Louisiana Tech inventors honored for research

Twenty Louisiana Tech faculty researchers were honored for their innovative skills and production at an Inventors' Recognition event held recently.

Dr. Rich Kordal, director of economic development and technology assessment, said the event acknowledged accomplishments of an inventor who recently has been granted a patent, inventors who have had their technologies licensed to a company for commercialization, inventors who have received a regular U.S. patent application for their inventions and first-time inventors.

"I continue to be impressed by how dedicated (the faculty) are to their research and the quality of their inventions," Kordal said. "The spirit of cooperation and innovation here at Louisiana Tech has led us to a disclosure rate four times greater than the national average."

In the first category, Philip Coane, associate director of operations and senior research engineer, was recognized for the issuance of his patent, "Method of Producing Silica Microstructures from X-ray Lihography of SOG (Spin-on Glass) Materials."

Tech inventors who have licensed technologies were:

• Vir Phoha with a license with BioPassword for his computer security technology;
• Kody Varahramyan, Ji Fang and Alfred Gunasekaran, with a license to HoloChip for their microlens technology;
• Walt Besio, with a license to BrainVital for his epileptic seizure control medical device; and
• Mike McShane and Patrick Grant, with a license to their start-up company AURA for their sensor technology.

In the third category, inventors whose inventions have resulted in a regular U.S. patent application were:

• Yuri Lvov and Steve Jones, who filed a patent called "Controlled Release from Nanoorganized Microcapsules;"
• Fang, Varahramyan and Gunasekaran, who filed a patent, "Wide-Angle Variable Focal Length Lens System;"
• Frank Ji, whose patent is "Methylmercury Detecting Cantileveri;"
• Walt Besio, whose patent is "Medical Devices for the Detection, Prevention and/or Treatment of Neurological Disorders and Methods Related Thereto;"
• Phoha, whose patent is "An Augmented Computer User Login Authentication Using Classifying Regions of Keystrokes Density Neural Network;"
• Chokchai "Box" Leangsuksun, whose patent is "Framework for Storing/Retrieving OS and Application States on IPMI SELs;"
• Henry Cardenas, whose patent is "Electrokinetic Strength Enhancement of Concrete;"
• Chester Wilson, whose patent is "Multichannel Nanoparticle Scintillation Microdevice with Integrated Waveguides;" and
• Ben Choi, whose patent is "Method and Apparatus for Organization for Computer Files."

The four first-time inventors were:

• George Grozdits, who submitted a joint invention called "Polyelectrolyte Nanocoating Process for Effective Paper Recycling and Mill Waste Broke Recycling;"
• Chad O'Neal, who submitted "Vibration Energy Scavenging MEMS Array;" and
• Gary Kennedy and William Green, who submitted "Detecting Hypocalcemia Utilizing Bovine Nose Perspiration as a Proxy for Blood Calcium Concentrations."

Dr. Les Guice, vice president of research and development, said Tech's productivity, when comparing the number of inventions versus the volume of research, was four times the national average. "This demonstrates we have excellent faculty members that have been doing some high-quality research leading to innovations," Guice said. "The faculty at Louisiana Tech recognizes the university values their efforts."

He also he felt those involved in the hiring process should also be commended.

"The deans and others have hired faculty who are very innovative," he said. "Many (faculty members) have practical research, so they are looking at the fundamentals as well as how it solves practical problems."

Kordal added he was pleased to be around such dynamic inventors at Tech.

"I think you can tell by the level of patent and licensing activity that we have highly creative and entrepreneurial faculty," Kordal said. "It is a privilege to work in such a dynamic environment and with such a supportive and forward thinking administration."

Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Feb 2009
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