In honor of National Inventors Month we highlight the good work of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and our fellows. In 2010, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office organized the founding of the NAI to promote innovation and support inventors by creating a dynamic community of inventors, non-profit organizations, universities, and other research institutes across the United States. Since then, the NAI has grown to include over 3,000 individual members and fellows originating from more than 200 institutions. “The rapid growth of the NAI is a direct reflection of how critical academic invention has become. Commercializing patents, spinning off new companies, building products, and creating high paying jobs have to become as much a part of a university’s mission as educating a high tech workforce for its state and the nation,” says NAI president Paul Sanberg. The NAI inducts members and researchers who reach the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s benchmark of “inventorship”. Using the organizational power of the NAI community, to recognize and encourage inventors, enhance the visibility of the contributions of research and innovation, and advance measures supportive of intellectual property. Emory University is an NAI member institution, and has had at least one of its faculty
Continue readingAuthor: Linda Kesselring
IP Jargon: What are they talking about? – Part 2
When beginning the process of protecting your invention, lots of industry specific terms and legal jargon get thrown around and can seem a bit daunting. To help ease you into the world of intellectual property protection, OTT has collected and defined some of the most common words and phrases that you’re likely to come across. In this two-part post, we’ll discuss jargon heard in patent statutes and applications and during the patent review process and a patent appeal (Part 1 can be found here). In this part we will cover jargon often heard during the patent review and appeal processes. Patent Review Process Jargon Amending the Claim/Amendment: After the patent has been filed, if it is discovered that an aspect of the invention already mentioned within the patent is not fully described or drawn, the patent may be amended to properly describe it. Office Action: After a patent application is submitted, the case is assigned an examiner, who evaluates the application for language and structure as well as prior art. If the application is rejected (which most are initially) the case’s examiner will provide this document explaining why. Non-final Office Action: The Office Action sent after the patent application’s first
Continue readingIP Jargon: What are they talking about? – Part 1
When beginning the process of protecting your invention, lots of industry specific terms and legal jargon get thrown around and can seem a bit daunting. To help ease you into the world of intellectual property protection, OTT has collected and defined some of the most common words and phrases that you’re likely to come across. In this two-part post, we’ll discuss jargon heard in patent statutes and applications and during the patent review process and a patent appeal. In this part we will cover jargon found in patent statutes and applications. Patent Statue Jargon Statutory Subject Matter: Something that can be legally protected under a patent. There are four categories of ideas that can be protected by patents: process (a series of steps), machine (an object consisting of parts), manufacture (an object produced by giving new form to raw materials), and composition of matter (compositions of two or more substances.) Bar date (aka Statutory Bar Dates): Dates that are triggered by statue in the patent application process. If any date is missed all potential rights are lost. These are similar to statute of limitations. Provisional Patent Application: Acts almost as a “placeholder” for a patent application, a provisional application will
Continue readingFrom the Director: Navigating Proof of Concept Funding – Part 2
In 2014, the Office of Technology Transfer created a proof of concept (POC) fund. This fund was created to address the lack of funding in the “Valley of Death,” between basic scientific research and a demonstrable product. The POC fund is designed to help move technologies closer to the market. See our previous blog when the POC fund was launched here https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/techtransfer/2014/12/p-o-c-fund-gears-up-to-help-bridge-the-v-o-d/. See part one of this interview here. How was OTT’s first investment chosen? Are there any other inventions that are in the process of applying for funding? The first investment was chosen because we happened to have a cardiologist that had a great idea for a new device at that time to deliver stem cells to the heart. There were some potential challenges as to how you would make that and she had become aware of an industry expert in California that had expertise in making cardiovascular devices. Engaging this expert was going to cost between $10,000 and $40,000 and that became a great opportunity to use the proof of concept fund. We had interest from the Coulter Translational fund, but being able to get that initial feedback on what that prototype might look like put the
Continue readingFrom the Director: Navigating Proof of Concept Funding – Part 1
In 2014, the Office of Technology Transfer created a proof of concept (POC) fund. This fund was created to address the lack of funding in the “Valley of Death,” between basic scientific research and a demonstrable product. The POC fund is designed to help move technologies closer to the market. See our previous blog when the POC fund was launched here https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/techtransfer/2014/12/p-o-c-fund-gears-up-to-help-bridge-the-v-o-d/. What is a proof of concept fund? A proof of concept fund, generally speaking, is non-diluted funding that can be used to take an early stage idea and get it to a proof of concept or proof of principle stage. Although this stage has different meanings for different people, at a macro level, it means that there needs to be evidence that the invention works for its intended purpose. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use it in humans. There could be an animal model or even a cellular model that is viewed as the standard for a particular disease, which could be used for this proof of concept stage. What motivated OTT to create such a fund? One of our biggest challenges is that the inventions that are disclosed to the office are very early
Continue readingHello from Your Kidney Video
Do you have a kidney? Do you have five minutes to spare? Do you want to develop a better understanding about what this key organ does? Look no further than Emory University’s Department of Medicines short video, which was created by undergraduate researchers for an annual video contest, entitled “Hello from Your Kidney (i).” The American Physiological Society holds an annual “Phantastic Physiological Voyage: Function Follows Form,” video contest and Emory’s 2015 submission is all about the pair of bean shaped organs that each one of us has in our abdomens. The kidney is often overlooked as one of the lesser organs in the human body and the majority of people are unable to explain just what it is that the kidney does. However, kidney disease is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States and so keeping our kidneys healthy is necessary and it is easier to protect what you understand. The Emory team’s short video is an engaging and humorous dialogue with an internal organ that explains in layperson terms the functions and jobs that a kidney performs. So, take your extra five minutes to learn about your body and get up close and personal
Continue readingTechnology Transfer – Asian Style
Asia, like the United States, has its own resources for technology transfer. Asia is home to many organizations that connect the region to promote training and networking, and these organizations have been critical for the astonishing success during the past decades. The key organizations that foster this success include: Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) Asia, Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology. These organizations allow for a high level of regional interdependence within Asian technology transfer, which has benefited the region greatly. This week people from all over the world are meeting at AUTM’s meeting in Asia, or AUTM Asia, in Chiang Mai, Thailand to discuss technology transfer in Asia. To spotlight this yearly event, we highlight technology transfer organizations and efforts in Asia this week. BIO is a global trade association that consists of academic institutions, biotechnology companies, and other biotechnology-related organizations. The association is divided into four sectors: emerging companies, food and agriculture, health, and industrial and environmental. The scope is vast, but the organization strives to connect innovators through global dialogue, networking opportunities, and educational programming. BIO Asia will host the International BIO conference in March
Continue readingStudent Entrepreneurship is Hopping at Emory
“So what? Who cares? Why you?” These are the three questions asked by entrepreneurship expert, Idella Yamben, to anyone looking to find a job, change careers, or start a small business. Yamben cites these as critical components of entrepreneurship in every day life, although entrepreneurship is often thought of in relation to small businesses. Entrepreneurship is all the rage, as seen in shows like “Shark Tank” where start-up businesses seek investors and often face harsh criticism. Its popularity has quickly spread to Emory’s own college campus, although it fortunately does not include the cruel critique and tears of reality television. Most people assume entrepreneurship is simply a fancier name for business, but what really makes entrepreneurship different from traditional business? Risk, initiative, and creating something new. These qualities have been the catalyst for the creation of thousands of businesses all over the world, with renewed interest after the global financial crisis. Naturally, Goizueta Business School is a front-runner in entrepreneurial development on campus, and numerous other organizations from across Emory’s campus are beginning to do the same. Emory has created a committee devoted to entrepreneurial development, the Committee on Undergraduate Student Entrepreneurship (see the announcement here). This Committee created the
Continue readingGolden Goose Awards
From 1975 to 1988 Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin created the monthly “Golden Fleece Awards,” which was given to federally funded programs that Proxmire considered to be superfluous. This award was often given to obscure or peculiar scientific research that was considered by Proxmire to be superfluous and unnecessary. This attitude, which states that unique and arguably odd scientific research is a wasteful use of federal funds, is still a common belief today. In response to this negative attitude the Golden Goose Awards were created in 2012 by: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, The Breakthrough Institute, the Progressive Policy Institute, the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, the Task Force on American Innovation, The Science Coalition, and the United for Medical Research with the support of multiple congressional members, organizations, and universities. It was created to recognize federally funded idiosyncratic scientific projects with huge benefits and socially significant applications. These awards are meant to highlight, that like the proverbial goose with the golden egg, some of the most miraculous and valuable ideas and innovations can come from the most unlikely sources or inquiries. Awardees can be nominated by
Continue readingVideo Teaching Tool for Prostate Cancer
Today, when someone wants to learn how to play the ukulele or write an app they go straight to YouTube. Video based learning is ingrained in 21st century culture and is also used in a multitude of educational environments. So, why couldn’t this tool be used to teach patients about their prostate cancer, wondered Viraj A. Master, MD, PhD, Winship Cancer Institute Urologist and Director of Clinical Research in Emory University’s Department of Urology. In 2013, Master along with Ashesh B. Jani, MD (Radiation Oncology) and Michael G. Goodman, MD (Epidemiology) published a groundbreaking study (i) that demonstrated the staggering lack of knowledge, which Grady Hospital patients in Atlanta, had in regards to their own cancer. These prostate cancer patients were unable to define key medical terms related to their illness; with half of the subjects unable to define “impotence,” and two thirds not knowing the meanings of key phrases like “urinary function” and “bowel habits.” These disturbing results lead him to spearhead another project that used a video based learning system to teach prostate cancer patients about their disease (ii). Master’s and his team approached this by developing a video tool that depicted 26 routine medical terms related to
Continue readingRare Disease Day 2016
February 29th occurs once out of every 1461 days. It makes sense that we celebrate Rare Disease Day on the rarest date on our calendar. There are many diseases and disorders which occur at a significantly lower rate than 1 in 1461, while yet having a great impact on lives of those afflicted. 2016 marks the ninth year that the international rare disease community celebrates Rare Disease Day, an event started to raise awareness for these diseases and disorders. In the USA, a rare disease is one which affects fewer than 200,000 Americans at any given time. Rare diseases can be not only difficult to treat, but to diagnose. The over 6,000 identified rare diseases include a broad array of disorders and symptoms that vary not only between diseases but between patients suffering from the same disease. Common symptoms can mask underlying rare diseases and lead to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. For most of these diseases, there are no effective cures available. Emory researchers have developed several currently available technologies addressing rare and orphan diseases including fragile X syndrome, diabetes insipidus and more. One of the most notable rare disease treatments was developed by a research team led by Emory
Continue readingAUTM 2016 – Top Ten Marketing Tips
AUTM’s (the Association of University Technology Managers) Annual meeting in San Diego, as others before it, was a whirlwind of non-stop education, networking, and partnering. AUTM 2016 was a busy meeting for the OTT team as members volunteered, attended sessions, spoke on panels, and participated in partnering sessions over the four day event. The weather was wonderful and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the “winter break.” There were a record number of marketing sessions at this meeting and here is our top ten list of marketing tips. Office Marketing Always have a call to action, always drive traffic back to your web site Branding is often misunderstood, but your brand is everything you say and do and how you say and do it Repurpose content – package parts and use in different ways and locations Share your successes Students can be a great resource to expand your marketing capabilities Technology Marketing Don’t just talk about what technologies you have available, but listen to what companies need When preparing a technology brief the writer should be skeptical and prove the value to themselves Your technology brief must include the value proposition for the technology Companies categorize inventors as established, up and comer, and
Continue readingPartnering: Turning Over Stones
There are several conferences to which many members of the technology transfer industry attend. They include LES Annual Meeting, JP Morgan Healthcare, BIO International Convention, AUTM Annual Meeting, as well as several others. Which conferences are attended vary across offices, but one of the largest, most used functions of these conferences is the partnering meeting. Partnering meetings allow face-to-face conversations between members of different organizations that have mutual interests. Some call it “speed dating”—each meeting is scheduled for approximately 30 minutes and they may run back-to-back throughout the day (with little or no breaks for the adventurous). For some it’s tiring, others exhilarating, but it’s always a great way to make connections. Most conferences utilize an online system to schedule meetings. The systems have improved over the years, some allowing full customization of individual and organizational profiles, uploading of documents and videos, and contacting individuals in other organizations. Partnering systems are highly convenient because they allow individuals to lay out a schedule and confirm topics of discussion before arriving at the conference. It is important to ensure the people you are contacting are appropriate for your areas of interest and will make for a productive conversation. There can be as
Continue readingGeorgia BIO Highlights Emory Startups & Staff at Annual Awards Gala
Each year Georgia BIO, a non-profit organization that promotes the interests and growth of the life sciences industry in Georgia, recognizes Georgia companies, innovators, and leaders at their annual awards gala. Held at the Fox Theater’s Egyptian Ballroom, the event provides an opportunity for the Georgia Life Sciences community to get together, celebrate, and recognize successes from the past year. The 2016 edition of the program saw numerous Emory-related companies honored as well as two distinguished members of the OTT team. Georgia BIO Deal of the Year – The annual Deal of the Year awards recognize transactions by life sciences companies in Georgia such as financings, partnering agreements, and government grants that are significant to the state’s industry development. Two Emory-related ventures were included in the 2016 edition: EGL Genetic Diagnostics LLC is a joint venture between Emory University and Eurofins and the merger of Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. and Emory startup RFS Pharma, LLC. Georgia BIO Community Awards – The Community Awards recognize individuals, companies and organizations for significant contributions to Georgia’s life sciences industry. This year OTT’s Director of Faculty & Startup Support, Kevin Lei, MBA, a 28 year veteran of the life sciences industry was honored for his
Continue readingVC101 – Venture Capital for Beginners
Osage Partners recently visited to provide our inventors with a primer on venture capital. Kristin Leute and Stephanie Stehman from Osage provided an interesting talk and discussion after. A great crowd showed up at Whitehead Auditorium for the talk but we know that not everyone could make it, so we wanted to provide some takeaways from the talk that might be useful for those looking into getting their startup funded by venture capital firms. Venture capital (VC) might sound scary to some. Entrepreneurs often worry that VCs want control over their company or will try to usurp their authority. Venture capitalists do have specific desires in exchange for funding but they rarely want control of the company they fund. They will sometimes step in if the company is not doing well because they are financially accountable, but this control is not the goal. Venture capitalists also want liquidation preference so that they have rights to get money before others and they usually want some stock or ownership of the company. VC funding will dilute the founders’ ownership of the company but that’s not a bad thing! Some dilution is good, but too much dilution can be bad. When examining university
Continue readingThe Magic of Science and How TMS Saved Me
I used to hate magic shows. Nothing frustrated me more than trying to figure out how the guy removes the beautiful woman from the box on stage, only to wow the audience moments later by revealing her—in the flesh—sitting in the theatre’s balcony with a big smile on her face. Magicians will never tell you their secrets, they will never disclose how the rabbit got in the hat, much less how he pulled the poor thing out of it. The stock answer, if ever asked, is a smug, “It’s just magic!” Many years ago I attended a magic show where the showman singled me out of the audience to be his “assistant.” I climbed up on the stage quite sure I’d get the inside scoop on his tricks. I struggled to concentrate while watching the magician’s nimble hands snip a rope into two parts and then deftly join the cut ends back together. When he ceremoniously yanked on the rope to prove to me and to the audience how fantastic his stunt really was, my frustration at not catching how he pulled it off settled it — I was done with magic and magicians! I stopped attending magic shows from
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