The Penn State Research Foundation

Christopher A Siedlecki

Mark Kester

James H Adair

William Benjamin White

Carlo Pantano

Sven Gunnar Bilen

Alan J Snyder

Ian Gilchrist

Sarah M Rouse

Sean David Knecht

Girish Soorappa Kirimanjeswara

Jun Wang

Erwin Vogler

Victor Ruiz-Velasco

Michael Matthew Micci

Lawrence Sinoway

Various aspects of the invention relate to methods and devices for treating diseases and conditions including atherosclerosis and endocarditis using low-temperature, non-equilibrium plasmas. A device may be, for example, a catheter that carries electrodes and a dielectric material for generating a localized, non-equilibrium plasma in a bodily fluid such as blood.

Low-temperature plasma catheter for less-invasive, localized treatment of endocarditis and atherosclerosis

The present invention provides a method for the synthesis of unagglomerated, highly dispersed, stable core/shell nanocomposite particles comprised of preparing a reverse micelle microemulsion that contains nanocomposite particles, treating the microemulsion with a silane coupling agent, breaking the microemulsion to form a suspension of the nanocomposite particles by adding an acid/alcohol solution to the microemulsion that maintains the suspension of nanocomposite particles at a pH of between about 6 and 7, and simultaneously washing and dispersing the suspension of nanocomposite particles, preferably with a size exclusion HPLC system modified to ensure unagglomeration of the nanocomposite particles. The primary particle size of the nanocomposite particles can range in diameter from between about 1 to 100 nm, preferably from between about 10 to 50 nm, more preferably about 10 to 20 nm, and most preferably about 20 nm.

Unagglomerated core/shell nanocomposite particles

Growing community of inventors

Harrisburg, PA, United States of America

Christopher A Siedlecki