Intellectual Property Law

US Patent 7662873 - Nanobarcode for textiles

Posted on February 21, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662873.htmlThis patent from Nano-Tex has a relatively early priority date (Feb.22,2003) and includes some basic claims to using metallic nanoparticles as a type of barcode for tracking textiles, paper, or other fibrous materials...

US Patent 7662732 - Preparation of planar patterned CNT array

Posted on February 21, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662732.htmlPorous templates such as anodic alumina have frequently been used to form vertically aligned arrays of nanotubes and nanowires for use in applications such as field emission displays and chemical sensors. This patent from Samsung teaches another method involving porous templates to form horizontally aligned carbon nanotube arrays to manufacture transparent electrodes...

US Patent 7662731 - Q-dot manipulation in superfluid

Posted on February 18, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662731.htmlThis patent is from Japan Science and Technology Agency and teaches a way to manipulate and sort quantum dots using a system similar to optical tweezers in a superfluid environment and which may be useful to experiments in quantum computing...

US Patent 7662648 - IC inspection using nanotube electron emitters

Posted on February 18, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662648.htmlCarbon nanotubes have been employed as electron emitters in numerous applications such as flat panel displays, pressure sensors, and as e-beam lithography. This patent from Micron Technology introduces a new application in testing integrated circuits...

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US Patent 7662321 - Graphene plate alignment for nanocomposites

Posted on February 18, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662321.htmlAlignment of nanostructures generally helps to optimize the mechanical strength and electrical conductivity of nanocomposite materials. This patent from Nanotek Instruments teaches an alignment method applicable to graphene nanostructures...

US Patent 7662300 - Method of preparing nanoporous material

Posted on February 17, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662300.htmlNanoporous materials have been suggested to improve the efficiency of energy storage and conversion devices such as supercapacitors and fuel cells. This patent from Samsung teaches a method for controlling the size and uniformity of the nanopores in such materials...

US Patent 7662298 - Density gradient separation of CNTs

Posted on February 17, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662298.htmlThis patent is from Northwestern University and teaches a technique called density gradient ultracentrifugation allowing for segregation of single walled carbon nanotubes based on their bandgap. An article on the process is available here...

US Patent 7662288 - Nanobubble water pretreatment

Posted on February 17, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662288.htmlThis patent from Sharp teaches a way to induce nanoscale bubbles in water in order to activate aerobic or anaerobic microorganisms and help recycle waste water. Claim 1 reads:1. A water treatment method, comprising:a first step of introducing micro-nano bubbles of air or nitrogen into at least one of a plurality of upstream water treatment devices to produce treatment water; anda second step of pretreating said treatment water to produce pretreatment water and treating said pretreatment water in a downstream waste water treatment device.

US Patent 7659631 - Microscale to nanoscale electronic interconnect

Posted on February 09, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7659631.htmlThere have been a variety of suggestions to integrate nanoelectronic circuit architectures based on crossbars with microelectronic circuit architectures based on CMOS. However, due to differences in the pitch and wiring dimensions this is not an easy task...

US Patent 7659139 - Selective CNT destruction by irradiation

Posted on February 09, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7659139.htmlThe fabrication of single walled carbon nanotubes usually results in a mixture of about 1/3 metallic nanotubes and 2/3 semiconducting nanotubes. Several methods exist to sort the metallic from the semiconducting nanotubes such as using ac dielectrophoresis, DNA chromatography, and destruction of metallic nanotubes by electric current...

US Patent 7657447 - Nanomaterial risk evaluation

Posted on February 07, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7657447.htmlBusiness method patents are a controversial area concerned with some non-technological areas such as finance, tax systems, and risk assessment. Usually this is far from the realm of nanotechnology but this patent from Hartford Fire Insurance Company discloses a business method for risk assessment of nanomaterials...

US Patent 7657142 - Manufacture of nanoparticle optical fiber

Posted on February 07, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7657142.htmlTelecommunication systems often employ glass fibers doped with ions to amplify optical signals. Nanoparticles have been proposed to assist in such doping but have been subject to oxidation which limit their effectiveness...

US Patent 7656252 - MEMS resonator with tapered electrode

Posted on February 07, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7656252.htmlThis patent is from Seiko Epson and teaches a MEMS resonator less susceptible to etching residue and current leakage by providing a tapered contact electrode. Claim 1 reads: 1. A micro-electro-mechanical-system resonator, comprising:a substrate;a fixed electrode formed on the substrate; anda movable electrode, arranged facing the fixed electrode and driven by an electrostatic attracting force or an electrostatic repulsion force that acts on a gap between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode;wherein the fixed electrode has a tapered surface on a side thereof...

Memjet® - Microelectromechanical Inkjet Printing

Posted on February 06, 2010
Several years ago I worked as a U.S. Patent Examiner in the area of inkjet printing technology. Most of the companies which filed patent applications in this area are fairly well known such as Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Seiko-Epson, and Xerox. However, there was one company called Silverbrook Research which was not well known but nevertheless was filing patent applications at a similar pace to these larger companies...

US Patent 7655942 - Programmable quantum dot fiber

Posted on February 04, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655942.htmlWil McCarthy is a science-fiction writer and inventor who has patented a type of programmable matter based on quantum dots. While the enablement of the technology appeared speculative to me it seems to be under development by RavenBrick LLC to create electrochromic effects...

US Patent 7655548 - Nanotube switch for smart power ICs

Posted on February 04, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655548.htmlSmart power grids use software to more effectively distribute energy based on monitored use. This patent from LSI Corporation teaches using nanotube switches to implement a similar smart power system in integrated circuitry...

US Patent 7655544 - Self-assembling quantum nanostructures using laser interference

Posted on February 04, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655544.htmlThis patent from Utah State University teaches a manufacturing method for growing InAs quantum wires on a GaAs substrate using a laser interference patterning technique. Claim 1 reads:1. A method of producing self-assembling quantum nanostructures, the method comprising:depositing epitaxially on a substrate at least one layer of a semiconductor material;creating at least one laser interference pattern with a laser; anddirecting the at least one laser interference pattern onto the substrate thus nanoheating the deposited semiconductor material and the substrate with the laser interference pattern,wherein the self-assembling quantum nanostructures are produced at the maxima of the laser interference pattern...

US Patent 7655479 - Q-dot biomarker for cancer detection

Posted on February 03, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655479.htmlThis patent is from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and teaches the use of photo-enhanced nanocrystals to assist in the early detection of ovarian or lung cancer. Claim 1 reads:1. A luminescent, bio-conjugate for use in the detection of cancerous and precancerous biomarkers in a sample, comprising: a luminescent semi-conductor nanoparticle; wherein the nanoparticle is photo-enhanced with electromagnetic energy at between 325 nm and 488 nm, thereby generating electron-hole carrier pairs; and at least one antibody associated with at least one cancer to be detected...

US Patent 7655302 - Power transmission with nanotube fiber

Posted on February 03, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655302.htmlIn the 1990's a series of basic discoveries regarding carbon nanotubes were made by Richard Smalley's group at William Marsh Rice University. Patents based on this basic research are still being issued to Rice and are being commercialized by Unidym...

US Patent 7653996 - Nanoparticles for crack repair in gas turbine

Posted on February 03, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7653996.htmlTurbine engines undergo high thermal and mechanical stress during operation which can produce cracks and limit their life expectancy. This patent from Siemens AG teaches the benefits of using nanoparticles to improve life expectancy such as the low melting point of nanoparticles and penetration into smaller cracks...

USPTO Orders Reexamination of HP's Memristor Patent

Posted on February 03, 2010
The "memristor" has attracted a lot of attention in recent years as a new nanoscale circuit element having properties similar to neural synapses and which is a contender for a new form of non-volatile memory called RRAM. The origins of the memristor go back to a theoretical concept developed by UC Berkeley professor Leon Chua in the 1970s but which lacked a physical material example...

US Patent 7652280 - Nanowire OLED

Posted on January 31, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7652280.htmlThis patent from General Electric teaches manufacturing techniques incorporating semiconductor nanowires into transparent OLEDs.1. A device, comprising:a light transmissive element;a nano-wire light-emitting device; anda light transmissive controller communicating with the nano-wire light-emitting device;wherein the nano-wire light-emitting device and the light transmissive controller are supported by the light transmissive element...

US Patent 7652098 - GHz circuit board made frm CNT resin

Posted on January 31, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7652098.htmlHigh frequency electronic circuitry requires low dielectric material to minimize signal attenuation. This patent teaches a circuit board formed from carbon nanotube composite material providing the required low signal loss...

US Patent 7652084 - CNT-polyolefin fiber composite

Posted on January 31, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7652084.htmlThis patent from the State University of New York teaches a way to increase the compatibility between carbon nanotubes and polyolefins to enhance the electrical and mechanical properties of polymer fibers. Claim 1 reads:1...

US Patent 7651944 - Nanowire electronics

Posted on January 29, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7651944.htmlThis patent from Nanosys has priority going back to 2002 and includes some basic claims to the use of semiconductor nanowires in the fabrication of electronics, displays, and sensors.Claim 1 reads:1. A method of making a nanowire based device, comprising:depositing a plurality of nanowires on at least a first region of a surface of a substrate; andforming at least first and second electrical contacts on the first region of the surface of the substrate such that at least a first nanowire of the plurality of nanowires is positioned in contact with both the first and second electrical contacts,wherein the plurality of nanowires are made from a material selected from the group comprising Si, Ge, Sn, Se, Te, P, Si?C, Si?Ge, Si?Sn, Ge?Sn, SiC, AlN/AlP/AlAs/AlSb, GaN/GaP/GaAs/GaSb, InN/InP/InAs/InSb, AlN/AlP/AlAs/AlSb, GaN/GaP/GaAs/GaSb, InN/InP/InAs/InSb, ZnO/ZnS/ZnSe/ZnTe, CdS/CdSe/CdTe, HgS/HgSe/HgTe, BeS/BeSe/BeTe/MgS/MgSe, GeS, GeSe, GeTe, SnS, SnSe, SnTe, PbO, PbS, PbSe, PbTe, CuF, CuCl, CuBr, CuI, AgF, AgCl, AgBr, AgI, BeSiN2, CaCN2, ZnGeP2, CdSnAs2, ZnSnSb2, CuGeP3, CuSi2P3, (Cu, Ag)(Al, Ga, In, Tl, Fe)(S, Se, Te)2, Si3N4, Ge3N4, Al2O3, (Al, Ga, In)2(S, Se, Te)3, or Al2CO or alloys thereof,wherein the first and second electrical contacts are separated from each other on the first surface of the substrate by a distance that is less than 50% of an average length of the plurality of nanowires.

US Patent 7651926 - Electrostatic patterning of nanostructures

Posted on January 29, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7651926.htmlThis patent from M.I.T. teaches a form of nanolithography in which electrostatic patterns are used to attract oppositely charged nanostructures allowing more complex structures to be formed then that which rely on self-assembly...

US Patent 7651770 - Drug delivery nanoclusters

Posted on January 29, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7651770.htmlNanoparticles have been shown to improve the dissolution and transport of therapeutic drugs. This patent from the University of Kansas teaches forming nanoclusters from solid nanoparticles to improve the accessibility of cellular targets...

US Patent 7651769 - Nanofiber velcro

Posted on January 27, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7651769.htmlThis patent from Nanosys teaches nanofiber surfaces having an adhesive property which is suggested to be applied to tissue surfaces or arteries for medical applications. Claim 1 reads:1. A hemostat including a substrate having at least a first surface and a first plurality of inorganic nanofibers comprising silicon or silicon oxide deposited on the first surface, wherein the plurality of nanofibers have a curved or curled configuration for contacting with a second surface at two or more contact points on each of said nanofibers, wherein the contacting adheres the first surface to the second surface substantially by van der Waals forces between the nanofibers and the second surface.

US Patent 7651766 - CNT reinforced copper nanocomposite

Posted on January 27, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7651766.htmlThis patent from the University of Central Florida teaches manufacturing copper composites with enhanced electrical conductivity using carbon nanotubes. Claim 1 reads:1. A carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposite material, comprising: a continuous metal phase comprising copper, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes uniformly covered by and interfacially bonded to said continuous metal phase, wherein said continuous metal phase extends throughout substantially an entire volume of said nanocomposite material, and further wherein said nanocomposite material provides a 25° C...

US Patent 7651673 - Microtube pumping

Posted on January 27, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7651673.htmlThis patent from the U.S. Dept. of Energy teaches a way to use laser pulses or ultrasonic wave to induce surface waves on microtubes or nanotubes and pump fluid. The technique is suggested to be useful to applications in drug delivery and hydrogen storage for fuel cells...

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