Patents Assigned to University of Akron
  • Patent number: 11103613
    Abstract: In various aspects, the present invention provides a degradable and resorbable novel phosphate functionalized amino acid-based poly(ester urea) adhesive and related methods for its synthesis and use. These adhesives are formed from phosphate functionalized PEU polymers and copolymers crosslinked using one or more divalent metal crosslinking agents. The phosphate functionalized amino acid-based poly(ester urea) adhesives of various embodiments of the present invention have been found particularly effective in bonding bone to either bone or metal and have demonstrated adhesive strengths on bone samples that were significant and comparable to commercially available poly(methyl methacrylate) bone cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Matthew Becker, Vrushali Dinkar Bhagat
  • Patent number: 11084952
    Abstract: A coating composition is described that has good film forming and blocking properties in a composition that also has low or no VOCs. The coating compositions herein include functionalized urethane (meth)acrylate polymers that allow better film formation and particle coalescence while maintaining the low or no VOC levels. In one aspect, the coating compositions include functionalized polymers with a higher glass transition temperature (Tg) to aid in achieving good block resistance but a low minimum film forming temperature (MFFT) to achieve good particle coalescence and film formation all while being substantially free of co-solvents, coalescent aid and/or plasticizers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignees: SWIMC, LLC, The University of Akron
    Inventors: Mark Soucek, Anisa Cobaj, Brian Makowski
  • Patent number: 11066316
    Abstract: A method for treating an oil-containing medium including oil or grease or both oil and grease includes the steps of combining algae with an oil-containing medium and allowing the algae to engulf or uptake at least a portion of the oil or grease in the oil-containing medium. A mixture for treating oil or grease or both oil and grease includes an oil-containing medium including oil or grease or both oil and grease and phagotrophic algae that engulf or uptake at least a portion of the oil or grease in the oil-containing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Lu-Kwang Ju, Majid Hosseini
  • Patent number: 11069894
    Abstract: An electrochemical storage device including a conductive material and an electrochemical storage device material held together by a covalently crosslinked binder matrix. A method of forming an electrode for an electrochemical storage device, the method including the steps of: mixing electrochemical storage device material, conductive material, linear polymer, and crosslinker with one or more solvents, the resultant mixture forming an electrode slurry, crosslinking the linear polymer with the crosslinker to thereby create a covalently crosslinked polymer network of the polymer and crosslinker, the crosslinked polymer network physically or chemically binding together the electrochemical storage device material and the conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Yu Zhu, Feng Zou
  • Publication number: 20210214613
    Abstract: An ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition includes a liquid crystal elastomer; and an ionic liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicants: Kent State University, The University of Akron
    Inventors: Antal Jákli, Chenrun Feng, Chathuranga Prageeth Hemantha Rajapaksha, Vikash Kaphle, Thein Kyu
  • Patent number: 11063759
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the present invention is directed to a decentralized and secure method for developing machine learning models using homomorphic encryption and blockchain smart contracts technology to realize a secure, decentralized system and privacy-preserving computing system incentivizes the sharing of private data or at least the sharing of resultant machine learning models from the analysis of private data. In various embodiments, the method uses a homomorphic encryption (HE)-based encryption interface designed to ensure the security and the privacy-preservation of the shared learning models, while minimizing the computation overhead for performing calculation on the encrypted domain and, at the same time, ensuring the accuracy of the quantitative verifications obtained by the verification contributors in the cipherspace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Jin Kocsis, Yifu Wu, Gihan Janith Mendis Imbulgoda Liyangahawatte
  • Patent number: 11058469
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a reduced shock breakaway screw for use with medical implants and the like having improved solid wall geometry in the breakaway area between the upper and lower portions of the set screw. This improved geometry serves to slow down the fracturing process during shearing, thereby increasing the proportion of energy dissipated as heat from plastic deformation of the material to the amount of energy released as kinetic energy from elastic rebound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Ajay Mahajan, Jason King, Tim Paul
  • Patent number: 11041039
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, the present invention provides a novel approach to the addition of plasticizers for softening TPUs, i.e., lowering the durometer and the melt viscosity. This approach involves incorporating bonded sulfonate groups with quaternary ammonium counterions into the TPU. In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the softening of TPU is achieved by incorporating an ionic diol, such as N,N-bis (2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethane-sulfonic acid (BES), coupled with various bulky alkyl ammonium cations, during the chain extension step of the TPU synthesis. It is believed that that steric hindrance of the bulky quaternary ammonium groups weakens the dipole-dipole interactions of the sulfonate groups and/or lowers the crystallinity of the hard block, thereby creating additional free volume that softens the polymer and lowers the melt viscosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignees: Covestro LLC, The University of Akron
    Inventors: Matthew Becker, Robert A. Weiss, Zachary Kurtiss Zander, Don S. Wardius, Karl W. Haider, Bruce D. Lawrey
  • Patent number: 11043678
    Abstract: Improved oxygen reduction reaction catalysts include octahedral nanoparticles of a platinum-copper-nickel alloy contacted by a secondary ionomer. The alloy can have a formula of Pt2CuNi, and the secondary ionomer can include an ionic liquid, 1-methyl-2,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-9-ium 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4-nonafluorobutane-1-sulfonate ([MTBD][C4F9SO3]). The oxygen reductions catalysts have improved stability, as well as mass area and specific area comparted to competing catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, The University of Akron
    Inventors: Kan Huang, Li Q. Zhou, Hongfei Jia, Hisao Kato, Zhenmeng Peng, Xiaochen Shen
  • Patent number: 11033573
    Abstract: A non-ionic polymer coacervate is provided that is useful for forming adhesive bonds between wet surfaces, and that operates over a wide range of pH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Abraham Joy, Amal Narayanan
  • Patent number: 11039090
    Abstract: A multi-purpose imaging and display system includes a display; a detector coupled to the display and having a field of view; and a filter communicating with the detector. The field of view is imaged by the detector through the filter, the filter configured to be sensitive to a first frequency spectrum, so the detector displays only objects within the field of view on the detector that emit one or more frequencies within the first frequency spectrum. The detector and filter can work together in different operational states or modes for acquiring image data of a target object under investigation. A computing device can be included to process acquired image data, and communication interfaces can be employed to achieve networking of multiple systems. A peripheral interface allows a plurality of peripheral devices to be selectively added to tailor the data acquisition and display capabilities of the imaging and display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventor: Yang Liu
  • Patent number: 11000830
    Abstract: A method of modifying a chemical interaction between a functional group of an immobilized amine in a solid sorbent composition and a compound that chemically interacts with the functional group to reduce the heat required to desorb the compound from the solid sorbent. A method of inhibiting degradation of an immobilized amine in an immobilized amine solid sorbent. Compositions and methods of use of a low-cost regenerable immobilized amine solid sorbent resistant to degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventor: Steven S. C. Chuang
  • Patent number: 10994263
    Abstract: A polymer-catalyst assembly includes polarized polymeric nanofibers retaining a plurality of catalytic metallic nanoparticles. A method of making the polarized polymer-catalyst assembly may include providing a fiber mat having polymeric nanofibers retaining a plurality of catalytic metallic nanoparticles, stretching the fiber mat in a uniaxial direction, simultaneous with the step of stretching, thermally heating the fiber mat, simultaneous with the steps of stretching and thermally heating, subjecting the fiber mat to an electric field, whereby the simultaneous steps of stretching, thermally heating, and subjecting thereby form a polarized fiber mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: George Chase, Dinesh Lolla, Ahmed Abutaleb
  • Patent number: 10992922
    Abstract: An optical imaging system to image a target object includes a light source configured to emit one or more light rays to illuminate the target object and an image detector configured to capture a three-dimensional topography image of the target object when emitted light is emitted from the target object in response to being illuminated by the light rays emitted by the light source. A fluorescence image detector captures a fluorescence image of the target object when fluorescence is emitted from the target object in response illumination by light rays emitted by the light source. A controller instructs the image detector to capture the 3D topography image and the fluorescence image detector to detect the fluorescence image of the target object intraoperatively and to co-register and simultaneously display intraoperatively the co-registered topography and fluorescence information to the user via a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventor: Yang Liu
  • Patent number: 10975198
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the present invention is directed to terpolymers of carbon monoxide (CO), olefins (alkenes), and epoxides, as well as related methods and catalysts for their making and use. These terpolymer chains are comprised of ketone repeat units, ester repeat units, and ether repeat units. The additional presence of the ester repeat units and ether repeat units have the effect of lowering terpolymer melt temperature relative to that of similar polyketone, thus separating melt temperature from decomposition temperature, making it suitable for melt processing. In a single reaction mixture, the same metal catalyst that polymerizes CO with olefins also incorporates epoxide monomers into the terpolymer in the form of ester or ester and ether linkages. As a part of the terpolymer chain, the ester groups can undergo hydrolysis, rendering these terpolymer compositions hydrolytically degradable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Li Jia, Xiaofei Jia
  • Publication number: 20210093417
    Abstract: An imaging and display system for guiding medical interventions includes a wearable display, such as a goggle display, for viewing by a user. The display presents a composite, or combined image that includes pre-operative surgical navigation images, intraoperative images, and in-vivo microscopy images or sensing data. The pre-operative images are acquired from scanners, such as MRI and CT scanners, while the intra-operative images are acquired in real-time from a camera system carried by the goggle display for imaging the patient being treated so as to acquire intraoperative images, such as fluorescence images. A probe, such as a microscopy probe or a sensing probe, is used to acquire in-vivo imaging/sensing data from the patient. Additionally, the intra-operative and in-vivo images are acquired using tracking and registration techniques to align them with the pre-operative image and the patient to form a composite image for display by the goggle display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: The University of Akron
    Inventor: YANG LIU
  • Patent number: 10934481
    Abstract: A core/shell nanoparticle with enhanced emission comprises a fluorescent conjugated polymer core that is encapsulated by an amphiphilic block copolymer shell. The core/shell nanoparticle structure confines the electronic charge to improve quantum yield and is water soluble to enable low-cost and environmentally friendly processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignees: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, University of Akron
    Inventors: Hongyou Fan, Kaifu Bian, Leanne Julia Alarid, Yu Zhu
  • Publication number: 20210028737
    Abstract: A control system for a switched reluctance machine includes a capacitor and an inverter connected to the capacitor, wherein the inverter generates current signals and a ripple current returned to the capacitor. A switched reluctance machine (SRM) receives the current signals and generates a position signal. A controller receives the ripple current, current signal values of the current signals, and the position signal and generates desired reference current waveforms received by the inverter to adjust the current signals received by the SRM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: The University of Akron
    Inventor: YILMAZ SOZER
  • Patent number: 10899885
    Abstract: Photoresponsive polymers that comprise a unit derived from an amide functional diol compound that includes a coumarin group are provided. Advantageously, the photoresponsive groups of the photoresponsive polymers may be used to control the viscosity of the photoresponsive polymer. The photoresponsize polymers may also include units derived from amide functional diol compounds with include a fatty acid chain or a polyethylene glycol chain. The photoresponsive polymers may be used for 3d printing. When an adhesive group is added to a photoresponsive polymer they may be used as an adhesive. Adhesive groups include catechol groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Abraham Joy, Ying Xu, Sudhanva Raj Govindarajan, John Swanson
  • Patent number: 10875955
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the present invention is directed to new low cost initiator compositions for use with the production of well-defined telechelic PIBs (by LC+P of isobutylene). In various other embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods for using these novel compositions as initiators for isobutylene (IB) and other cationically polymerizable monomers, such as styrene and its derivatives. In still other embodiments, the present invention is directed to structurally new, allyl (and chlorine) telechelic PIBs formed from these new initiator compositions and their derivatives (in particular, hydroxyl telechelic PIB and amine telechelic PIB). In yet other embodiments, the present invention is directed to structurally new polyurethanes, polyureas, and polyurethane ureas made using telechelic PIBs formed from these new initiator compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: The University of Akron , Ohio
    Inventors: Joseph Kennedy, Turgut Nugay