Through the development of innovative methods and devices in psychology, chemistry and medicine, faculty researchers at Indiana University are improving human health and the lives of people in Indiana and beyond.

Eight patents were awarded for IU discoveries in the past two months from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:

• Virtual reality therapy to treat addiction: The developers are Brandon Oberlin, an associate professor of psychiatry at the IU School of Medicine, and Andrew Nelson, an IU alumnus. The therapeutic tool uses immersive VR to change behavior and prevent relapse during early recovery from substance use disorders. The portal presents avatars with an individual’s current and presumed future likeness to elicit cognitive, emotional and behavioral changes, and tailor the course of treatment. This technology is licensed to Relate XR.
• World’s brightest fluorescent materials:The developer is Amar Flood, professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington. The small molecule, ionic isolation lattices, or SMILES, are the world’s brightest fluorescent materials; they have several uses, including in medical devices, solar energy or microscopes. This technology is licensed to Flood’s startup, Halophore. This is the technology’s second U.S. patent.
• Method for improved drug screening: The developers are Feng Guo, associate professor of intelligent systems engineering in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering at IU Bloomington; Hongwei Cai, a graduate student in Luddy’s Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, and Zheng Ao, a former postdoctoral researcher at IU Bloomington. The drug screening and diagnosis method collects and analyzes images of immune cells, which protect the body from infections and diseases, in 3D cultures to prescreen drugs’ efficacy. The method matches the patient’s condition with treatment options; these optimized treatments could prolong patient survival.
• Inhibitor to treat pancreatic and colorectal cancers: The developer is Tao Lu, associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology at the IU School of Medicine. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, a type of pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancers have high mortality rates and are resistant to treatments. The method repurposes two FDA-approved drugs to inhibit PRMT5, a protein associated with pancreatic and colorectal tumor formation, to stop tumors and reduce mortality rates.
• System to improve comprehensive tissue analysis: The developers are Lester Smith, assistant professor of radiology and imaging sciences at the IU School of Medicine, and Clayton Nicholas, director of industry partnerships at the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office and director of the IU Indianapolis Initiative for Electrified and Autonomous Mobility. Drug development tests and patient biopsies require multiple types of analyses, but there often isn’t enough sample tissue for numerous tests. The researchers have developed a multi-tissue bioreactor system that analyzes multiple tissue samples at once to allow more comprehensive analyses. Individual or groups of tissues can be extracted for different analyses during this process, which cuts costs and accelerates biopsy and drug testing.
• Method to improve heart rhythm control: The developer is Peng-Sheng Chen, Medtronic Zipes professor emeritus of cardiology at the IU School of Medicine. An overactive stellate ganglion — a neck nerve cluster regulating heart rate and blood pressure — can trigger deadly ventricular arrhythmias and requires invasive surgical procedures to treat. Chen developed a non-invasive treatment using electrical nerve stimulation to reduce stellate ganglion nerve activity and improve heart rhythm control for patients. This technology is exclusively licensed to ANS Sensor Inc.
• Method for treating acute kidney injury: The developers are Robert Bacallao, professor emeritus of medicine at the IU School of Medicine, and Simon Atkinson, former IU vice chancellor for research. Acute kidney injury occurs when kidneys can’t properly filter waste from blood and is life-threatening if not treated quickly. The method is a saline injection that flushes the red blood cells in the injured kidney and decreases creatinine levels.
• Method for restoring muscle function: The developer is Ken Yoshida, former professor at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering at IU Indianapolis. Electric stimulation for pain relief, circulation and muscle function restoration often causes jerky limb movements that can be tiring and difficult to control. Yoshida developed a low-frequency alternating current that mimics natural muscle activation and results in less fatigable muscle contractions.

These innovations were disclosed to the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office, which transfers IU innovations from lab to market for public benefit and global impact. The office files patents to facilitate commercialization of the innovations.