[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 191 (Friday, October 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 59798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24985]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Analytical Instruments 
Utilizing Condensation Particle Counters for the Detection and Analysis 
of Small Aerosol Particles

AGENCY: Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This is notice, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 
part 404, that the Public Health Service, Department of Health and 
Human Services, is contemplating the grant of an exclusive license to 
Kanomax Japan, Inc. having a principal place of business in Osaka, 
Japan, to practice the inventions embodied in U.S. Provisional Patent 
Application No. 62/026,559, filed on 18 July 2014, entitled ``Aerosol 
Particle Growth Systems for Personal Sampling Applications Using 
Polymer Electrolyte Membranes'' [HHS Reference No. E-026-2014/0-US-01]. 
The patent rights in these inventions have been assigned to the United 
States of America. The territory of the prospective exclusive patent 
license may be worldwide, and the field of use may be limited to 
``Analytical instruments comprising condensation particle counters 
(CPCs) for the sampling, detection, counting and analysis of ultrafine 
and nano-sized aerosol particles.''

DATES: Only written comments and/or applications for a license that are 
received by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer on or before November 
2, 2015 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for a copy of the patent application, inquiries, 
comments and other materials relating to the contemplated license 
should be directed to: Tara L. Kirby, Ph.D., Chief, CDC Unit, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive 
Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852-3804; Telephone: (301) 435-
4426; Facsimile: (301) 402-0220; Email: [email protected]. A signed 
confidential disclosure agreement may be required to receive copies of 
the patent application assuming it has not already been published under 
the publication rules of either the United States Patent and Trademark 
Office or the World Intellectual Property Organization.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Hazardous airborne particles pose a risk for 
health and safety in a variety of environments and thus detection of 
these small particles is essential. Current particle magnification 
systems are bulky and require a lot of power for operation, making them 
unsuitable to easily detect and analyze small particles in mobile and 
personal settings.
    The CDC has developed space-saving miniature instrumentation and 
methods for the direct sampling and analysis of small particles 
(diameter <300-400 nm). The systems can effectively sample air at a 
rate of a few liters per minute and concentrate the particulate matter 
into microliter or milliliter liquid samples. The novel system uses 
proton exchange membranes to grow small particles for optical detection 
using standard methods. Further, these methods allow the system to 
separate condensation and aerosol flow to enhance user mobility. 
Moreover, the described methods use inexpensive materials and require 
low power for operation.
    The prospective exclusive license will be royalty bearing and will 
comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 
404. The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless, within 
thirty (30) days from the date of this published notice, the NIH Office 
of Technology Transfer receives written evidence and argument that 
establishes that the grant of the contemplated license would not be 
consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404.
    Properly filed competing applications for a license in the 
prospective field of use that are filed in response to this notice will 
be treated as objections to the contemplated license. Comments and 
objections submitted in response to this notice will not be made 
available for public inspection, and, to the extent permitted by law, 
will not be released under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 
552.

    Dated: September 28, 2015.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Acting Director, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of 
Health.
[FR Doc. 2015-24985 Filed 10-1-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P