Illustration by Radio
With more than 2,100 inventions and 600 U.S. patents credited to our students, faculty and researchers,
Stony Brook University fosters a community of innovators who are improving global science and technology every day. Take a look at eight licensed, commercialized inventions that sparked at Stony Brook.
Direct-Write Thermal Spray
[Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering]
Sanjay Sampath and Richard Gambino, researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, developed in early 2000 Direct-Write Thermal Spray, which uses novel printing technology to integrate high-performance antennas, heaters, sensors and wiring directly onto conformal structures used in harsh environments for the commercial, aerospace and defense markets.
ReoPro® (Abciximab)
[School of Medicine]
Former Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Pathology Barry S. Coller invented the drug Abciximab, and holds several U.S. patents related to the drug and its use. Abciximab is the first drug developed from SUNY technology to be approved by the FDA for marketing in the U.S. Marketed as ReoPro, the drug has helped millions of patients prevent heart attacks after angioplasty and stent procedures since its introduction in 1995.
Cellulose based nanofiber membranes for water filtration
[Department of Chemistry]
Benjamin Chu and Benjamin Hsiao, Distinguished Professors in the Department of Chemistry, led a team in developing cellulose-based nanofiber membranes for water filtration in 2000. The two professors are part of the founding team of Liquidity Nanotech Corporation, which works to bring these water filtration membranes to market. In 2014, Liquidity announced that their nanofiber membranes have enabled the achievement of new global standards for drinking water quality.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
[Department of Chemistry]
Paul Lauterbur, Chemistry Professor at Stony Brook from 1963 to 1985, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2003 for developing MRI as a way to look inside living organisms without surgery or X-ray radiation. Lauterbur published his pioneering work in producing the first nuclear magnetic resonance image in Nature in 1973. Four years later, the first human MRI scan was made.
SmartMouth™
[Department of Oral Biology and Pathology]
SmartMouth Mouthwash incorporates patented zinc ion technology developed by Israel Kleinberg, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Oral Biology and Pathology. When poured, SmartMouth combines two solutions, releasing an abundance of zinc ions that aid in the reduction of gingivitis and periodontitis, and inhibit the ability of bacteria to produce volatile sulfur compounds, a major component of bad breath.
Academic Analytics
Lawrence Martin, director of Turkana Basin Institute and special advisor for academic excellence to the President of Stony Brook University, developed software that provides high-quality custom business intelligence data and solutions for research universities. Academic Analytics generates objective data that administrators can use for benchmarking in comparison to other institutions, helping universities identify their strengths and areas where improvements can be made.
Fluorescence Multi-Gas Sensor
[Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering]
A research group led by Michael Gouzman, University Instructional Specialist in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, developed an optical fluorescence-based oxygen sensor. The miniaturized, low-cost, low-power sensor may be used in portable safety devices that can detect multiple gases concurrently, potentially influencing a new generation of lead-free sensors with longer life spans for medical, safety and industrial applications.
Mobility Assist
[Department of Mechanical Engineering]
Anurag Purwar, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, developed Mobility Assist, a versatile, independently operated ambulation therapy aid that helps individuals stand, sit and walk on their own. Users can get in the device and complete functional activities that promote lower extremity usage, while also strengthening muscles and neural pathways.
Stony Brook University Establishes Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors
In April 2016, Stony Brook University established its own Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and inducted 30 faculty members, all of whom hold patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Their inventions involve many scientific fields, such as chemistry, biomedical engineering, computer science, pharmacological science and mechanical engineering.
“Stony Brook University is very good at innovation,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. “Over the last two decades, Stony Brook has accounted for 90 percent of all the revenues coming to SUNY from licensing and patents. That’s something we should be very proud of.”
Stony Brook’s NAI chapter will foster research that leads to academic inventions and entrepreneurship from faculty and students, help build a culture of invention across all campus disciplines, and in connection with the Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Relations, provide valuable recommendations and channel queries on the development of its members’ inventions and filing of their patents.
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