University of Memphis Celebrates Patents Worldwide
March 15, 2021 — The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) within the Division of Research & Innovation has received several notifications of issued or allowed patents centered on two separate technologies. The first notice was a U.S. patent allowance focused on cybersecurity from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Notifications were also received of issued or allowed patents in Australia, Japan and China for bioengineered honey-based technologies for tissue regeneration. For patent allowances, all requirements have been met and the patent will be issued in due time.
Dr. Dipankar Dasgupta, professor in Computer Science and lead inventor of the patent, received notification he was issued a U.S. patent allowance for his submission “Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication System with Multi-User Permission Strategy to Access Sensitive Information.” This new technology allows systems and related methods for providing greater security and control over access to protected or classified resources, files and documents and other forms of sensitive information based upon an initial adaptive selection of multiple modalities for authentication in different operating environments, with subsequent multi-user permission strategy centering on organizational structure.
“Classified data breach and sensitive information leakage continues to be a major concern,” according to Dasgupta. “We need a robust auditing mechanism of such information access, and the novelty of this innovation lies in combining adaptive multi-factor authentication to verify identity of the user and permission-based user access to sensitive information, providing end-to-end non-repudiated accountability in cyber systems.”
In addition to being a professor in Computer Science, Dasgupta is a recipient of the prestigious William Hill Professor in Cybersecurity. He is also the director of the Center for Information Assurance (CfIA) and co-director of the Cluster to Advance cyber Security & Testing (CAST), both located in the FedEx Institute of Technology. Co-inventors on this patent are Roy Arunava, Ghosh Debasis and Kumar Nag Abhijit.
The University of Memphis and SweetBio Inc. received patent allowances from Australia and Japan, and an issued patent from China for biodegradable Manuka honey-incorporated scaffolds for tissue regeneration. The patents were for “Compositions and Methods for Enhancing Healing and Regeneration of Bone and Soft Tissue” with Dr. Gary Bowlin (Herff Chair of Excellence and professor in Biomedical Engineering) and Dr. Isaac Rodriguez (former postdoctoral fellow in Biomedical Engineering and co-founder and chief science officer at SweetBio Inc.) as the named inventors. This invention provides for an advanced synthesis of a natural biodegradable polymer, honey and a filler that can exist in multiple forms (e.g., membrane, fibers and layers).
The invention finds use in methods for soft and hard tissue regeneration, infection prevention and promotion of macrophage response. This invention is currently being commercialized by SweetBio, Inc. for wound care applications.
“The granting of these patents is exciting news,” said Bowlin. “This intellectual property portfolio affords critical protection in these large markets for the SweetBio product lines. The first of which Apis® is showing incredible healing capacity in clinical wound management.”
Rodriguez added, “Honey has been used for millennia as a topical, short term, yet slightly messy material to treat wounds. These newly granted patents push the boundaries of how honey can be used for tissue regeneration both outside and inside the body.”
SweetBio, who holds an exclusive license on this technology and their first product, Apis®, was cleared by the FDA for commercialization in 2019. Apis®, is used in the management of wounds such as ulcers and surgical sites, with the potential for future expansion into the multiple applications including orthopedic, dental, internal surgery and veterinary. SweetBio is headquartered at the UMRF Research Park at the UofM.
These patents contribute to the growing success of the UofM’s IP portfolio, further increasing OTT’s footprint in leading the Mid-South in groundbreaking inventions and innovations and its role as a leader in technology. For more information on these patents and/or other UofM technologies available for commercialization, visit the Office of Technology Transfer website or contact Dr. Hai Trieu at hhtrieu@memphis.edu.