December 14, 2016
The University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute reported that Pitt Innovators were issued 13 U.S. patents in November 2016.
Featured Patents
US 9,482,638 "Graphene Composition and Method of Forming a Graphene Composition and Sensor System"
Alexander Star, professor of chemistry, and members of his research group Gregg Kotchey and Narasimha Vedala, developed a new carbon based material called holey reduced graphene oxide, together with a device for selective hydrogen gas detection. These discoveries have applications in electronic detection of hydrogen gas at parts per million levels. The new material also can be used for fabrication of other sensors and separation membranes. The technology has the advantages of operation at ambient room temperature, leading to reduced power consumption and the device is not sensitive to interfering gases such as carbon monoxide and methane. For more information on this technology, contact licensing manager George Coulson.
US 9,492,408 "Protection from Chemical Induced Acute Lung Injury"
George Leikauf, professor of environmental and occupational health, has discovered a method of protecting a person's lungs from chemical induced acute lung injury, such as from a chemical weapons attack, through the administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a PTEN inhibitor. For more information on this technology, contact licensing manager Maria Vanegas.
Below are the 13 patents issued to Pitt innovators in November 2016:
| Patent Number | Title | Inventor(s) | Licensing Manager | Status |
| 9,480,776 | Extracellular Matrix Based Gastroesophageal Junction Reinforcement Device | Stephen Badylak; Thomas Gilbert; Alejandro Nieponice | Alex Ducruet | Available for Licensing |
| 9,482,638 | Graphene Composition, Method of Forming a Graphene Composition and Sensor System | Alexander Starr, Gregg Kotchey, Narasimha Vedala | George Coulston | Available for Licensing |
| 9,483,685 | System and Method for Automated Identification of Abnormal Ciliary Motion | Srinivas Chennubhotla; Shannon Quinn; John Durkin; Maliha Zahid; Richard Francis; Cecilia Wen Ya Lo | Robert Racunas | Available for Licensing |
| 9,488,710 | MRI Pulse Sequence Based on Q-Space Trajectory Technique | Fernando Boada; Stephen Yutzy | Robert Racunas | Available for Licensing |
| 9,489,731 | Directional Diffusion Fiber Tracking | Walter Schneider; Sudhir Pathak | Robert Racunas | Available for Licensing |
| 9,490,028 | Low-Power Pulse Width Encoding Scheme and Counter-Less Shift Register That May Be Employed Therewith | Marlin H. Mickle; Ajay Ogirala; Vyasa Sai | George Coulston | Available for Licensing |
| 9,492,313 | Method and Apparatus of Noninvasive, Regional Brain Thermal Stimuli for the Treatment of Neurological Disorders | Eric Nofzinger | Janice Panza | Licensed-Exclusive |
| 9,492,408 | Protection From Chemical-Induced Acute Lung Injury | George Leikauf | Maria Vanegas | Available for Licensing |
| 9,492,450 | Inhibition of Dynamin Related Protein 1 to Promote Cell Death | Bennett Van Houten; Wei Qian | Maria Vanegas | Available for Licensing |
| 9,498,221 | Implantable Medical Devices Having Double-Walled Microspheres | Kacey Marra; Lauren Kokai | Janice Panza | Available for Licensing |
| 9,499,791 | Skeletal Muscle Augmentation Utilizing Muscle-Derived Progenitor Compositions and Treatments Thereof | Johnny Huard; Michael Chancellor; Christopher Capelli; Zhuqing Peterson | Alex Ducruet | Licensed-Exclusive |
| 9,504,424 | Skin Screw Electrodes | Mingui Sun; Wenyan Jia; Robert Sclabassi | Janice Panza | Available for Licensing |
| 9,506,032 | Engineered Biological Pacemakers | Yoram Vodovotz; Maxim Mikheev; Edward Lakatta; Victor Maltsev; Syevda Direnko; Ihor Zahanich | Maria Vanegas | Available for Licensing |