Excellence at scale: Purdue ranks 4th nationally for U.S. patents received

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — An injection manifold design to improve next-generation engine performance. A robotic system to place and fasten materials to automate building construction. A biomedical scaffold to stimulate nerve function and promote muscle regeneration.

These were among the 213 innovations created by Purdue University researchers for which the Purdue Research Foundation received patents in the 2024 calendar year from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, reflecting Purdue’s status as a global leader in protecting and promoting intellectual property. Purdue placed seventh internationally and in the top four of U.S. universities for patents received.

The information was published Tuesday (March 11) in a report from the National Academy of Inventors.

“Purdue again demonstrates excellence at scale with a top four ranking among American universities that received U.S. patents in 2024. We pride ourselves on translating fundamental research breakthrough into societal impact,” Purdue President Mung Chiang said. “The Purdue Innovates program has intensified the support for Boilermaker inventors and entrepreneurs since it was launched.”

The Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) manages the technology transfer process to vet, protect and license innovations developed by university researchers, including filing patent applications. Its technology portfolio covers innovations in subject areas including agriculture, biotechnology, chemistry and chemical analysis, computer technology, engineering, food and nutrition, green technology, micro- and nanotechnologies, and more.

“Purdue faculty, staff and student researchers across all academic disciplines and campuses have access to critical resources from PRF to support commercializing their innovations,” said Chad Pittman, president and CEO of Purdue Research Foundation. “These resources make it possible to bring innovative work to the public, enhancing quality of life and economic and workforce development.”

Brooke Beier, senior vice president of Purdue Innovates, said, “Purdue Innovates is committed to protecting Purdue’s intellectual property and striving to find the best commercialization partners through licensing to bring its technologies to market. Our team takes great pride in supporting Purdue’s world-class researchers, fostering innovation and building industry partnerships that help translate cutting-edge technologies into real-world solutions.”

Ken Waite, chief patent counsel and director of intellectual property, said, “The heart of OTC’s mission is to protect Purdue intellectual property and share it with the world. I’m proud of our team’s efforts to protect these advancements, a role that we take very seriously.”

The 2024 issued patents included:

• “Compositions and Methods for the Treatment of Lowe Syndrome” by R. Claudio Aguilar, College of Science
• “Hybrid Expansive Frequency Compression for Enhancing Speech Perception by Individuals with High-Frequency Hearing” by Joshua Alexander, College of Health and Human Sciences
• “System and Methods for Heterogeneous Configuration Optimization for Distributed Databases in the Cloud” by Somali Chaterji, College of Agriculture and College of Engineering
• “Compositions and Materials for Regeneration of Skeletal Muscle” by Meng Deng, College of Agriculture and College of Engineering
• “Smart Accumulator with Oil Circulation Ratio Sensing” by Eckhard Groll, College of Engineering
• “CBX8 Chromodomain Inhibitors and the Uses Thereof” by Casey Krusemark, College of Pharmacy
• “Macrotumor Engineering” by Sophie Lelievre, College of Veterinary Medicine
• “System and Method for Using a Solar Cell in Wireless Communication” by Walter Daniel Leon-Salas, Purdue Polytechnic Institute
• “Bioactive Peptide Molecules Discovered by a Combination of Bioinformatics Technique and Chemical Synthesis” by Elizabeth Parkinson, College of Science
• “Injection Manifold” by Li Qiao, College of Engineering
• “Method of Measuring Diffusion in a Medium” by Garth Simpson, College of Science
• “Autonomous Robotic System for Placing and Fastening Paneling Material for Building Construction Operations” by Jiansong Zhang, Purdue Polytechnic Institute
• “Magneto Safety Guard” by Jonathon Ziulkowski, Purdue Polytechnic Institute

In the 2024 fiscal year, which runs from July 2023 to June 2024, the Office of Technology Commercialization:

• Received 466 total disclosures from Purdue innovators: 427 invention disclosures and 39 copyright disclosures
• Filed 794 patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and international patent organizations
• Received 290 U.S. and international patents
• Executed 145 licenses and options
• Helped establish 16 startup companies

About Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university’s academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. In fiscal year 2024, the office reported 145 deals finalized with 224 technologies signed, 466 invention disclosures received, and 290 U.S. and international patents received. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Contact otcip@prf.org for more information.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.