UT Arlington Granted 23 Patents as Part of UT System’s No. 3 World Rank
By UT Arlington University Communications
Posted on June 11, 2018, June 11, 2018

UTA-Spotlight

The University of Texas at Arlington was granted 23 U.S. patents in 2017, a success that contributed to UT System's overall No. 3 ranking in the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2017.

These rankings, compiled by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association, were based on data obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

"UTA is a Carnegie R1: Highest Research Activity university with a strong entrepreneurship and innovation culture," said Duane Dimos, UTA vice president for research.

"We also lead Texas universities in the number of National Academy of Inventors fellows and are ranked in the top 10 nationally for NAI fellows, which is a clear recognition of our commitment to translating our inventions into real solutions for the benfit of society," he added.

The Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education are the main reference for research institutions in the United States and R1 is the highest classification. The National Academy of Inventors is a national member organization that recognizes as fellows inventors who have contributed to important advances in a wide variety of fields and successfully patented their inventions.

Among the UTA technologies patented last year were:

  • Radio therapeutic nanoseeds to target inoperable small tumors

Researchers have invented nano-sized hollow metallic particles, or radiotherapeutic nanoseeds, that are small enough to use in radiation therapy procedures on small tumors that are inaccessible by surgical means. These nanoseeds have been prototyped and tested.

  • Flexible strain sensor

This sensor can be implanted on intraocular lenses to detect strain and changes in eye pressure in patients who are using these lenses following cataract operations. This solution improves on the current technology by being highly flexible and by giving real-time monitoring. The invention has been prototyped and extensive tests carried out.

  • Ashless environment-friendly lubricants

There is growing concern about the environmental impacts of automotive lubricants and other engine additives. Traditional antiwear additives are prone to ash generation which has adverse effects on engine life. Researchers have developed new ashless anti-wear and friction-reducing formulations that provide superior wear performance in comparison to the traditional antiwear additives like ZDDP.

  • Device for assessing soil heave

Expansive soils undergo swell and shrinkage and can cause severe damage to civil engineering structures. Chemical stabilization is used on these soils, but but the presence of sulphate compounds can lead to heaving or upward movement of soils. Researchers have built an integrated hybrid sensor capable of assessing sulphate heave in treated soils, with the added feature of being suitable for both laboratory and field testing.

"UTA has a strong innovation ecosystem that enables the university to patent the inventions created by its faculty and students and to find the funding or licensing opportunities that enables companies to bring those inventions to the market," said Teri Schultz, director of UTA's Office of Technology Management. "We are proud members of the UT System and aim to continue to contribute strongly to the UT System's high ranking in the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents."

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