News Release
April 24, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Megan E. Michael
(301) 405-8306
Inventions of the
Year Announced,
Research and Technology
Transfer Celebrated
at the University of Maryland
COLLEGE PARK, MD . . . A novel method for producing
rare carotenoids that may be vital as nutrients and as therapies
for diseases such as cancer and age-related macular degeneration;
an accurate and inexpensive technology that can "PinPoint" the location
of all the nodes (cell phones, computers, etc.) of a wireless network
and synchronize their actions; and a new platform technology that
improves upon widely-used existing "breadboard tables," as platforms
for fiber optic research are called, are the University of Maryland's
three Inventions of the Year 2000.
William W. Destler, University of Maryland's Vice President of
Research and Dean of the Graduate School, will present plaques and
$500 in award money to the inventors of the winning technologies
today at the 14th Annual Invention of the Year Reception held by
the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC).
Life Science Invention
of the Year
Fred Khachik,
an adjunct professor in Maryland's Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, has developed a novel method to extract and purify
carotenoids that are not commercially available for research to
study their properties for use as nutritional supplements and as
drug therapies for chronic diseases such as cancer, age-related
macular degeneration and cardiovascular disease. Carotenoids--the
yellow to red compounds found in plants and animals--possess
antioxidant and anti-cancer properties and are valuable supplements
to the human diet.
Several dietary carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and
lycopene, are commercially available in various formulations. However,
anhydrolutein, alpha-cryptoxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin,
four of the 12 major dietary carotenoids found in human serum, milk,
major organs and tissues, are rare in nature. Khachik's patent-pending
method converts commercially available lutein (isolated from extracts
of marigold flowers) into a mixture of alpha-cryptoxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin
and minor quantities of anhydrolutein in one simple step, making
these rare carotenoids available for further research into their
use as preventive methods or treatments for many degenerative and
deadly diseases.
Other finalists in the life science category were entitled "Integrated
Microfluidic System Enabling Rapid Protein Digestion, Peptide Separation
and Protein Identification," developed by Cheng Lee; and "Dermal
Immunization of Chickens with a Unique Plasmid DNA," developed by
Robert Heckert and Subbiah Elankumaran.
Information Science
Invention of the Year
Researchers at
Maryland's Department of Computer Science have developed an accurate,
rapid and inexpensive technology that determines the spatial layout
of a wireless network of nodes. The patent-pending PinPoint Technology,
developed by Ashok Agrawala, A. Shankar, Ronald Larsen and Douglas
Szajda, also allows every node to determine the relative offset
and drift of every other node's clock, making it possible for all
of the nodes to carry out a precise synchronized action. Research
results show that the PinPoint Technology can determine location
to an accuracy of a few centimeters and determine clock differences
to an accuracy of a nanosecond.
PinPoint Technology has significant implications for a broad range
of wireless networking infrastructure applications. The rapid availability
of accurate location information can greatly simplify and optimize
the implementation of ad-hoc networks and sensor-based applications.
Other finalists in the information science category were entitled
"A Storytelling Robot for Pediatric Rehabilitation," developed by
Allison Druin, Catherine Plaisant-Schwenn and Corinna Lathan; and
"Maryland Phosphorus Site Index (PSI) Software," developed by Robert
Hill, Eugene Mironenko, Franklin Robbins and Chad Forgette.
Physical Science Invention
of the Year
Steve Baker,
a former research technician with Maryland's Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering, has developed a novel Fiber Optic Breadboard
workstation that provides a scaleable environment for fiber optic
research. Conventional breadboard tables have large, horizontal
surfaces with patterns of threaded holes that are used to secure
the necessary testing equipment, such as clamps, meters and sensors.
This set-up consumes valuable workspace and often results in confusing
layouts that make troubleshooting during experiments difficult.
The patent-pending breadboard developed by Baker, that is set up
using simple, three-dimensional modular stacking platforms, can
be mounted on top of a traditional breadboard table. This layout
effectively increases the amount of available workspace. Baker's
breadboard also features a pattern of threaded holes and a quick
clamp system to assemble and stack the platforms without affecting
its structural integrity. In addition to fiber optic research, Baker's
breadboard can be used for free-space optics, remote sensing and
smart structures research.
Since inventing the Fiber Optic Breadboard, Baker has formed a University
of Maryland start-up company based on the technology. Optical Fiber
Research Resources, Inc., of Baltimore, Md., licensed the Fiber
Optic Breadboard from OTC and will be manufacturing and distributing
the novel breadboard.
Other finalists in the physical science category were entitled "Wet
Gas Temperature Measurement Probe," developed by Marino diMarzo
and Paolo Ruffino; and "Evaporation/Condensation of Metal Clusters
for the Production of III-V Semiconductor Nanocrystals by Aerotaxy,"
developed by Sheryl Ehrman, Yogendra Singh, Julie Rose Javier, Knut
Deppert and Martin Magnusson.
The Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) at the University
of Maryland was established in 1986 to facilitate the transfer of
information, life and physical science inventions developed at the
university to business and industry. In the past 14 years, OTC has
recorded more than 1000 technologies, secured more than 150 patents
and executed more than 480 license agreements, generating more than
$17 million in technology transfer income. In addition, 22 high-tech
start-up companies have been formed based on technologies developed
at the university.
For more
information, contact Megan
E. Michael
at (301) 403-2711 ext. 17.
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Office
of Technology Commercialization
University of Maryland
6200 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 300
Riverdale, Maryland 20737-1054
301-403-2711 tel
d301-403-2717 fax
otc@umd.edu
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