By
Andrea Uhde
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Dr. Andrew Steckl
has been granted three patents for the University of
Cincinnati researching luminescent materials for flat
panel displays. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM
| |
The
University of Cincinnati made more money off its patents in
2001 than any other university in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky,
according to rankings by the Association of University
Technology Managers.
UC had about $5.4 million in royalties - a record for the
school - that advanced it five spots from the 2000 survey to
rank 28 out of 142 research universities surveyed.
The improvement is a sign of how hard researchers are
working, said Richard Kordal, director of intellectual
property.
"I think it kind of demonstrates the productivity of our
researchers," Kordal said.
From Cardiolite, a cardiac stress test licensed to DuPont,
to HeaterMeals, meals that heat themselves when water is
added, UC now has 69 invention disclosures.
Andrew Steckl, a Gieringer professor of solid state
microelectronics in UC's electrical and computer engineering
and computer science department, estimates his research has
brought in anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000.
Steckl, an Ohio Eminent Scholar, is researching unique
luminescent materials that make flat panel displays, like
plasma screens, more rugged and brighter. He's been granted
three of eight patents he's applied for.
Steckl attributes much of the success of the various
inventions to the Intellectual Property office.
"Not every university has got such a supportive IPO office
as we do," he said.
Funding for research has been improving, although UC ranks
82nd for funding out of the schools surveyed.
In 2001, it received about $100 million for research, about
90 percent of which came from the federal government, Kordal
said.
"Typically, one should expect one new invention for every
$2.5 million in research.
"We're close to twice the national average," Kordal said.
UC is trying to expand its research facilities and attract
more top researchers, which will help bring in more funding,
Kordal said.
This is the third straight year UC has ranked highest among
Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana colleges and universities.
UC raised about $2.15 million more than Indiana University,
about $3.9 million more than Ohio State University, and about
$3.1 million more than the University of Kentucky Research
Foundation.
Some UC patents
• A vaccine that can be taken orally without being
destroyed by the digestive system, by Gade Michael, a former
UC researcher.
• A way to extend the shelf life of blood donations, by
Tibor Greenwalt, a former researcher at the UC Hoxworth Blood
Center.
• A new use for Topiramate, a Johnson and Johnson drug used
to treat epileptics. Susan McElroy, a UC psychiatry professor,
found it could also treat obsessive-compulsive disorders.
• Brighter and more durable flat panel displays using
luminescent materials, by Andrew Steckl, professor in UC's
electrical and computer engineering and computer science
department.
E-mail auhde@enquirer.com
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