
ASU jumps into Top 10 in global patent rankings
Arizona State University has moved into the top 10 of all universities worldwide for U.S. patents awarded in 2018. ASU jumped to 10th place from 17th in 2017, according to a new report by the U.S. National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.
ASU tied with the University of Michigan for the No. 10 spot on the list. Other universities listed in the top 10 include the University of California, Stanford University, MIT and the University of Texas. ASU earned 130 patents in 2018, up from 100 the previous year.
“The top 10 world ranking in patents is a reflection of ASU’s vibrant, innovative and entrepreneurial culture with a focus on impacting society,” said Sethuraman Panchanathan, executive vice president of Knowledge Enterprise Development and chief research innovation officer at ASU. “I’m incredibly proud of the contributions and achievements of our faculty, researchers and students. This shows what can be accomplished when you empower the academic community to engage in use-inspired research focused on societal challenges.”
The National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association have published the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents report annually since 2013. The report utilizes data acquired from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to highlight the important role patents play in university research and innovation. The rankings are compiled by calculating the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that list a university as the first assignee on the issued patent.
“These rankings demonstrate that ASU researchers are producing high-potential inventions at a world-class rate,” said Augustine “Augie” Cheng, CEO and chief legal officer of Skysong Innovations, ASU’s exclusive technology transfer and intellectual property management organization. “As these technologies move into commercial application, ASU research is kick-starting dozens of new startup companies that are attracting millions of dollars in venture funding and helping to power Arizona’s economy.”
Among the 130 patents awarded to ASU in 2018 are technologies for flexible batteries, an immunosignature-based diagnosis of cancer in dogs and a handheld device that can read your metabolism on the spot.
Flexible batteries
Batteries have been very useful over the years providing energy to remote areas where and when it is needed most. But a limiting factor of batteries is their relatively rigid structure. Now a team of ASU researchers have developed a way to make deformable batteries based on the Japanese paper-folding art of origami. The new batteries promise a wide range of uses where unconventional designs require a flexible battery.
In a demonstration, a prototype battery was sewn into an elastic wristband that was attached to a smart watch. The battery fully powered the watch and its functions — including playing video — as the band was being stretched.