General Electric Company

Other

Egidijus Edward Uzgiris

William P Kornrumpf

Mark Lloyd Miller

Kristina Helena Valborg Hedengren

Charles P Bean

Harvey E Cline

Thomas R Anthony

Charles L Dumoulin

John Frederick Ackerman

William A Edelstein

Robert David Darrow

Ronald Dean Watkins

Peter B Roemer

Otward M Mueller

Kenneth William Rohling

Robert D Lillquist

Brian James Grimmond

Randy Otto John Giaquinto

Kirby Gannett Vosburgh

Terence Michael Barnhart

Beale Hibbs Opsahl-Ong

Lorinda R Opsahl

Michael Edward Moran

Icko T Iben

Roy J King, Jr

John A Bergeron

Ralph W De Blois

James R Yates

A method of conjugating a carboxylate-containing molecule to an amine-containing macromolecule to form a substituted macromolecule is provided. The method includes (a) forming a first solution by dissolving a substance comprising at least one macromolecule having free amine groups in an aqueous basic solution; (b) forming a second solution by combining at least one carboxylate-containing molecule with at least one acid acceptor in an aprotic solvent; (c) adding at least one carboxylate activating agent to the second solution to form an activated carboxylate-containing molecule; (d) combining the first solution and second solutions to form a multiphasic solution; and (e) isolating the resultant substituted macromolecule from the mixture. A substituted macromolecule produced by the aforementioned method is also provided. Further provided is a method of enhancing a magnetic resonance image of a subject including administering the carboxylate-containing molecule-substituted macromolecule produced by the aforementioned method.

Conjugated macromolecules

Polymeric contrast agents are used to monitor myocardial neovascularization. The agent is injected and images of the myocardium are obtained at various time intervals after injection. Localized image enhancement indicates an area of increased angiogenesis.

Method for assessing myocardial angiogenesis

An in situ breast tumor temperature profile measuring probe includes a rod, thermal sensors and electrical output leads. The thermal sensors are formed in spaced apart holes in an outer insulating layer of the rod and a common electrical input lead to provide an electrical input signal to the thermal sensors is disposed below and has portions exposed at the holes and electrically connected to the thermal sensors. The thermal sensors receive the electrical input signal from the common electrical input lead, sense the temperature of biological matter adjacent to the thermal sensors and produce an electrical output signal correlated thereto. Each electrical output lead mounted to the outer insulating layer is in electrical contact with a different one of the thermal sensors to receive the electrical output signal from the one thermal sensor and output the same.

In situ tumor temperature profile measuring probe and method

Linear extended polymeric paramagnetic chelates for use as MRI contrast agents are synthesized by conjugating DTPA chelator moieties to higher than 90% of the monomer residues of the polyamino acid backbone chain. The resulting polymer can be labeled with Gd, since each chelator moiety holds a Gd ion, and the resulting conformation is of an unfolded, extended linear type, capable of entering small pores and moving around obstacles in the extracellular space of tissues. The efficient production of these extended polymers is critical for the application of such contrast agents to medical imaging. One such agent is a reptating polymer containing technetium-99.

Extended-linear polymeric contrast agents, and synthesizing methods, for medical imaging

In a method for characterizing the angiogenesis status of a tumor in a living subject, timed magnetic resonance images of the subject into whom a reptating polymer contrast agent containing chelating diethylentriaminepentacetic acid dosed with gadolinum has been introduced are obtained. At least two images taken at different times are compared in order to determine the percentage image enhancement in a tumor region of interest. A contrast agent including a reptating polymer containing technetium-99 is used with a nuclear medicine version of this technique.

Polymeric contrast agents for characterizing tumor angiogenesis in medicalimaging

An insertable intracavity probe for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and therapy of a region of interest proximal to a cavity, the probe having a substantially rigid probe shell for insertion into the cavity. The probe shell is adapted to incorporate at least one device for imaging the region of interest. A guide track is incorporated in the probe shell and is adapted to guide at least one biopsy or therapy device to the region of interest during imaging. Intracavity regions include cervical, rectal, and other regions associated with internal cavities of a patient.

Intracavity probe for MR image guided biopsy and delivery of therapy

In a method for characterizing the angiogenesis status of a tumor in a living subject, timed magnetic resonance images of the subject into whom a reptating polymer contrast agent containing chelating diethylentriaminepentacetic acid dosed with gadolinum has been introduced are obtained. At least two images taken at different times are compared in order to determine the percentage image enhancement in a tumor region of interest.

Medical imaging method for characterizing tumor angiogenesis using polymeric contrast agents

A thermal sensor array includes a dielectric layer including a plurality of individual thermal sensors and a pattern of deposited electrical interconnections facing at least one surface of the dielectric layer for providing electrical connections from each of the plurality of individual thermal sensors, the dielectric layer and the pattern of deposited electrical interconnections being surface-conformable. The thermal sensor array can be used in a diagnostic tool that further includes: a scanning device coupled to the pattern of deposited electrical interconnections for obtaining sensor signals from the thermal sensors; and a computer for processing the sensor signals to estimate temperature distributions.

Thermal sensor array and methods of fabrication and use

Cooking speed and efficiency are increased in radiant ovens by reducing the intensity of energy emitted by the oven's radiant energy source that does not deeply penetrate food. Undesired photochemical reactions in the cooked food are also reduced or eliminated. In one embodiment, the radiant energy source includes at least one lamp having a coating that reflects at least some of the radiant energy that does not deeply penetrate food. In another embodiment, a plate that reflects or absorbs at least some of the radiant energy that does not deeply penetrate food is disposed between the radiant energy source and a location within the oven where food to be cooked is placed.

Radiant oven

Enhanced drug delivery to tumor tissue is obtained by attaching drug molecules to elongated polypeptide carrier molecules several orders of magnitude longer than wide. These are chosen to have a high net negative charge. The carrier molecules are created by unfolding long polypeptides by a large degree of substitution with steric hindrance molecules, such as diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) with at least 90% substitution. This causes the conformation to be worm-like as evidenced by a measure of persistence length, with a diameter small enough squeeze through the pore structures of tumor tissue but not so small as to pass through pores of vessels in normal tissue. The length is determined by optimizing two processes, blood circulation lifetime, and tumor uptake. The elongated conformation may cause the complex to become entwined with stroma in tumor interstitium and become trapped. The complex molecules provides increased therapeutic benefit in effecting tumor tissue destruction, or may be used in enhancing imaging contrast depending upon the active agent attached to the carrier molecules. The enhanced concentration and retention of the complex molecules within the tumor reduces side effects of the active agent in other tissues.

Tumor targeting with polymeric molecules having extended conformation

Thermal drug treatment of tumor tissue is obtained by attaching a thermally active drug to carrier molecules which have an affinity to tumor tissue. Localized heating is performed on the tumor tissue, thereby activating the drug in the tumor tissue. The end result may be concentrated delivery of a drug to a chosen tissue, or, in the case where the drug creates a toxin when heated, selective tissue destruction of a selected locations heated. The localized heat may be applied by focused ultrasound heating.

Targeted thermal release of drug-polymer conjugates

An in-situ method of extracting contaminants from a soil volume comprises applying a radiofrequency (RF) excitation signal to heat the soil with an array of electrodes. The electrodes are inserted into the contaminated volume or inserted into a matrix of holes drilled into the volume. A first row of electrodes is electrically coupled to a shield of a coaxial cable, with a second row electrically coupled to the central conductor of the coaxial cable. RF energy is applied to pairs of electrode rows through the coaxial cable and a matching network is installed in front of the electrode-row pair to maximize power flow into the electrode-row pair. This results in very evenly distributed voltages which results in even heating. A balanced-to-unbalanced transformer (balun) is installed at the input to the matching network to prevent the deposition of RF energy outside the target volume and creation of voltages that could be hazardous to personnel. The electrodes are perforated and connected to collection tubes which collect volatilized contaminant vapors and pass the vapors to a vapor treatment unit for neutralization.

Radiofrequency ground heating system for soil remediation

A method is provided for forming ordered macromolecular protein arrays by avoiding a binding pathway that leads to densely packed, disordered states during protein crystal growth, by a diffusion limited process or by allowing controlled growth to occur by removal of the initial supported protein layer to a different environment.

Method for forming 2-D crystals of proteins and macromolecules

A method is provided for making ordered monolayers of macromolecules. A supported lipid polylayer is contacted with macromolecules in an aqueous polar solution and allowed to incubate.

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Schenectady, NY, United States of America

Egidijus Edward Uzgiris