UNM Rainforest Innovations

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued four U.S. patents to UNM Rainforest Innovations during the months of October, November, and December for technologies invented at the University of New Mexico. The patents, issued during UNM Rainforest Innovations’ 2024 fiscal second quarter, are for a variety of technologies created by researchers in the Departments of Physics & Astronomy, Chemical & Biological Engineering; Molecular Genetics & Microbiology; and the Center for Micro-Engineered Materials. 

Issued Patent for “Materials with Atomically Dispersed Chemical Moieties

Patent No. RE49,701, issued October 17, 2023

Inventors: Alexey Serov, Plamen Atanassov

(Ref. 2015-081)

Described here are synthetic materials that are useful as heterogeneous catalysts or electrocatalysts. The materials can be used to catalyze oxidation and/or reduction reactions and/or oxygen/hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions. 

Issued Patent for “Methods and Compositions for Treating Autophagy Related Disease States and Conditions Utilizing AMPK Activation

Patent No. 11,819,498, issued November 21, 2023

Inventors: Vojo P. Deretic, Jia Cassano, Bhawana Bissa

(Ref. 2020-015)

The present invention is directed to the discovery that AMPK activation through Galectin 9 induces autophagy and affects other related processes in response to lyosomal damage which occurs and the use of that mechanism in the treatment of autophagy disease states and/or conditions. The use of modulators of AMPK and optionally a modulator of Galectin 9, TAK1 and/or a lysosomotropic agent for the treatment of autophagy-mediated disease states and/or conditions is described as are pharmaceutical compositions. 

Issued Patent for “Spectroscopy in Frequency, Time, and Position with Correlated Frequency Combs

Patent No. 11,821,838, issued November 21, 2023

Inventors: Jean-Claude Diels, Ladan Arissian

(Ref. 2019-096) 

Apparatus, systems, and methods associated with remote phase and amplitude spectroscopy in frequency, time, and position with correlated frequency combs are applicable in a variety of applications. Multiple beams can be generated from a single laser source, where, in the frequency domain, the multiple beams are frequency combs with equal repetition rates and shifted in frequency from each other. One or more of the multiple beams can be directed to interact with a sample with another one of the multiple beams used as a reference beam. The interaction can include transmission of one of the multiple beams as a signal beam through the sample, reflection of one of the multiple beams as a signal beam from the sample, or backscattering from the sample. Results from the interaction can be analyzed.

Issued Patent for “High Resolution, High Conductivity Components by Aerosol Jet Printing

Patent No. 11,825,609, issued November 21, 2023

Inventors: Lok-Kun Tsui, Judith M. Lavin

(Ref. 2021-051) 

Highly conductive electrical traces formed over mechanical steps or on non-planar surfaces with linewidths of 10 to 100 μm and a method for forming such electrical traces are disclosed. The method employs two steps, with the first step using an aerosol jet printing (AJP) process to form thin electrical traces that serve as the seed layers for the second step. The first step preferably employs multiple passes with the AJP to create multiple seed sub-layers with improved continuity and conductivity. In the second step, the seed layers are subjected to an electrodeposition process that forms the bulk of the thickness of the electrical traces. The electrodeposition process may include one, two, or three phases at corresponding low or high biases, with low biases providing denser, more highly conductive plating sub-layers, while high biases provide plating sub-layers having better gap bridging properties. 

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