University Technologies International, Inc.

University of Calgary

Solaero Med Inc.

Uti Limited Partnership

Samuel Schurch

Laurier L Schramm

Francis H Y Green

Tamer Y El Mays

A method for treating a mammal suffering from a respiratory disease characterized by acute intermittent or chronic obstruction of the airways of the lungs, such as asthma, acute asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis comprising delivering to the lungs of the mammal a perfluorocarbon and a gas mixture comprising carbon dioxide (CO), and pharmaceutical compositions of COand perfluorocarbons are provided. The acute relief of airway obstruction provided by the said treatment provides an opportunity for concomitant or subsequent delivery of additional suitable active agent of conventional treatments.

Treatment of respiratory diseases

A method and an apparatus for determining the interfacial or surface tension, static or dynamic, between two liquids or between a gas and a liquid under conditions of varying temperature and pressure; and a method for adjusting the interfacial or surface tension in a petroleum reservoir for enhanced oil recovery. A tensiometer is provided which is capable of measuring interfacial or surface tension under pressure and temperature conditions which simulate those present in an actual petroleum reservoir. Measuring the interfacial and surface tension values under actual reservoir conditions then enables the selection of surfactants and other materials for adjusting the interfacial and surface tension to desired values for optimizing the enhanced oil recovery from that reservoir. A tensiometer is provided which includes a calibration body which is imaged along with the image of the test droplet in the tensiometer chamber. This imaging of both the calibration body and the test droplet provides the capability of correction of distortions in the image due to the nature of the chamber window for high pressure and/or high temperature measurements. The tensiometer is also provided with a surface against which the test droplet is imaged and measured, which is an annealed ionomer polymer coating on a polymer surface.

Captive droplet interfacial tensiometer and methods of use thereof

A method and an apparatus for determining the surface tension between a gas and a liquid, and wherein the surface tension of a film established on the surface of a bubble in a medium may be calculated. A liquid medium such as an aqueous medium is provided in a chamber. The container is constructed so that an air bubble may be formed in the liquid medium in the chamber and a film of a material, such as a surfactant material, can then be formed at the air-liquid interface. The chamber is also constructed so that the pressure of the liquid medium may be varied. On increasing the pressure of the liquid medium, the bubble volume and its surface area are reduced. Thus, the interfacial film is compressed, and alternatively, when the pressure of the liquid medium is reduced, the film is expanded by the expanding of the bubble. The chamber provides a complete enclosure so that the liquid medium and the surfactant are not exposed to the atmosphere. The surface tension can then be determined on recording the shape of the bubble by way of a computer calculation. Dynamic as well as static surface tension vs area relations can be obtained by adjusting the compression and expansion cycling speed. The invention is especially suitable to study surface active components relating to pulmonary surfactant because the bubble is leak proof and thus mimics the situation in the lung.

Growing community of inventors

Calgary, Canada

Samuel Schurch