Thirty of the newly awarded patents and their relation to nanotechnology are noted below. The patent number, assignees and patent titles arecited followed by brief descriptions of where or how nanotechnology is used.
Nano Notes, Week of January 12,2010
U.S. Patent 7,644,479
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, JP) Method of producing a piezoelectric actuator Piezoelectric actuator in which diffusion-preventive layer is formed of metal nano-particles having a particle size of not more than 50 nm.
U.S. Patent 7,644,489
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MS) inventors William J. Arora, Fernando Castano, Anthony J Nichol and George Barbastathis Thin membrane alignment method using patterned nanomagnets Nanofabrication process for lithographically patterned magnetic material. It is a way to build 3D nanostructures is by "stacking" 2D membranes or "folding" a large membrane into a layered structure. Nanomagnets may be made of iron, cobalt, nickel or any alloy consisting primarily of one or more of these metals.
U.S. Patent 7,645,133
Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (Daejeon, KR) UV nanoimprint lithography process and apparatus Next generation nanofabrication process for semiconductor production.
U.S. Patent 7,645,397
Nanosys, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA) Nanocrystal doped matrixes A nanocrystal density gradient, thereby creating an effective refractive index gradient. The matrixes can also be used as filters and antireflective coatings on optical devices and as down-converting layers. Processes for producing matrixes comprising semiconductor nanocrystals are also provided. Nanostructures having high quantum efficiency, small size, and/or a narrow size distribution are also described, as are methods of producing indium phosphide nanostructures and core-shell nanostructures with Group II-VI shells.
U.S. Patent 7,645,439
Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo (Mexico City, MX) Nanostructured titanium oxide material and its synthesis procedure New crystalline structure is the basic unit of construction of nanomaterials which are nanofibers, nanowires, nanorods, nanoscrolls and/or nanotubes. These nanomaterials are obtained from a precursor that is isostructural to the new crystalline structure. The precursor is composed of hydrogen titanate and/or a mixed sodium and hydrogen titanate. These titanates are the hydrogenated, protonated, hydrated and/or the alkalinized phases of the new crystalline structure. In addition, this invention also relates to the procedure of synthesis of the nanomaterials. Nanomaterials are used in catalysis and materials fields
U.S. Patent 7,645,497
Eastman Kodak Company (Rochester, NY) Multi-layer conductor with carbon nanotubes An electronically conductive article comprising at least one conductive carbon nanotube layer in contact with at least one conductive layer comprising electronically conductive polymer.
U.S. Patent 7,645,540
Rovcal, Inc. (Madison, WI) Separators for alkaline electrochemical cells Chemically synthesized agglomerates of a nano-CuO may also be used for the cathode. Such materials can be obtained from NanoScale Materials, Inc.
U.S. Patent 7,645,584
University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc. (Gainesville, FL) and Banyan Biomarkers (Alachua, FL) Biomarkers of liver injury Digests are analyzed using nanospray liquid chromatography online with tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC/MSMS)
U.S. Patent 7,645,669
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. (Camas, WA) inventors Sheng Teng Hsu and Fengyan Zhang Nanotip capacitor A nanotip capacitor and associated fabrication method are provided. The method provides a bottom electrode and grows electrically conductive nanotips overlying the bottom electrode. An electrically insulating dielectric is deposited overlying the nanotips, and an electrically conductive top electrode is deposited overlying dielectric-covered nanotips.
U.S. Patent 7,645,780
Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (South San Francisco, CA) Acetyl 2-hydroxy-1, 3-diaminoalkanes The nano crystalline formulations typically afford greater bioavailability of drug compounds.
U.S. Patent 7,645,786
Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY) Substituted arylpyrazoles Compounds for pharmaceutical use may be administered as crystalline or amorphous products, for example, spray-dried dispersions or as produced by melt-extrusion or nano-milling. Compounds may be administered include oral administration by capsule, bolus, tablet, powders, lozenges, chews, multi and nanoparticulates, gels, solid solution
U.S. Patent 7,645,828
Kawamura Institute of Chemical Research (Sakura-shi, JP) Monodisperse silica spheres containing polyamine and process for producing the same Since polyethyleneimine is a strong ligand, metal ions can be concentrated within silica. Also, since polyethyleneimine can reduce noble metal ions to metal atoms, nanoparticles of noble metals can be conveniently immobilized within the silica. Since polyethyleneimine also has properties such as a sterilizing function, resistant to viruses, and the like, the spheres can also exhibit such properties. Therefore, the monodisperse silica spheres can be applied to various areas such as carriers for metal ions and/or nanometals, catalysts, antibacterial agent, disinfectants, antiviral agents, cosmetic products, and the like.
U.S. Patent 7,645,933
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (Madison, WI) Carbon nanotube Schottky barrier photovoltaic cell Carbon nanotube Schottky barrier photovoltaic cells and methods and apparatus for making the cells.
U.S. Patent 7,645,934
Nanosolar, Inc. (San Jose, CA) Nanostructured layer and fabrication methods Nanostructured layers with 10 nm to 50 nm pores spaced 10-50 nm apart, a method for making such nanostructured layers, optoelectronic devices having such nanostructured layers
U.S. Patent 7,646,001
David Michael Feyler (Westwood, MA) Fake ID finder A device to magnify a driver's license sufficiently to view the micro printing, nano printing and Ultra Violet features for fine detailed inspection.
U.S. Patent 7,646,025
Chien-Min Sung (Tansui, Taipei County 251, TW) Diamond LED devices and associated methods A way of forming epitaxially a substantially nanometer single crystal diamond layer on the SiC layer
U.S. Patent 7,646,142
Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. (Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, KR) Field emission device (FED) having cathode aperture to improve electron beam focus and its method of manufacture Emitter comprises carbon nano-tubes (CNTs), graphite nano-particles, or nano-diamonds.
U.S. Patent 7,646,494
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (Madrid, ES) System and method for detecting the displacement of a plurality of micro- and nanomechanical elements, such as micro-cantilevers Micro- or nanomechanical elements, for example, micro- or nanomechanical cantilevers clamped at one or both ends, elastic membranes, etc.
U.S. Patent 7,646,587
Showa Denko K.K. (Tokyo, JP) Electric double layer capacitor uses a carbon nano-tube or a carbon nano-fiber.
U.S. Patent 7,646,588
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, JP) Miyahara; Tomoko (Kanagawa, JP), Anazawa; Kazunori (Kanagawa, JP) Carbon nanotube film, production process thereof and capacitor using the same Synthesis of carbon nanotube carboxyl acid in Clause (Introduction of functional groups into small diameter carbon nanotube)
U.S. Patent 7,646,641
Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) NAND flash memory with nitride charge storage gates and fabrication process Fabrication process advances to very small geometries, e.g., tens of nanometer
U.S. Patent 7,646,799
Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Regensburg, DE) Edge emitting semiconductor laser comprising a plurality of monolithically integrated laser diodes Laser diodes preferably have a quantum well structure. It encompasses, inter alia, quantum wells, quantum wires and quantum dots
U.S. Patent 7,647,618
Charles Eric Hunter; (Hilton Head Island, SC), Bernard L Ballou, Jr.;. (Raleigh, NC), Kelly C. Sparks; (Morrisville, NC), John H. Hebrank; (Durham, NC) Video distribution system Nanometer lasers are cost-effective for writing conventional CDs.
U.S. Patent 7,645,253
National Quality Care, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) Wearable ultrafiltration device may use nanotechnology pump, microtechnology/micromachined pump, syringe pump
U.S. Patent 7,645,308
Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA) Osmium diboride compounds and their uses Nanoindentation2. The osmium diboride compounds may be used in the same manner as other super hard material as a protective surface coating, a cutting or abrading tool surface coating or as an abrasive. measurements were thus performed on OsB
U.S. Patent 7,645,326
James Neil Rodgers (Langley, BC, CA) RFID environmental manipulation Uses aluminum oxide particles, introduced in minute or nanoparticle form.
U.S. Patent 7,646,080
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Tu-Cheng, Taipei Hsien, TW) Protective film structure contains nano particles comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon nano tubes, carbon nano sticks, carbon 60, carbon particles, nano-sized conductive metals, nano-sized semiconductors, and any combination thereof.
U.S. Patent 7,646,948
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, JP) Flexible optical waveguide film, optical transceiver module, multi-channel optical transceiver module, and method of manufacturing flexible optical waveguide film Curable organopolysiloxanes, liquid silicone rubber which becomes silicone rubber when cured is excellent in the contradictory properties of adhering and coming off to and from the film substrate for the bottom clad, and it is capable of duplicating nano-structures and preventing a liquid from entering when made to tightly adhere to the film substrate for the bottom clad.
U.S. Patent 7,647,100
Power Paper Ltd. (Beit Shemesh, IL) Method, apparatus, and kit for onychomycosis treatment Pharmaceutical formulations include incorporation in nano-particles, liposomes, microemulsions. Anti-fungal formulations.
U.S. Patent 7,645,318
Vive Nano, Inc. (Toronto, CA) Producing nanoparticles using nanoscale polymer templates Methods of producing a composite nanoparticle comprising a nanoparticle confined within or associated with a shape-static polymeric material, which is itself a nanoparticle