Professor settles with Mitsubishi in LED/LD patent dispute
Mitsubishi is the latest company to reach a global settlement with Rothschild, a professor emeritus at Columbia University. Others who have settled include BenQ, Dalien Lumei, Epistar Corp., FOREPI, Guangzhou Hongli, Hitachi, Hugo Optotech, LG, Motorola, Pioneer Corp., Samsung Electro Mechanics, Samsung Electronics, Sanyo Electric, Sewa Electric, Sharp Corp., Shenzhen Unilight, Showa Denko, Sony Corp., and Sony Ericcson. Earlier settlements were made with Nichia Chemical and Koninklijke Philips Electronics, which included Philips Lumilid Lighting Co. and Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd.
Terms of the Mitsubishi agreement are confidential, according to Rothschild’s attorney, Albert Jacobs Jr. of Troutman Sanders LLP. However, the aggregate received from her settlements and licenses — which now have been concluded with more than 40 companies — amounts to over $27 million, Jacobs said.
“Dr. Rothschild made a seminal breakthrough in the production of LEDs and LDs, especially the blue, violet and ultraviolet LEDs that are essential to a wide variety of consumer electronics products today,” said Jacobs. “She richly deserves both scientific as well as commercial recognition for her work.”
Prof. Rothschild, who is the sole owner of US Patent Number 5,252,499, as well as the recently expired ‘618 patent and foreign patents related thereto, is currently Howe Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering at Columbia.
She conducted ground-breaking research in the 1980s and 1990s into the electrical and optical properties of so-called wide band-gap semiconductors. This research has proven pivotal in the development of short-wavelength emitting (blue and violet) diodes that are now widely used in consumer electronics.
She was issued two US patents in the early 1990s that cover methods of producing wide band-gap semiconductors for LEDs and LDs. Such LEDs and LDs have become increasingly popular in a variety of devices as a superior lighting source because of their reduced power consumption, greater reliability, longevity and greater storage capacity.
Recognized by the American Physical Society as a Notable Woman Physicist in 1998, Professor Rothschild was elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1982.
Prof. Rothschild began her research career in private industry, working with Sylvania Research Laboratories in Bayside, N.Y., in the 1950s, and later at Philips Laboratories in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. She joined the faculty at Columbia University as a Professor of Materials Science in 1985. In 2008, she was selected as a recipient of Barnard College’s Distinguished Alumna Award. She has published approximately 90 research articles and given 28 invited talks since 1980.
Modfied HIV Delivered Gene Therapy Could Treat Many Diseases
In a pilot study of two patients monitored for two years, an international team of researchers slowed the onset of the debilitating brain disease X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) using a lentiviral vector to introduce a therapeutic gene into patient’s blood cells. Although studies with larger cohorts of patients are needed, these results suggest that gene therapy with lentiviral vectors, which are derived from disabled versions of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), could potentially become instrumental in treating a broad range of human disorders
Other Gene Therapy Success and Progress
Lungs too damaged for use in transplant operations may be salvageable through a gene-based technique, doubling or tripling the supply of organs.
The flawed lungs could be removed from donors’ bodies after death and repaired using the gene IL-10, which lowers inflammation. 1800 people in the US are awaiting lung transplants.
Gene Therapy helps treat a form of blindness The condition is known as Leber’s congenital amaurosis and there are 2000 people in the US who have it.
A number of companies are developing gene therapies and 320 trials are under way or cleared to begin by U.S. regulators, said Karen Riley, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman. Genzyme Corp. of Cambridge, Massachusetts, will begin a human trial using gene therapy next year to treat macular degeneration, the leading form of age-related vision loss, said John Lacey, a Genzyme spokesman
In the new trial, reported today in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Bechir Jarraya and colleagues at the Molecular Imaging Research Center in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France, mimicked Parkinson’s in monkeys by giving them a neurotoxin that causes movement problems characteristic of the disorder. The researchers then injected three genes involved in dopamine production into the brains of the monkeys, as well as specially designed probes to measure dopamine levels in the brain, monitoring the animals for up to three and a half years. The gene therapy restored concentrations of dopamine in the brain, corrected movement problems, and prevented dyskinesias–without any severe adverse side effects. An early stage human clinical trial using the same dopamine gene therapy approach is now underway.
The Modified HIV Gene Therapy
The healthy ALD protein was expressed in about 15 percent of blood cells, yet surprisingly this low level was sufficient to slow brain disease in ALD. “This percentage of correction will not be sufficient for all diseases,” warns Aubourg. “There is a lot of work to be done to make this gene therapy vector more powerful, less complicated, and less expensive. This is only the beginning,” he said.
Gene therapy is not without serious risks. Like other retrovirus vectors, the HIV-derived lentivirus vector is tasked with inserting the therapeutic gene in the chromosomes of the patients’ cells. In a worst case scenario, this action could disturb the biology of the cells and patients could end up with leukemia; this outcome has occurred in past gene therapy trials. “The HIV-derived lentivirus vector basically has this same risk, although the design of the vector makes patients less prone to this side effect,” said Aubourg.
Wrong Diagnosis has statistics on ALD
Prevalance Rate: approx 1 in 20,000 or 0.00% or 13,600 people in USA
Wikipedia on Adrenoleukodystrophy
Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) (also known as “Addison-Schilder Disease,” “Siemerling-Creutzfeldt Disease,” and “Schilder’s disease”) is a rare, inherited disorder that leads to progressive brain damage, failure of the adrenal glands and eventually death. ALD is one disease in a group of inherited disorders called leukodystrophies. Adrenoleukodystrophy progressively damages the myelin, a complex fatty neural tissue that insulates many nerves of the central and peripheral nervous systems, eventually destroying it. Without myelin, nerves are unable to conduct an impulse, leading to increasing disability as myelin destruction increases and intensifies.
FURTHER READING
NY Times: For Gene Therapy, Seeing Signs of a Resurgence
Complete Genomics Sequences Human Genome for $1726 Cost of Materials and a New Project to Sequence 10 thousand Vertebrate Genomes
Complete Genomics’ sequencing process includes four distinct steps:
1) Sample preparation and library construction
2) Self-assembling DNA nanoarrays
3) Imaging, assembly and analysis
4) Combinatorial probe — anchor ligation (cPAL).
Complete Genomics’ scientists generated high-quality diploid base calls in as much as 95 percent of the genomes sequenced, identifying 3.2 million to 4.5 million sequence variants per genome processed.
Detailed validation of one genome dataset demonstrates a sequence accuracy of just
one false variant per 100 kilobases, a remarkably low error rate, particularly for such an affordable technology.Patterned genomic DNA nanoarrays and 70-base, unchained sequence reads are unique technical achievements. The company’s new patterned genomic DNA nanoarrays, which achieve a record high density of 2.85 billion spots per slide at 0.7 micron pitch, will enable Complete Genomics to sequence 10,000 human genomes in 2010.
Human Genome Sequencing Using Unchained Base Reads on Self-Assembling DNA Nanoarrays
Genome sequencing of large numbers of individuals promises to advance the understanding, treatment, and prevention of human diseases, among other applications. We describe a genome sequencing platform that achieves efficient imaging and low reagent consumption with combinatorial probe anchor ligation (cPAL) chemistry to independently assay each base from patterned nanoarrays of self-assembling DNA nanoballs (DNBs). We sequenced three human genomes with this platform, generating an average of 45- to 87-fold coverage per genome and identifying 3.2 to 4.5 million sequence variants per genome. Validation of one genome data set demonstrates a sequence accuracy of about 1 false variant per 100 kilobases. The high-accuracy, affordable cost of $4,400 for sequencing consumables and scalability of this platform enable complete human genome sequencing for the detection of rare variants in large-scale genetic studies.
51 page pdf with supplemental material
2. A group of genome and museum experts today launched an ambitious plan to decipher 10,000 vertebrate genomes. The Genome 10K plan, formally announced today and described online in the 5 November issue of the Journal of Heredity, is short on details: where funding will come from; what sequencing strategy to use; how to process and make use of data generated.
O’Brien, Haussler, and Ryder want to see sequencing genomes cost $2500 each—a hundred-fold decrease in the current cost or more. By waiting a few years for better sequencing technology, they expect to spend $50 million for the whole project
Eight Objectives of the Lawrenceville Plasma Physics Focus Fusion Experiments
This site has described how the Mr. Fusion scenario would change the world.
They have achieved one of eight experimental goals so far. The eight goals and the timeline they are working on as listed at FocusFusion.org.
By the End of 2009
* At 25kV (kilovolts): Produce 1 MA (million amperes), determine optimum gas pressure
Get the experimental machine to function at 25 kilovolts, the lowest planned experimental voltage, and to produce more than 1 Million Amps of current. They will also very shortly switch over to running with deuterium and thus achieve their first fusion reactions with FF-1. In achieving this goal, they will also determine the optimum gas pressure for this current.
* Test theory of axial magnetic field
The third goal is to test the theory that adding a small axial magnetic field, and thus a small amount of angular momentum, to the plasma will greatly increase the size of the plasmoids and thus the efficiency of energy transfer into the plasmoid.
* Move to 45kV, 2MA, with Deuterium
The fourth goal is to increase the charging potential on the machine, by 5 kV steps, up to the full capacity of 45 kV and in the process achieve a peak current of about 2 MA with deuterium.
* Confirm University of Texas Dense Plasma Fusion results, with better instruments
The fifth goal is to confirm the Texas results of high temperature and density, but with far more complete diagnostic instruments.
By end of 2010
* Heavier Gases: D + He + N, and shorter electrodes
The sixth goal is to confirm LPP’s theory that heavier gases will lead to higher compression and to thereby achieve gigagauss fields. This will involve running with combination of D (deteurium), He (Helium) and perhaps N (Nitrogen) and will also involve replacing the electrode with shorter ones, which they predict will be optimized for the heavier gases. These experiments are more complex and will be more time-consuming.
* pB11
The seventh goal is to demonstrate some fusion burn with pB11 (proton-boron) fuel.
* Net energy
The eighth and final goal will be to demonstrate the scientific feasibly of producing net energy with pB11.
First Goal Achieving a Pinch, Has Been Done. Why it Matters
From Focus Fusion, Eric Lerner summarizes the significance of first shots and pinch as follows:
The achievement of a pinch, and on the second shot, means that we have accomplished one of the eight technical goals of the current experimental program. The machine is doing what we designed it to do, which is to transfer energy into a tiny plasmoid. It is quite unusual for a DPF to pinch right way. Normally fine-tuning of the electrodes and insulator and “conditioning” of the electrodes by several shots is required. That this was not needed is confirmation that our electrode and insulator dimensions, derived from LPP’s quantitative theory of DPF functioning, are accurate.
Tweaking of the Experimental System to Setup for Firing/Shots
The “down time” the crew has been experiencing stems from various components in the machine which prevent the “shot” from going off as it should. The whole machine, in a sense, has to be fine tuned to eliminate leaks and losses and bring the charge to bear along the electrodes with the correct timing, and keep the gas in the vacuum.
Various components such as the vacuum, switches, triggers and so forth have been assembled, disassembled, tweaked, re-assembled.
Consider the vacuum chamber. It has many vulnerable points – there are “windows” for observation and connecting diagnostic instruments. Each connection point represents some vulnerability. Every time they change something, they have to test the vacuum again. There’s a big table in the room with FoFu, covered with tools. I visit the lab, and the guys are in there, switching out a rogowski coil from the drift tube, for example. Re-connecting it. Testing the vacuum again. This is why the machine was designed as it is, with access to walk in under the machine and constantly take things off and add things on.
Another Beyond CMOS Candidate
Theory of Nano-Electron-Fluidic Logic (NFL): A New Digital “Electronics” Concept
A new digital “electronics” concept is introduced. The concept, called nano-electron-fluidic logic (NFL), is based on the generation, propagation and manipulation of plasmons in a two-dimensional electron gas behaving as an electron fluid. NFL gates are projected to exhibit femtojoule power dissipations and femtosecond switching speeds at finite temperatures. NFL represents a paradigm shift in digital technology, and is poised as a strong candidate for “beyond- CMOS” digital logic.
* Operates with far less heat and more efficient energies (femtojoules)
* Faster switching speeds (femtosecond)
* higher density potential for devices
* Terahertz operating speeds for chips
* Propogation velocity of electron fluid is hundreds of times faster than electrons in current CMOS
* Device construction is compatible with current lithography
Nano-Electron Fluidic Logic (NFL) Device patent application 2009026764
A nano-electron fluidic logic (NFL) device for controlling launching and propagation of at least one surface plasma wave (SPW) is disclosed. The NFL device comprises a metallic gate patterned with a plurality of terminals at which SPWs may be launched and a plurality of drain terminals at which the SPWs may be detected. A wave guiding structure such as a 2 DEG EF facilitates propagation of the SPW within the structure so as to scatter/steer the SPW in a direction different from a pre-scattering direction. A bias SPW is excited by an application of a control SPW with a momentum vector at an angle to the bias SPW and a control current with a wavevector which scatters the bias SPW in the direction of at least one output SPW, towards a drain terminal. The NFL device being rendered with device speed as a function of SPW propagation velocity.
* speed of the device is a function of SPW propagation velocity in terahertz switching frequencies.
A previous paper from 2004 by Héctor J. De Los Santos: NanoMEMS SYSTEMS ON CHIP
NanoMEMS exploits the convergence between nanotechnology and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) brought about by advances in the ability to fabricate nanometer-scale electronic and mechanical device structures. While the “nano” aspect of this field is in its infancy, and is not expected to reach maturity until well into the 21st century, its “MEMS” aspect is a topic of much current and near-term impact in, for instance, RF/Wireless communications. In this context, we discuss the fundamentals of NanoMEMS, in particular, as it relates to its most speculative and futuristic paradigms and applications, and then focus on the RF/Wireless MEMS aspect, specifically in its role as enabler of ubiquitous wireless connectivity.
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