Licensing and intellectual property

The Clinical Biomechanics Group has developed an innovative device to measure the bending and twisting stiffness of footwear. This produces far more accurate data and a better understanding of the factors that influence important characteristics like comfort, control of gait and support in real life.

Applications for this technology can include:

• Optimisation of footwear design to maximise comfort and performance.
• Design of footwear for medical interventions, such as injury recovery, gait improvement, wound healing and prevention of ulcers.
• Interventions in a clinical environment. There is no equivalent device available for medical applications.

The Biomechanics Group offers the device for consultancy. The University is keen to talk to a partner to develop, utilise and market the device. The device in its current state is manual, but we are keen to further its development and automate its processes. We seek funding to turn the prototype into a product for footwear development or sold by a third party to footwear manufacturers.

An innovative non-birefringent capture tape that makes it possible to perform polarising microscopy analysis on fibre taken from a crime scene without interference from the background substrate.

The principal application of this is the field of forensic fibre analysis but could also see use in the garment and textile industries. The direct analysis of fibres on the collecting tape will make the examination of fibres faster, easier and more cost-effective.

It is available for licensing in all fields and territories. Industrial collaborators to develop the invention further are welcome.

US Patent Number: 8961727
EPO Patent Number: US2012176617

Our research has shown that it is possible to create malware that is aware of the cloud dynamic environment it is in. This malware can then propagate through the system via hypervisors and even from one virtual machine to another.

The software is able to search for vulnerabilities in a system in the same way that malware does and block these gaps in security before anything can exploit them. Its ability to operate in a semi-autonomous fashion reduces the operational resources required.

The technology is suitable for the protection of any major cloudware installation. It can function either as a stand-alone protection system or complementary to an existing one.

The anti-malware system is currently at the proof-of-concept stage and is ready to license for development into a commercial product. The University is seeking an established security software provider as a partner and licensee. All avenues to the market will be considered.

UK patent number: 1604143.6

Our technology centres on the many benefits of green infrastructure. Particularly its effects on pollution. Green infrastructure is the introduction of vegetation into a built environment to improve the experience of its users. Examples include living walls, trees, green roofs and indoor plants.

The benefits include increased biodiversity, reduced pollution, and mental and physical health benefits for the community. This technology is deployable almost anywhere, including offices, schools, urban environments.

Staffordshire University can provide consultancy and research into all aspects of the implementation and benefits of green infrastructure.

A cushioning and shock-absorbing material whose elastic properties you can tune to match the expected applied pressure. The patented internal structure of the material gives a unique stress-strain relationship that relieves pressure at an adjustable critical value.

Applications for this technology include shock-absorbing membranes, protective clothing, and orthoses. The research team can model the expected pressure to be exerted in a application and design an ultra-customised membrane for the application.

This technology is available for licensing, collaborative development of new applications or consultancy.

An electrostatic precipitator capable of removing particles from a gas stream. Particles entering the device are charged by a high voltage electrode and then attracted to an electrode of opposite charge within the device, removing them from the gas flow.

The prototype has high efficiency and its unique design feature mean it can be made much smaller than existing electrostatic precipitators.

The miniature ESP was designed to capture smoke from wood-burning furnaces, which it performs extremely well. The technology is available for licensing and collaborative research agreements. Licenses will be granted for specific applications but will be available worldwide if required.

A scanner for ultrasound imaging of tissue, particularly in the foot. A device on which the patient stands and can be combined with pressure measurements.

The device offers significant benefits by providing simultaneous pressure measurements and ultrasound imaging when the foot is under normal load. By scanning the foot while the patient is standing, the device records accurate data allowing reconstruction of tissue geometry under clinically relevant conditions.

The initial application is the diagnosis and prevention of a range of medical conditions associated with changes in plantar soft tissue such as ulcers and oedema. An important application will be the prediction and prevention of diabetic ulcers.

The device is under development for human use but could also be adapted for veterinary applications. The invention is suitable for a collaborative development project with a device manufacturer. A licence for independent development will also be considered.