Wyoming Makes Top 100 List for Invention Patents

The items we use daily that make life easier, from our phones to our microwaves, were all invented and improved upon by people, and then patented by people so we could all benefit from the newest innovations. 

Some of those inventions or improvements come from our town. The University of Wyoming made a Top 100 list for such innovations. 

“Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2022,” a list published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), celebrates American innovation, and the universities that foster that innovation. The University of Wyoming submitted 15 patents last year, placing it as no. 91 on the list. 

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The patents represent a wide range of talent. Pain management, microbial stem cell technology, ultrasound technology, nervous tissue repair… the list is impressive. 

Nathaniel Storey submitted four of the patents, all involving growing plants on a vertical surface, so small spaces can produce vegetation.

Virtual reality improvements patents were granted to Russell Todd, Qin Zhu, and Derek Smith; a patent to help prevent food poisoning by degrading harmful bacteria was granted to Mark Gomelsky and Kurt Miller. 

Edward Clennan and Jacob Weber were granted a patent for their continued work in improving electronic displays with their work in “Syntheses, Characterizations, and Applications of Heli-Acenes;” Clennan and partner Caleb Hill were awarded over $500,000 in grant funds from the National Science Foundation for similar work. 

According to UW’s news release, Parag Chitnis, UW’s vice president for research and economic development, credits UW’s Technology Transfer Office, as well as the Office of General Counsel, for helping UW researchers obtain patents. The Technology Transfer Office also obtains international patents, plant patents, and design patents. 

“Helping turn discoveries by UW researchers into intellectual property that can be commercialized to help diversify Wyoming’s economy is a top priority for the university,” Chitnis said. “While we are striving to increase our performance and become a Carnegie R1 research university, it is nice to be recognized as a top-100 university in the nation for patent production.”