University of Cincinnati Inventors Honored for Patents

From skin care to computer networks, from disease treatments to electronic displays, University of Cincinnati faculty achieved remarkable discoveries in 2011. UC will honor 16 of its faculty inventors on Monday, Jan. 23, during the basketball game between the Bearcats and Syracuse 7:00 p.m. in Fifth Third Arena.

“Intellectual curiosity is a hallmark of UC’s faculty,” said Dorothy Air, associate vice president for Entrepreneurial Affairs and Technology Commercialization. “When that curiosity confronts a real-world problem, the result is often a patentable discovery. Our ceremony acknowledges the effort these professors have expended on the pathway from invention to patent.”

A list of inventors to be honored and a brief description of each patent to be recognized at Monday’s game is listed below. For a complete list of University of Cincinnati patents, see UC's Intellectual Property web site. 

Dharma Agrawal
Patent 8,050,409: Threshold and identity-based key management and authentication for wireless ad hoc networks
Quickly organized and inexpensive to operate, ad-hoc wireless computer networks can be a good solution for small (and usually temporary) conditions. They can, however, be a security nightmare. Dharma Prakash Agrawal, the Ohio Board of Regents Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Computer Engineering in UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, has designed a system to effectively provide security for these networks. Agrawal shares the patent with with Hongmei Deng and Anindo Mukherjee.

Ambikaipakan Balasubramaniam
Patent 7,994,119: Compounds for control of appetite
Ambikaipakan Balasubramaniam, professor of surgery, has developed a potential treatment for obesity based on chemicals known as peptides. The compounds formulated by Balasubramaniam could potentially suppress appetite, reduce food intake and induce weight loss. He has found that these peptide-based compounds interact selectively with the cellular receptors that control appetite.

Fred Beyette, Joseph F. Clark, Gail Pyne-Geithman
Patent 8,027,814: Methods for assessing a condition by analyzing blood in cerebrospinal fluid
If a cerebral aneurysm ruptures, it generates a specific type of bleeding known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage. This condition affects some 30,000 people each year and, although half of these patients die, there has been no reliable way to detect subarachnoid hemorrhage. Fred Beyette, professor of electrical and computer engineering, collaborated with Joseph F. Clark, professor of neurology, Gail Pyne-Geithman, associate professor of neurosurgery, and others on a way to quickly analyze cerebrospinal fluid. Their method allows rapid diagnosis of patients in crisis, and for monitoring patients as they recover. Also sharing in the patent are Chad J. Morgan, James J. Caffery, Jr., Prashant Bhadri, and Anindya Majumder.

Carlos Co, Chia-Chi Ho
Patent 8,029,709: Liquid core capsules and methods of synthesis thereof through interfacial polymerization
A novel method for encapsulating liquids within polymer shells earned a patent for Chia-Chi Ho, Carlos Co and colleagues. By using this new method, the inventors demonstrated the ability to encapsulate extremely small amounts of liquid in nanometer-thin shells. Applications range from controlled delivery of medicines, dyes, enzymes and other biological and industrial materials. Ho and Co are associate professors of chemical engineering. Collaborating on the patent are Dan Wu and Charles Scott.

Ephraim Gutmark
Patent 8,047,308: Rotary drill bit with nozzles designed to enhance hydraulic performance and drilling fluid efficiency
Ephraim Gutmark, professor of aerospace engineering professor is an expert in the field of jet nozzles. Gutmark applied the understanding he developed for powerful rocket engines to the hydraulics involved in drilling for oil and gas, where expensive drill bits wear down under tremendous strain and high drilling speeds. Gutmark’s patent describes a new type of rotary drill bit that will remarkably increase efficiency while drilling for oil and gas. Gutmark collaborated on the patentable work with Tuck Leong Ho of Halliburton.
 
Jason Heikenfeld
Patent 7,898,740: Tunable optical array device comprising liquid cells
Current electronic devices offer either limited function and slow speed but small power usage  or high color saturation and high-speed capability but high power usage. The optical array patented by Heikenfeld, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, promises speed, brightness, low-cost manufacturing and low power usage. Sharing in the patent is Joachim Bradl.

Andrew Steckl, Jason Heikenfeld
Patent 7,872,790: Display capable electrowetting light valve
Exceptional image quality in any lighting environment is the promise of the technology described in a patent issued to Andrew Steckl and Jason Heikenfeld. Steckl, Ohio Eminent Scholar, and Heikenfeld, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, have earned a patent for a new, high-performance, method for visual displays. The “light valve,” or switching system, they developed can be described as “transflective,” in that it can both transmit and reflect light.

Andrew Herr
Patent 8,084,577: Crystal of human glycoprotein VI collagen binding domain
Research suggests that a polypeptide known as glycoprotein VI (or GPVI), because of its role in creating blood clots,  could be a prime therapeutic target for prevention of diseases such as heart attack and stroke.  Andrew Herr, Ohio Eminent Scholar in Structural Biology, has determined the crystal structure of the part of the glycoprotein molecule that begins clot production by binding to collagen. The invention provides a structural basis for the development of GPVI inhibitors as new therapies for human cardiovascular disease.  Herr shared in the patent with Katsunori Horii.

W. Keith Jones
Patent 8,034,619: Polyamides for nucleic acid delivery
While gene therapy shows great promise as a treatment for various diseases, it remains challenging to deliver genetic molecules where they are needed. Current methods for transferring genes into cells rely on viruses to perform the injection. The viral method often provokes an immune response. W. Keith Jones, professor of pharmacology and cell biophysics, has earned a patent for a new class of non-viral methods for gene transfer. The system is non-toxic and does not cause immune responses. Jones shares the patent with chemist Theresa M. Reineke.

Evangelia Kranias
Patent 7,989,606: Phosphatase inhibitor protein-1 as a regulator of cardiac function
In her research, Evangelia Kranias, director of cardiovascular biology, and her colleagues discovered a new function of a molecule – a protein called inhibitor protein-1. This protein is active in regulating the heart’s ability to pump blood. She, along with Patricia Rodriguez and Bryan Mitton, have earned a patent for novel DNA sequences that encode molecules comprising forms of this inhibitor, opening up the possibility of gene therapy for some heart disease.

Frank McCormack, Lisa Young
Patent 8,058,018: Use of VEGF-D in the diagnosis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) disease
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, also known as LAM, is a rare but debilitating lung neoplasm of women that is associated with atypical smooth muscle cell infiltration and cystic destruction of the pulmonary tissues.  LAM is often in an advanced state before it can be accurately diagnosed. Frank McCormack, director of UC’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, and Lisa R. Young, assistant professor of internal medicine, were issued a patent for a blood test that can differentiate LAM from other cystic lung disorders.

Wim Van Ooij
Patent 8,029,906: Silane compositions and methods for bonding rubber to metals
Many different systems and methods have been proposed to adhere rubber or other polymers to metals. The ability to bond these materials are critically important for the transportation industry in tires and vibration damping, but also in medical, appliance, manufacturing and other settings. Wim Van Ooij, UC emeritus professor of engineering, along with Max Sorenson and Matthew B. Stacy, has identified a new method for adhering rubber to metal, using thinner coatings for stronger bonding and less waste.

Patent 7,964,286: Coating composition of oil and organofunctional silane, and tire cord coated therewith
A significant advance in automobile tire production and function is promised by the discovery recognized by this patent. Steel does not bond well to rubber, so steel tire cord must be coated with something – most commonly brass – to encourage adherence. Van Ooij, along with  Charles Smith, Max Sorenson, Ramakrishna Nookala and Kevin Williams have discovered methods to do away with the brass treatment by easily applying any of a variety of silane compositions. When a tire cord is coated with such compositions, tires may be formulated with lower sulfur content and no cobalt.

Patent 8,012,374: Slow-release inhibitor for corrosion control of metals
Traditional paint additives provide good corrosion protection for a variety of metals including iron, aluminum and copper. However, these substances are toxic and carcinogenic and are being phased out. Suggested replacement compounds lose their protective ability too quickly.  Wim Van Ooij, UC emeritus professor of engineering, working with Hrishikesh Manian, Lin Yang and Hai Yang, has identified  a slow-release corrosion inhibitor that is easily applied to metal and is environmentally benign.

Patent 7,994,249: Silane coating compositions and methods of use thereof
Silanes – compounds based on silicon and hydrogen – can useful for protecting metal surfaces from corrosion, and for binding rubber to metal. In practice, however, silanes rarely achieve their potential. Wim Van Ooij, UC emeritus professor of engineering, in collaboration with Karthik Suryanarayanan, Jaspreet Singh Gandhi, Naveen B V Simhadri, Chetan Shivane, Matthew B. Stacy and Danqing Zhu have formulated a variety of improved silane coating compositions and improved methods for applying these compounds.

R. Randall Wickett
Patent 7,959,935: Simulated vernix compositions for skin cleansing and other applications
Newborn babies arrive covered with a waxy substance known as vernix. It is believed that vernix serves several functions including cleansing moisturizing, protecting and insulating the skin. Although vernix appears to have potential therapeutic uses, applications have been limited because it is difficult to collect sufficient quantities of the natural substance. R. Randall Wicket, professor in UC’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, has developed an artificial vernix for skin cleansing and other applications. He shared in a patent for this work with Steven B. Hoath, William L. Pickens, Martha O. Visscher, and Anyarporn Tansirikongkol.