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PROBE TO DETECT SPREAD OF BREAST CANCER GETS DISTRIBUTION BOOST

April 09, 2013

DEVICE IMPROVING CANCER MANAGEMENT CO-DEVELOPED BY UH PHYSICIST

April 9, 2013-Houston- A device co-developed by a University of Houston (UH) physicist to detect the spread of breast cancer and allow physicians to better plan intervention is extending its market reach, bringing it another step closer to clinical trials in the U.S.

The SentiMag is a novel intraoperative probe that enables surgeons to more effectively locate the sentinel lymph node – the first lymph node to which a tumor’s metastasizing cancer cells drain. The highly sensitive SentiMag instrument and its associated Sienna+ tracer combine nanotechnology and advanced magnetic sensors. Their patented technology removes the need for radiation, speeds up the process and puts the detection of the sentinel lymph node directly in the hands of surgeons.

Co-developed by Audrius Brazdeikis, a research associate professor of physics in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at UH, and his colleagues at the University College of London (UCL), the device has been in use for more than a year in Europe and will now be distributed in the Middle East and Africa. Brazdeikis says approval for use in the U.S. is not far behind.

This most recent development of distribution beyond Europe is the result of an agreement signed between Sysmex Europe GmbH, a leading international company designing and producing diagnostic solutions for medical laboratories worldwide, and Endomagnetics Ltd., a UH spinoff medical devices company. Brazdeikis, who heads the Biomedical Imaging Group at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH (TcSUH), formed Endomagnetics with physics professor Quentin Pankhurst and systems engineer Simon Hattersley from UCL to bring their technology to the marketplace.

“The most rewarding aspect in this adventure has been taking our original idea and seeing it through to market introduction,” Brazdeikis said. “The biggest challenge wasn’t the technology or research or science, but actually developing collaborations across the science and business interface to make this commercialization happen.”

Current protocol for locating the sentinel node involves injecting a radioactive isotope several hours before surgery, followed by the surgeon using a highly directional Geiger counter, called a gamma probe, in the operating room to locate the lymph node with the highest radioactivity. Alternately, the SentiMag from Endomagnetics uses a detection system based on magnetics rather than radiation, with the radioactive tracer being replaced by the magnetic nanoparticle tracer and the handheld magnetic sensor replacing the gamma probe.

“This new method requires a surgeon to simply inject the area around a tumor with the Sienna+ nanoparticle, wait 30 minutes for the tracer to accumulate in the lymph nodes and then scan the area of interest using the SentiMag probe to locate the sentinel nodes,” Brazdeikis said. “In contrast to the radioactive tracer, a typical magnetic tracer has a shelf life of many months. There are no staff safety issues or disposal of radioactive waste, which lifts regulatory burdens. It also reduces overall cost for the hospital by improving surgery scheduling and, therefore, is more accessible to all patients.”

Initially funded by the UK-Texas Bioscience Initiative, the SentiMag system is currently in use in eight European Union countries – the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland. When used together with the injectable Sienna+ nanoparticle, SentiMag gives physicians the ability to better gauge the extent to which cancer has spread.

Sysmex being granted the exclusive right to provide sales and support for this revolutionary system across the European, Middle Eastern and African regions will provide a strong platform for further investment and growth. This is Endomagnetics’ first multi-region agreement, and it promises to extend widely the clinical use of the company’s technology.

“We are extremely pleased with initial customer feedback,” said Eric Mayes, CEO of Endomagnetics. “Partnering with a group as strong as Sysmex gives us the geographic scope and customer support we need to really make an impact.”

For more information, read the original news release.

Paul Chu Honored by National Academy of Inventors

January 29, 2013

Chu and Two Other UH Faculty Members Named Charter Fellows

Three University of Houston faculty members have been named Charter Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) for their outstanding contributions to scientific and technological innovation.

UH faculty members Benton Baugh, an adjunct professor in mechanical engineering, Paul Chu, a physics professor and chief scientist of the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH (TcSUH), and Dan Luss, a professor in chemical and biomedical engineering, are among 101 innovators awarded NAI Fellow status.

NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

The new fellows represent 56 universities and nonprofit research institutes, and together they hold more than 3,200 U.S. patents. They include eight Nobel laureates, 14 presidents of research universities and nonprofit research institutes, 53 members of the National Academies (National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine), two fellows of the Royal Society, 11 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, five recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, four recipients of the National Medal of Science, and 31 AAAS Fellows, among other major awards and distinctions.

The NAI Charter Fellows will be inducted by Margaret A. Focarino, the U.S. Commissioner for Patents, at the Second Annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors, on Feb. 22, in Tampa, Fla.

Academic inventors and innovators elected to the rank of NAI Charter Fellow were nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation.

Chu is founding director and chief scientist of TcSUH. In 1987, Chu and his colleagues achieved superconductivity at a temperature that would usher in a new era in materials science. Currently, Chu is actively engaged in the basic and applied research of high temperature superconductivity. His research activities also extend beyond superconductivity to magnetism and dielectrics. His work has resulted in the publication of more than 590 papers in refereed journals.

Chu has received numerous awards and honors for his outstanding work in superconductivity, including the U.S. National Medal of Science and the International Prize for New Materials. He also was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing), the Academia Sinica (Taipei), the Third World Academy of Sciences, the Electromagnetic Academy, the Russian Academy of Engineering, and The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas, and is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the Texas Academy of Sciences. In 1990, he was selected the Best Researcher in the U.S. by US News and World Report.

For more information, read the original news release.

Physics Tour Inspires Fourth-Grade Students

January 02, 2012

Students Get Exposure to Science Through Demonstrations and Lab Tours

Sixty-eight fourth-grade students from Alvin Independent School District’s Mary Marek Elementary spent a half-day at the University of Houston getting exposure to science through demonstrations and physics lab tours. Four science teachers and nine chaperones accompanied the students on December 14.

For more information, read the original news release.

Superconductivity Pioneer Paul Chu Featured in Exhibit

January 31, 2011

Superconductivity Pioneer Paul Chu Featured in Exhibit

January 31, 2011-Houston- A white lab coat and a pair of worn sneakers are almost standard-issue items for a research facility, but they don't seem to rise to the rank of museum exhibit. Yet, that's exactly where you can find one particular lab coat and an old pair of shoes worn by renowned superconductivity pioneer Paul Chu of the University of Houston.

His belongings are part of the Institute of Texan Cultures' "Texans Head to Foot," an exhibit in San Antonio featuring the shoes, hats and accessories worn by famous and inspiring Texans such as Chu, former Gov. Ann Richards, Dell Inc. founder Michael Dell, music legend Buddy Holly and entertainer Kinky Friedman. The exhibit opened Saturday (Jan. 29) and runs through May 1 at the institute, which is associated with the Smithsonian Institute.

"Shoes and hats are more than just practical clothing items, they are three-dimensional character sketches of their owners," said Sarah Gould, the exhibit's guest curator. "These shoes and hats carry inspiring stories of leadership, talent, faith and determination." Chu's lab coat bears the logo of the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston (TcSUH) and a depiction of the groundbreaking atomic model he discovered in 1987 at the university.

"To me, the coat symbolizes that discovery. Whether it tells the whole story, I'm not sure, but I hope it will remind people that here in Texas, there are different people doing very different things," Chu said. "I hope they can see that anyone can do anything significant, even someone like me. If you're in the right place, with the right people, you can do it. I hope that's what they come away with." Chu gained global recognition when he and his colleagues ushered in a new era in materials science by discovering superconductivity at above 77 degrees Kelvin, the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. Superconducting materials are now being used to make devices for energy generation, transmission and storage, as well as for ultra-fast and ultra-sensitive signal detection and magnets for magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI.

Chu founded TcSUH and now serves as executive director, continuing his research into developing new materials and achieving superconductive properties at even higher temperatures. The white sneakers Chu gave to the museum are ones he kept in his office for a while, but he couldn't part with the pair of hiking boots he has worn nearly every day for eight years. And the lab coat he dons daily is significantly more stained than the one on display in San Antonio. While the exhibit features the belongings of a number of well-known Texans, it also has items owned by lesser-known residents, including a Texas Ranger, a school teacher and a firefighter. "It was important to include Texans who may not be well-known, but whose lives have been fueled by passion and perseverance, and whose accomplishments have been undeniably inspirational," Gould said.For more information about the exhibit and the Institute of Texan Cultures, visit: www.TexanCultures.com.

About the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston (TcSUH):

TcSUH represents the largest multidisciplinary university superconductivity and related materials research effort in the United States, with over 240 faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, housed in the $22.5 million Houston Science Center and several other buildings on the UH campus. Center personnel create and develop high temperature superconducting and advanced materials and further their fundamental understanding, advanced new applications based on these materials, and disseminate fundamental and applied knowledge through extensive education and outreach programs. Strong collaborations with industry and national laboratories promote the commercialization of TcSUH research results through the TcSUH Applied Research Hub.

For more information, read the original news release.

Superconductivity listed in UH top 10 of 2010

January 11, 2011

Superconductivity listed in UH top 10 of 2010

Superconductivity Support: UH and three other institutions received a $4.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a superconducting magnet energy storage system device that could revolutionize the nation's electrical power grid. Also this year, UH's Texas Center for Superconductivity received a $3.5 million grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund to help establish TcSUH's Applied Research Hub and recruit stellar scientists and researchers in superconductivity and related materials. Read more: For more information, read the original news release.