The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 04, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1995
Dan W Urry, Birmingham, AL (US);
Bioelastics Research, Ltd., Birmingham, AL (US);
Abstract
A composition that expands or contracts upon a change in exposure to electrical energy is provided that comprises a protein or protein-based polymeric material having an inverse temperature transition in the range of liquid water, wherein at least a fraction of the monomers in the polymer contain an electrical energy-responsive group that undergoes a change in hydrophobicity or polarity upon a change in exposure to electrical energy and is present in an amount sufficient to provide a shift in the inverse temperature transition of the polymer upon the change in exposure to electrical energy. Compositions of the invention, including those further containing a side-chain chemical couple, can be used in a variety of different applications to produce mechanical work, cause turbidity changes, cause chemical changes in an enclosed environment, or transduce other free energies by varying the exposure to electrical energy on the composition. The degree and efficiency of mechanical or chemical change can be controlled by, inter alia, selection of the type, amount, position, and mole fraction of the electrical energy-responsive side chain group and hydrophobic residues in the polymer.