Device for Simulating Explosive Blast and Imaging Biological Specimens

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health problem.  Between 3.2 and 5.3 million people live with long-term disabilities resulting from TBI, and thus, contribute to the need to develop therapies that treat TBI-induced cellular damage. Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have developed a device that simulates the pressure waves resulting from explosions.

Two- and Three-Dimensional Autoradiographic Imaging Utilizing Charge Coupled Devices

A novel two- and three-dimensional autoradiographic device offers to improve the imaging of body tissues. Numerous methods and apparati have been proposed to produce a three-dimensional map or image of a distribution of radioactively-tagged tissues or chemical substances; however, many of these devices merely detect the radiation, not image it. This new device uses a charged coupling device (CCD) in combination with a microtome to produce numerous two-dimensional images of the radioactively-tagged tissue.

Spatial and Temporal Control of Gene Expression Using a Heat Shock Protein Promoter in Combination with Local Heat

In many instances, it is desirable to express exogenous genes only in certain tissues, and/or at will at certain times, and/or only to a certain degree. However, current gene transfer and exogenous gene expression protocols do not provide adequate means of simultaneously controlling which cells in a heterogeneous population are transformed and when, where, and to what degree the transferred genes are expressed. The invention provides methods for using local heat to control gene expression.

Software to Improve the Quality of Microscopy Images

Available for licensing and commercial use is software based on an iterative deconvolution procedure that recovers images that have been blurred by a known point spread function. The software provides superior results when multiple independent observations of the same specimen are obtained. An example of such observations might be the multiple views of a specimen collected by a selective illumination plane microscope (SPIM).

Method For Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging With Multiple Spin-Echoes

This application describes a new method for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. This new method does not have the limiting disadvantages of the previous techniques. The method combines multi-slice and multi-spin-echo techniques for high signal-to-noise ratio per unit time and high efficiency spectroscopic information. This invention can also produce compound weighted spectroscopic images by selecting the period between refocussing pulses according to the coupling constant of a group contained in the compound.

Method to Reduce the Bias in the Mean and Variance of Indices of Water Diffusion Anisotropy as Measured by Diffusion Tensor MRI

This invention describes several novel MRI "stains" to measure and display water diffusion anisotropy data obtained by diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI). One problem that this invention overcomes is that it significantly reduces the statistical bias in the mean and variance of the measured anisotropy of water diffusion caused by background noise in the MR images. These benefits are achieved by exploiting the idea that fiber tracts exhibiting diffusion anisotropy vary continuously in most regions.

Stem Cell Culture, Monitoring and Storage System

Available for licensing is a closed chamber that provides an environment for long-term culture of stem cells, stems cells of central nervous system (CNS) origin, embryonic stem cells, and other cells. The chamber is designed with top and bottom mounted cover slips that permit the observation of cells in culture under an optical microscope. This chamber has the ability to control volume and pressure of liquids and gases by an inlet tube and outlet tubes at two different vertical positions.

Isotropic Generalized Diffusion Tensor MRI

Scientists at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have developed a method implemented as pulse sequences and software to be used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and systems. This technology is available for licensing and commercial development. The method allows for measuring and mapping features of the bulk or average apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water in tissue – aiding in stroke diagnosis and cancer therapy assessment.

Polarimetric Accessory for Colposcope

In medical diagnostic procedures for examining the cervix and the tissues of the vagina and vulva, long working-distance (-30 cm) lighted binocular microscopes (colposcope) that provide up to 25x optical magnification are used to create an illuminated magnified view. Speculum dilations can give rise to specular reflections from the tissue surface, causing physicians to overlook possible abnormalities – thus decreasing the quality of a colposcopy. 

Resolution Doubling with Digital Confocal Microscopy

This technology includes a microscopy method that reduces the speed penalty at least 1000-fold, while retaining resolution improvement. A Digital mirror device (DMD) or sweptfield confocal unit is used to create hundreds to thousands of excitation foci that are imaged to a sample mounted in a conventional microscope and record the resulting emissions on an array detector. Detection of each confocal spot is done in our proprietary software, as is the processing and deconvolution that is used for a 2x resolution enhancement.

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