Middle Tennessee
Vanderbilt University received three patents:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,835,820, entitled “System and method for image mapping and visual attention” invented by Richard A. Peters II of Nashville.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,835,013, entitled “Interferometric detection system and method” invented by Darryl J. Bornhop of Nashville and Richard D. Jones of Bozeman, Mont.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,833,257, entitled “Apparatus and methods for optical stimulation of the auditory nerve” invented by E. Duco Jansen of Nashville, Joseph I. Walsh Jr. and Agnella Izzo of Evanston, Ill., and Claus-Peter Richter of Skokie, Ill., and co-assigned to Northwestern University.
Franklin Industrial Minerals of Nashville received U.S. Patent No. 7,833,339, entitled “Mineral filler composition” invented by David R. Puryear of Nashville, Robert H. Whitaker of Cleveland, Ga., and Allen E. Smith of Sparta, N.J.
Universal Safety Response Inc. of Franklin received U.S. Patent No. 7,832,957, entitled “Removable barricade system” invented by Matthew A. Gelfand of Brentwood.
Griffin Technology Inc. of Nashville received U.S. Patent No. 7,835,809, entitled “Digital media player accessory interface” invented by Paul P. Griffin Jr. of Nashville.
ZymoGenetics LLC of Nashville received U.S. Patent No. 7,833,520, entitled “Method of using interferon-like protein ZCYTO21(IL-29) to treat hepatitis B” invented by Paul O. Sheppard of Granite Falls, Wash., Scott R. Presnell of Tacoma, Wash., and Brian A. Fox, Teresa Gilbert, Betty A. Haldeman and Francis J. Grant, all of Seattle.
Earth To Air Systems LLC of Franklin received U.S. Patent No. 7,832,220, entitled “Deep well direct expansion heating and cooling system” invented by B. Ryland Wiggs of Brentwood.
Mars Inc. of Cool Springs received U.S. Patent No. D627,126, entitled “Pet treat” invented by Peter S. Slusarczyk of Nolensville and Cari Ann Enot of Franklin.
Christopher Gene Barrett of Murfreesboro is the sole named inventor on U.S. Patent No. 7,832,326, entitled “Auto-loading firearm with gas piston facility.”
Other patents naming Middle Tennessee inventors:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,834,883, entitled “Virtual digital imaging and method of using the same in real estate” invented by Michael Shane Adams of Antioch and assigned to Total Intellectual Property Protection Services LLC of Las Vegas.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,833,541, entitled “Cosmetic compositions utilizing acrylate cross linked silicone copolymer networks” invented by Pat Hoontrakul of Murfreesboro, Ning Lu of White Plains, N.Y., Anna Maria Czech of Bronxville, N.Y., John Nicholson of Ramsey, N.J., and Roy Rojas-Wahl of Teaneck, N.J., and assigned to Momentive Performance Materials Inc. of Albany, N.Y.
East Tennessee
Radio Systems Corp. of Knoxville received two patents:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,834,769, entitled “Animal deterrent mat” invented by David Anthony Hinkle of Knoxville, Albert Leon Lee IV of Seymour, and Steven M. Schrick and Duane A. Gerig of Knoxville.
• U.S. Patent No. D627,527, entitled “Pet bed heating pad” invented by Ben T. Ferguson III, Marc E. Brush and Jason R. Graves of Knoxville, and Nianhong Zhou of Tianhe District, China.
Eastman Chemical Co. of Kingsport received four patents:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,834,208, entitled “Process to produce a post catalyst removal composition” invented by Kenny Randolph Parker of Afton and Philip Edward Gibson and Ruairi Seosamh O’Meadhra of Kingsport.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,834,129, entitled “Restaurant smallware comprising polyester compositions formed from 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol” invented by Thomas Joseph Pecorini, Douglas Stephens McWilliams and Emmett Dudley Crawford of Kingsport, David Scott Porter of Blountville, and Gary Wayne Connell of Church Hill.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,834,127, entitled “Amorphous copolyesters” invented by Jonathan Terrill Milburn, Robert William Seymour and Kab Sik Seo of Kingsport, and Sam Richard Turner of Blacksburg, Va.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,834,109, entitled “System for producing low impurity polyester” invented by Richard Gill Bonner of Kingsport and Bruce Roger DeBruin of Lexington, S.C.
UT-Battelle LLC of Oak Ridge received U.S. Patent No. 7,834,754, entitled “Method and system for monitoring environmental conditions” invented by James J. Kulesz and Ronald W. Lee of Oak Ridge.
Yale Security Inc. of Lenoir City received U.S. Patent No. 7,832,778, entitled “Delayed egress exit device” invented by Andrew Whitaker of Knoxville, John Steven Gray of Maryville, Michael L. Ensley of Norris, Larry R. Hunt of Sebring, Fla., and Sidney J. Lampley of Monroe, N.C.
Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. of Knoxville received U.S. Patent No. 7,835,480, entitled “Solid target system for the handling of a Cu-64 target” invented by Andrew C. Williamson of Knoxville.
William Shuford Yates of Greeneville is the sole named inventor on U.S. Patent No. 7,832,702, entitled “Article hanging system.”
Astec Industries Inc. of Chattanooga received U.S. Patent No. 7,832,670, entitled “Material reducing apparatus” invented by Arnold N. Peterson of Eugene, Ore., and Glenn Ford Bittrolf of Springfield, Ore.
DenTek Oral Care Inc. of Maryville received U.S. Patent No. 7,832,404, entitled “Low profile mouthguard” invented by John M. Jansheski of Maryville.
Johns Manville of Etowah received U.S. Patent No. 7,832,315, entitled “Fiber chopper apparatus and method” invented by Russell Donovan Arterburn of Athens, Randall Clark Bascom of Wauseon, Ohio, Harold Miles Hendrickson of Delta, Ohio, Carlos Gilberto Santizo of Mansfield, Texas, and Emery Sidney Barber of Joshua, Texas.
Other patents naming inventors from East Tennessee:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,836,267, entitled “Open computer files snapshot” invented by Kenneth J. Cross of Knoxville and assigned to Barracuda Networks Inc. of Campbell, Ca.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,836,090, entitled “Method and system for data mining of very large spatial datasets using vertical set inner products” invented by Amal Shehan Perera of Knoxville, William K. Perrizo of Fargo, N.D., Taufik Fuadi Abidin of Piscataway, N.J., and Masum Serazi of Edison, N.J. and assigned to NDSU Research Foundation of Fargo, N.D.
• U.S. Patent No. D627,179, entitled “Rail for a shelving system” invented by Phillip M. Ownbey of Cleveland, Frank A. Fabiano of Bronson, Mich., Robert E. Burnham of Novi, Mich., and assigned to Morgan Olson Corp. of Sturgis, Mich.
West Tennessee
Medtronic Navigation Inc. received two patents:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,835,784, entitled “Method and apparatus for positioning a reference frame” invented by David A. Mire of Cordova and John B. Clayton of Superior, Colo.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,835,778, entitled “Method and apparatus for surgical navigation of a multiple piece construct for implantation” invented by Kevin T. Foley of Germantown, David Mire of Cordova, Stacy Sprouse of Brighton, Colo., John B. Clayton of Superior, Colo., and Mark W. Hunter of Broomfield, Colo.
Warsaw Orthopedic Inc. of received three patents:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,833,270, entitled “Implant depots to deliver growth factors to treat osteoporotic bone” invented by William F. McKay of Memphis.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,833,269, entitled “Osteochondral implant procedure” invented by Jeffrey H. Nycz of Collierville, Daniel Shimko of Germantown, and Jeetendra Bharadwaj of Memphis.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,833,252, entitled “Pivoting joints for spinal implants including designed resistance to motion and methods of use” invented by Jeff R. Justis of Germantown, James Michael Mirda of Cordova, Rodney Ray Ballard of Lakeland, and Fred J. Molz IV of Birmingham, Ala.
Black & Decker Inc. received two patents:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,832,319, entitled “Blade clamp assembly” invented by Alan Phillips and John W. Schnell of Jackson.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,832,991, entitled “Air compressor with removable manifold” invented by Mark Wood, Crandall Barbour, Mike L. Davis, Fred M. Morgan, David W. Robenalt and Dave C. Smith, all of Jackson, John W. Hardin of Medina, J. Cody Stilwell of Jackson, Gary White of Medina, Stephen J. Vos of Jackson, and Robert Burkholder of Rotonda West, Fla.
Wright Medical Technology Inc. of Arlington received U.S. Patent No. 7,833,229, entitled “Apparatus for and method of providing a hip replacement” invented by Brad L. Peneberg of Beverly Hills, Calif.
Hydratrek LLC of Covington received U.S. Patent No. 7,833,071, entitled “Amphibious all-terrain vehicle” invented by R. Louis Gaither of Covington.
Smith & Nephew Inc. of Memphis received U.S. Patent No. 7,832,401, entitled “Hip distraction” invented by Paul Alexander Torrie of Marblehead, Mass. and Edward J. Daley II and Paul J. Skavicus of Maynard, Mass.
Daniel Cofie of Bartlett is the sole named inventor on U.S. Patent No. D627,479, entitled “Specimen cup sleeve with a retractable handle.”
Other patents naming West Tennessee inventors:
• U.S. Patent No. 7,834,289, entitled “Mail processing system for address change service” invented by Wayne Henry Orbke of Germantown, John Sadler of Dunkirk, Md., William Andrew Grady of Bedford, Texas, Richard Wojdyla of Wadsworth, Ill., and Walter S. Conard of Lake Villa, Ill., and assigned to Bell & Howell Co. of Durham, N.C.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,833,680, entitled “Fuel cell separator plate reinforcement via bonding assembly” invented by Jack A. C. Kummerow II of Big Sandy and Joseph B. Darke of Dover, and assigned to Dana Automotive Systems Group LLC of Maumee, Ohio.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,832,417, entitled “Dispenser for a drawer-type dishwasher” invented by David K. Reynolds of Jackson, Rodney M. Welch of Beech Bluff, Dean A. Werthman of Jackson, Kory A. Gunnerson of West Lafayette, Ind., Kristen K. Hedstrom and Mark E. Palm of Orlando, and assigned to Maytag Corp. of Benton Harbor, Mich.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,832,409, entitled “Method of inserting an artificial intervertebral disc” invented by Marc Richelsoph of Bartlett and Joseph Clift of Bartlett, and assigned to Aesculap Implant Systems LLC of Center Valley, Pa.
— Compiled by R. Parrish Freeman Jr. of intellectual property law firm Waddey & Patterson P.C. [2]