On World Intellectual Property Day, celebrated on April 26, the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) has one more reason to celebrate: the University ended 2018 breaking its record for patents granted by the National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI), totaling 71 patents granted.
The protection of research results at the University is the responsibility of Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency. The intellectual property manager at Inova Unicamp, Janaína César, explained that before filing a patent application, the Agency does not evaluate the merit of the research, but rather whether it meets the patentability requirements set out in the Industrial Property Law, which are: novelty , when not understood in the state of the art, inventive activity for technicians in the subject and industrial application, which is when the technology can be used or produced in any type of industry.
“Additionally, we advise teachers, staff and students that the technology needs to present a technical difference compared to competing technologies and have results that demonstrate its advantages in relation to a commonly used product or process, preferably compared to what is considered 'gold standard' by the market”, adds the manager.
Among the patents granted in 2018 is a process for creating a biodegradable sensor that quickly detects food that is unfit for consumption, developed under the responsibility of professor Telma Franco, from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering (FEQ) at Unicamp. The consumption of spoiled food is still a common problem throughout the world, especially in regions with high temperatures, which is why technology contributes to quality assurance in the food industry and for the population in general, as the process allows a sensor portable and low cost, fully biodegradable and easy to use.
Although there are other industrial sensors that evaluate the variation in acidity and oxygen concentration to check the freshness of food, they are not as agile as the process developed by the FEQ professor, which in approximately 30 seconds checks the freshness of the food by detecting the component hydrogen sulfide (H2S), present in spoiled foods.
Another patent out of the 71 that were granted in 2018 is in the field of sound diffusion, developed by professor José Augusto Mannis from the Institute of Arts (IA) at Unicamp. This is geometric knowledge that can be used in architecture and civil construction, offering environmental comfort with noise control. The proposed structure also allows sound diffusion, desired in technical listening and musical practice environments so that there is a homogeneous mix of sounds so that musicians play together and in tune and also for harmonious musical enjoyment for listeners.
“This means that mixing sounds is good, but it is always important to foresee the sound design of the rooms in order to promote critical listening and musical practice with balance in the mixing of sounds and maintaining the individuality of each instrument or voice. It is from this harmony that the elegance of a room’s acoustic response arises.”, details the teacher.
In 2018, Unicamp also maintained its average in terms of patent applications, with 72 patents filed in the year by Unicamp and which will be analyzed by INPI, reflecting the work of disseminating the culture of intellectual protection at the University, as explained by the manager of IP at Inova Unicamp.
The data was revealed in the Agency's 2018 Activity Report, available online. Check below the communication data on inventions, patents filed and patents granted by Unicamp over the last 10 years:
Frequently asked questions about intellectual protection at Unicamp:
