In the space of three months, the University of Minho has increased its portfolio of patented technologies with the concession of four new patents: three by the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and one by the European Patent Institute.

 

TecMinho, through its Support Office for the Promotion of Industrial Property (GAPI), supported all procedures in various ways, having had a crucial role throughout the whole process. It intervened in the verification of patent requirements of the research undertaken, filled in all patent documents with the contribution of the inventors, and submitted the petitions to INPI. TecMinho also cooperated in the elaboration of the clarifications, along with the inventors, when there were any questions on behalf of the examiners and during the accompaniment and management of the processes.

 

The first national patent granted, requested by the University of Minho and the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, was acknowledged by INPI in February. It is denominated by “Use of Pediococcus Parvulus for the degradation and biological detoxification of Ocratoxin A and respective method” and, essentially consists of using new strains of Pediococcus Parvulus for the degradation and biological detoxification of Ocratoxin A, a micotoxin mostly present in cereals, coffee and cocoa beans, grapes, raisins, wine figs, pork or spices, and is considered a cumulative toxic component. This new invention was developed by Luís Abrunhosa and Professor Venâncio from the Department of Biological Engineering of UMinho, and by Professors António Inês and Maria Faria from UTAD.

 

In March, INPI granted a national patent to the technology invented by Professors José Machado and Filomena Soares, as well as Ana Ferraz (Department of Industrial Electronics of Uminho) and Karolina Bezerra, Professors Demétrio Matos and Vítor Hugo Carvalho (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave). From the need to carryout in a simple and effective way the mixture of blood and reagents, indispensible to the realization of various pre-transfusion tests based on the blade test, the inventors created a system capable of mixing blood with the respective reagents for blood analysis in an interval inferior to 5 seconds.

 

It is usually said that there are not two without three. INPI proved this by granting a new patent, this time, to the invention of Professor José Sena-Cruz and researchers Júlio Roca and Gonçalo Escusa from the Department of Civil Engineering of UMinho. This new technology is based on a structure displacement measurement system, such as bridge boards, of any typology and section - applicable to water courses, rivers or lakes, for example – which permit the measurement of structures without the need for the user to directly access the area it is on. Besides this, it has the advantage of dispensing the use of other structures or auxiliary support systems.

 

Lastly, but not least important, the European Patent Institute has granted UMinho a European patent for the technology “Electrodes based on textile substrates” this month. This invention consists of the creation of a textile electrode capable of providing measurements of electrical potentials, ensuring adequate compression to maintain contact with the skin and providing quality. Thanks to its tri-dimensional form, it does not require the use of adhesive to place the electrode in contact with the skin.

 

The extreme importance the transfer of research results with high potential to the market and the protection of industrial property of these results has to UMinho should be emphasised. Through patenting, the possibility to copy is suppressed and the actual innovative effect of the invention can be evaluated.