals in Interventional Devices

    Description of Invention: The invention offered for licensing and 
commercial development is in the field of Interventional Magnetic 
Resonance Imaging (``iMRI''). More specifically the invention discloses 
interventional devices in which the heat generated at the device during 
the imaging process can be controlled to not exceed acceptable levels.
    Interventional devices may heat up significantly during an 
interventional MRI procedure as a result of an RF induced current on 
the device. The RF induced current is caused by the coupling between 
the interventional device and RF electrical fields generated by the 
MRI. As the magnitude of the induced RF signal increases, the amount of 
heat that is generated also increases. The system of the present 
invention measures the induced RF signal and changes a decoupling 
capacitor value by using a varactor and a control circuit to adjust the 
impedance of the device and thus controls the magnitude of the RF 
signal. This unique design renders the device and the procedures done 
with it safe.
    Applications:
     Interventional cardiology
     MRI guided surgery
    Advantages: The device may fundamentally enable any ``active'' MRI 
catheter device to be safe during real-time MRI guided interventional 
procedures. Automated feedback loops between RF power applied by the 
MRI scanner and measured power detected inside the MRI catheter coil 
can be used to assure safety of ``active'' MRI catheter devices.
    Development Status: In development. Prototype is being built.
    Inventors: Ozgur Kocaturk and Merdim Sonmez (NHLBI).
    Relevant Publication: Overall WR, Pauly JM, Stang PP, Scott GC. 
Ensuring safety of implanted devices under MRI using reversed RF 
polarization. Magn Reson Med. 2010 Sep;64(3):823-833. [PubMed: 
20593374]
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/430,311 filed 07 
Jan 2011 (HHS Reference No. E-034-2011/0-US-01)
    Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
    Licensing Contact:
     Uri Reichman, PhD, MBA; 301-435-4616; [email protected].
     Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Heart, Lung, and 
Blood Institute is seeking statements of capability or interest from 
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, 
evaluate, or commercialize safety interventional devices during iMRI 
procedures. Please contact Peg Koelble at [email protected] for 
more information.

Single Channel MRI Guidewire

    Description of Invention: The invention offered for licensing and 
commercial development is in the field of Interventional Magnetic 
Resonance Imaging (``iMRI''). More specifically the invention discloses 
a guidewire for magnetic resonance imaging with a single channel design 
to reduce complexity and to provide conspicuous tip visibility under 
MRI. In the design of the present device, the guidewire body includes 
an antenna formed from a rod and a helical coil coupled together. The 
helical coil can have multiple windings without a gap between the 
windings. The rod passes through the windings of the helical coil and 
is coupled to the helical coil using a conductive joint positioned at 
an end of the rod and at an end of the helical coil. Insulation can be 
positioned between the rod and the windings of the helical coil. The 
configuration allows visibility of the antenna along the length of a 
rod, except where it enters the windings of the coil. Thus, the tip 
visibility is enhanced as being separated from the rod.
    Applications:
     Interventional cardiology
     MRI guided surgery
    Advantages:
     The unique design of the device and its dipole antenna, 
provide a lower profile guidewire (such as coronary 0.014: guidewire) 
and it is therefore safer and more convenient to use compared with 
existing guidewires.
     The modified dipole antenna of the device can combine the 
distinct tip signal profile typical of loop antennae with the whole-
shaft visibility of dipole antennae, all operating on a single receiver 
channel. This overcomes challenges both of conspicuity and of 
undesirable coupling of comparable two-channel devices that causes 
heating.
    Development Status: In development. Prototype is being built.
    Inventors: Merdim Sonmez, Ozgur Kocaturk, and Christina E. Saikus 
(NHLBI)
    Relevant Publications:

1. Kocaturk O, Kim AH, Saikus CE, Guttman MA, Faranesh AZ, Ozturk C, 
Lederman RJ. Active two-channel 0.035'' guidewire for interventional 
cardiovascular MRI. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2009 Aug;30(2):461-465. 
[PubMed: 19629968]
2. Qian D, El-Sharkawy AM, Atalar E, Bottomley PA. Interventional 
MRI: tapering improves the distal sensitivity of the loopless 
antenna. Magn Reson Med. 2010 Mar;63(3):797-802. [PubMed: 20187186]

    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/429,833 filed 05 
Jan 2011 (HHS Reference No. E-274-2010/0-US-01)
    Related Technology: U.S. Patent Application No. 12/810,481 filed 24 
Jun 2010 (HHS Reference No. E-209-2007/0-US-03), entitled ``Active 
0.035 Guidewire with Two Separate Channels''
    Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
    Licensing Contact:
     Uri Reichman, PhD, MBA; 301-435-4616; [email protected].
     Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Heart, Lung, and 
Blood Institute is seeking statements of capability or interest from 
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, 
evaluate, or commercialize technology involving single channel MRI 
guidewires. Please contact Peg Koelble at

[[Page 13195]]

[email protected] for more information.

Active Adaptive Detuning Systems To Improve Safety of Interventional 
Devices

    Description of Invention: The invention offered for licensing and 
commercial development is in the field of Interventional Magnetic 
Resonance Imaging (``iMRI''). More specifically the invention discloses 
interventional devices in which the heat generated at the device during 
the imaging process can be controlled to not exceed acceptable levels.
    Active MRI compatible intravascular devices contain RF antenna so 
that they are visible under MRI. However, these metallic structures may 
heat up significantly during interventional MRI procedures due to eddy 
current formation over the conductive transmission lines. The 
electrical field coupling between interventional devices and RF 
transmission coils strongly depend on the device position and 
orientation within the bore and insertion length of the device. 
Currently, conventional detuning circuit is used to decouple the 
conductive intravascular device during RF transmission phase of the MRI 
by activating the circuit with a PIN diode. However, conventional 
passive techniques do not adapt for each possible orientation or 
insertion length of the device. The current invention provides for a 
new active detuning system that adapts its circuit component to limit 
heating for every possible orientation and insertion length. The system 
reads out the received current signal value during RF transmission 
phase and changes the decoupling capacitor value by using varactor and 
integrated circuit components to reach new resonant condition (very 
high impedance).
    Applications:
     Interventional cardiology
     MRI guided surgery
    Advantages: The device may fundamentally enable any ``active'' MRI 
catheter device (independent of the orientation and insertion length of 
the device) to be safe during real-time MRI guided interventional 
procedures.
    Development Status: In development. Prototype is being built.
    Inventors: Ozgur Kocaturk (NHLBI).
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/360,998 filed 07 
Jul 2010 (HHS Reference No. E-114-2010/0-US-01)
    Relevant Publication: Overall WR, Pauly JM, Stang PP, Scott GC. 
Ensuring safety of implanted devices under MRI using reversed RF 
polarization. Magn Reson Med. 2010 Sep;64(3):823-833. [PubMed: 
20593374]
    Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
    Licensing Contact:
     Uri Reichman, PhD, MBA; 301-435-4616; [email protected].
     Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Heart, Lung, and 
Blood Institute is seeking statements of capability or interest from 
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, 
evaluate, or commercialize this technology. Please contact Peg Koelble 
at [email protected] for more information.

    Dated: March 4, 2011.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2011-5511 Filed 3-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P