UNM Rainforest Innovations

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued ten U.S. patents to UNM Rainforest Innovations during the months of January, February, and March for technologies invented at the University of New Mexico. The patents, issued during UNM Rainforest Innovations’ 2022 fiscal third quarter, are for a variety of technologies created by researchers in the Departments of Neurology; Molecular Genetics & Microbiology; Pathology; Earth & Planetary Sciences; Physics & Astronomy; Chemical & Biological Engineering; Chemical & Nuclear Engineering; the Center for High Technology Materials; and the Center for Micro-Engineering Materials.

Issued Patent for “Enzymatically active high-flux selectively gas-permeable membranes for enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture
Patent No. 11,219,869, issued January 11, 2022
Inventors: Susan Rempe, Ying-Bing Jiang, Juan Vanegas, C. Jeffrey Brinker, Joseph L. Cecchi
(Ref. 2017-075)

The present invention provides a membrane structure for moving a gaseous object species from a first region having an object species first concentration, through the membrane structure, to a second region having an object species second concentration different from the first concentration is described. The membrane also includes a liquid transport medium within the hydrophilic layer. The liquid transport medium includes a liquideous permeation medium and at least one enzyme within the liquideous permeation medium.

Issued Patent for “Compensation of magnetic field inhomogeneity in MR spectroscopic imaging using dynamic k-space expansion in combination with parallel imaging
Patent No. 11,221,388, issued January 11, 2022
Inventors: Stefan Posse
(Ref. 2018-099)

A method for the compensation of magnetic field inhomogeneity in magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging comprising the steps of using dynamic k-space expansion in combination with parallel imaging.

Issued Patent for “Ring laser integrated with silicon-on-insulator waveguide
Patent No. 11,239,634, issued February 1, 2022
Inventors: Marek Osinski, Gennady Smolyakov
(Ref. 2016-066)

The present invention provides one or more injection-lockable whistle-geometry semiconductor ring lasers, which may be cascaded, that are integrated on a common silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with a single-frequency semiconductor master laser, wherein the light output from the semiconductor master laser is used to injection-lock the first of the semiconductor ring lasers. The ring lasers can be operated in strongly injection-locked mode, while at least one of them is subjected to direct injection current modulation.

Issued Patent for “Synthetic long read DNA sequencing
Patent No. 11,248,271, issued February 15, 2022
Inventor: Jeremy S. Edwards
(Ref. 2014-039)

A method for sequencing long portions of DNA sequence by assembling a plurality of shorter polynucleotide reads. Generally, the method includes annealing a plurality of primers to a denatured DNA molecule, appending a barcode polynucleotide to the 5′ end of the primer, subjecting the DNA molecules to a plurality of cycles of (1) pooling, (2) dividing, and (3) appending a barcode polynucleotide to the 5′ end of the primer, sequencing the barcode polynucleotides and the genomic DNA, and assembling the short read polynucleotide sequences having identical barcode polynucleotides.

Issued Patent for “Hybrid materials for biochemical applications
Patent No. 11,262,353, issued March 1, 2022
Inventors: Nikolai Kalugin, Alexey Serov, Lindsay Candelaria, Peter Kalugin
(Ref. 2016-082)

Materials and methods for the design of hybrid materials comprising a conducting matrix, organic modifiers/linkers and modifying molecules. The particular applications may include electrodes to living cells, affinity chromatography, scaffolding for tissue engineering, substrates for Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis, self-organized fabrication of electronic and optoelectronic devices and materials, biomolecular sensors, electronic (non-optical) DNA sequencing

Issued Patent for “Systems and devices for protease detection based on engineered polymers and biopolymers and methods of use
Patent No. 11,268,127, issued March 8, 2022
Inventors: Gabriel Lopez, Ashutosh Chilkoti, Ali Ghoorchian, Felipe Garcia Quiroz
(Ref. 2020-038)

The invention includes modular peptide-substrate protease assays, in particular low cost and reliable methodology for measurement of protease and other enzyme activity that may be detected by optical turbidimetry or visual observation. The presently disclosed subject matter also relates to methods of using the disclosed assays within methods of detecting and monitoring diseases, methods of drug discovery, as well as in detection devices and systems.

Issued Patent for “Rapid culture free pathogen detection via optical spectroscopy
Patent No. 11,275,028, issued March 15, 2022
Inventors: Aaron Neumann, Anatoliy Pinchuk, Ke Jiang
(Ref. 2017-018)

Described here are methods and apparatus for rapid, culture and/or label free pathogen detection. The methods utilize optical spectroscopy techniques to identify and/or characterize pathogens in a sample via the detection of unique properties and/or analytes that are specific to particular pathogens.

Issued Patent for “Plasmonic nanoparticles, methods of making plasmonic nanoparticles and sensors made therefrom
Patent No. 11,275,089, issued March 15, 2022
Inventors: Ravinder Jain, Abhaya Datye, Ying-Bing Jiang
(Ref. 2016-057)

A method of making free-standing ALD-coated plasmonic nanoparticles. The method comprises providing a plurality of semiconductor quantum dots. One or more conformal layers of dielectric material are deposited over the quantum dots to form dielectric-coated quantum dots. A conformal metallic nanoshell is deposited over the dielectric-coated quantum dots to form plasmonic nanoparticles. At least one layer chosen from i) the conformal layers of dielectric material and ii) the conformal metallic nanoshell is deposited using a vapor phase atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. Plasmonic nanoparticles and systems employing the nanoparticles are also disclosed.

Issued Patent for “Additively manufactured resistive switch
Patent No. 11,283,020, issued March 22, 2022
Inventors: Lok-kun Tsui, John B. Plumley, Fernando Garzon, Benjamin Brownlee, Thomas L. Peng
(Ref. 2019-084)

The present invention provides a resistive switch having a first platinum layer, an electrolyte layer that is formed by extrusion based additive manufacturing, a silver layer, and a second platinum layer, and methods of manufacturing and using the resistive switch.

Issued Patent for “Bimetallic non-PGM alloys for the electrooxidation of gas fuels in alkaline media
Patent No. 11,289,710, issued March 29, 2022
Inventors: Plamen Atanassov, Alexey Serov, Monica Padilla, Ulises Martinez
(Ref. 2013-055)

Electrooxidative materials and various method for preparing electrooxidative materials formed from an alloy of oxophilic and electrooxidative metals. The alloy may be formed using methods such as spray pyrolysis or mechanosynthesis and may or may not include a supporting material which may or may not be sacrificial as well as the materials.

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