Recently Issued Patents

5.20.22

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 14 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

U.S. Patent No. 11,331,408 entitled “Class of Anti-Adhesion Hydrogels with Healing Aspects” issued May 17, 2022 to BVW Holding AG of Cham, Switzerland. Invented by Lukas Bluecher of Eurasburg, Germany and Michael Milbocker of Holliston, Massachusetts. Abstract: Disclosed are hydrogels polymerized with a biofunctional moiety, biodegradable and permanent, designed to be implantable in a mammalian body and intended to block or mitigate the formation of tissue adhesions. The hydrogels of the present invention are characterized by comprising four structural elements: a) a polymeric backbone which defines the overall polymeric morphology, b) linkage groups, c) side chains, and d) biofunctional end groups. The hydrophobicity of the various structural elements are chosen to reduce tissue adhesion and enhance the biofunctional aspect of the end groups. The morphology of these polymers are typically of high molecular weight and have shape to encourage entanglement. Useful structures include branching chains, comb or brush, and dendritic morphologies.

U.S. Patent No. 11,332,895 entitled “Self-propelled Construction Machine and Method for Determining the Utilization of a Construction Machine” issued May 17, 2022 to Writgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Stefan Wagner of Bad Honnef, Germany. Abstract: In a self-propelled construction machine comprising a working device (e.g. milling drum) and a profile sensor device arranged in front of the milling drum as seen in the direction of travel, the following features are achieved: the profile sensor device measures ground pavement profile data in at least one first location, wherein at least one second sensor device is provided which, after the construction machine has traversed a section corresponding to the distance between the milling drum and the profile sensor device, measures, in the first location, at least one distance value between the ground surface and the milling drum, wherein ground pavement profile data measured in the at least one first location is referenced to the at least one distance value measured in the first location by means of the second sensor device.