Recently Issued Patents

10.15.21

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. 11,141,260 entitled “Implantable Superhydrophobic Surfaces” issued October 12, 2021 to BVW Holding AG of Cham, China. Invented by Lukas Bluecher of Eurasburg, Germany and Michael Milbocker of Holliston, Massachusetts. Abstract: Bio-adhesive textured surfaces are described which allow implants to be localized within a living body. Hierarchical levels of texture on an implantable medical device, some capable of establishing a Wenzel state and others a Cassie state, are employed to interface with living structures to provide resistance to device migration. Since a gaseous state is traditionally required to establish a Cassie or Wenzel state, and gases do not remain long in living tissue, described are tissue/device interactions analogous to the above states with the component normally represented by a gas replaced by a bodily constituent, wherein separation of tissue constituents develops and an analogous Cassie, Wenzel or Cassie-Wenzel state evolves.

U.S. Patent No. 11,141,648 entitled “Training Device for Cue Sports” issued October 12, 2021 to Joe Giribaldo of Stamford, Connecticut. Also invented by Joe Giribaldo. Abstract: A training device for positioning balls on the playing surface of cue sport game tables such as billiards, to assist players in making practice shots to enhance their playing skills and techniques. The training device includes a rectangular base, ramps pivotally attached to the rectangular base and pivoted in a deployed position during use, and in a non-deployed position to provide portability, rails provided on the rectangular base and ramps to accommodate object balls of different sizes, and a ball release system for sequentially deploying balls down the ramps in a controlled manner to accurately position the balls on game tables on a consistent basis without having to push each ball by hand.