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Table of Contents

• This Week's Patent News

• Weekly Statistics

• Top 10 Most Prolific Stanford Alumni Inventors

• Main Article

• Trivia (question)

• Featured Inventor

• Today in Patent History

• Our Features

• Centurion Patentors

• Trivia (answer)

• Recommendations

This Week's Patent News:

🧠 1. iRhythm Petitions USPTO Director Over IPR Denial. iRhythm Technologies filed a petition challenging the USPTO’s denial of five inter partes reviews (IPRs) against Welch Allyn. The company argues that the decision unsettles expectations in the IP community and calls for clarification on discretionary denial standards.

⚖️ 2. Apple Hit with $110M Verdict Over 3G SEP Infringement. Apple faces a $110 million jury verdict for infringing standard-essential patents (SEPs) related to 3G technology. The case highlights ongoing tensions around SEP licensing and enforcement.

🧬 3. Alnylam v. Pfizer/BioNTech Trial Begins Over Lipid Patents. Alnylam’s lawsuit against Pfizer and BioNTech over lipid nanoparticle (LNP) patents used in COVID-19 vaccines has entered trial. The outcome could significantly impact mRNA delivery IP strategies.

👁️ 4. Federal Circuit Vacates PTAB Ruling in Eye Therapies Case. The Federal Circuit overturned a PTAB decision that invalidated Eye Therapies’ patent for treating eye redness. The court found the Board misinterpreted the claim term “consisting essentially of,” reinforcing the importance of prosecution history in claim construction.

Top 10 Most Prolific Stanford Alumni Inventors (USPTO Patents)

Source: IDiyas Inventor - Patent Disambiguation Global USPTO Data Rankings

Date refreshed from USPTO as of July 1, 2025

His inspiration came from an unlikely source: Go, the ancient strategy game. The black-and-white grid of Go pieces suggested a way to arrange data in two dimensions rather than a single line. In 1994, Hara and his team at Denso Wave unveiled the Quick Response (QR) Code, a compact, matrix-based barcode capable of storing hundreds of times more data than its predecessor. It was designed for rapid scanning, allowing machines to read it at lightning speed from any angle.

Despite its potential, QR technology remained underutilized for years. Denso Wave made a bold move: they chose not to patent it, allowing businesses worldwide to adopt the technology freely. Decades later, the QR code became indispensable, powering everything from mobile payments to contactless menus.

Like many great inventions, Hara's story is about patience meeting serendipity. A problem solver at heart, he transformed a simple need into a universal language of the digital age. In an era where innovation often comes at a price, his decision to keep the QR code open-source cemented its place in history.

🧠 Stories like Masahiro Hara’s remind us that innovation often hides in plain sight. If this kind of insight speaks to you, consider subscribing. We spotlight unsung inventors every week.

👉 Subscribe to IDiyas now and join 40,000+ readers getting smarter about innovation—one patent at a time.

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Michael Fripp: The Relentless Engineer Who Rewired the Oilfield

From autonomous inflow control devices to dissolving hydraulic fracturing tools, acoustic wireless telemetry systems, and shape-shifting metal alloys that seem to defy physics, Fripp’s inventions are not just clever, they’re commercialized, disruptive, and field-proven.

His LinkedIn moniker says it all: “My best ideas are buried at the bottom of energy wells.” It’s not just a witty tagline, it’s a mission statement. Fripp specializes in pushing innovation to the harshest frontiers of engineering: miles below the surface, in extreme pressure and temperature conditions where few technologies survive, let alone thrive.

He didn’t land here by accident. Fripp earned his BS in Engineering Science and Technology from Virginia Tech, before vaulting to MIT, where he earned both MS and PhD degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics. That’s rocket science, literally, but he turned his attention downward, to the challenges buried beneath the Earth’s crust. And in doing so, he’s brought the precision and ambition of aerospace engineering to the gritty world of downhole operations.

Fripp is a licensed professional engineer, a Distinguished Engineer in title and practice, and a respected thought leader. His name appears on four coauthored books and a constellation of technical papers. His real legacy, though, is in steel and sensor, alloy and algorithm, technologies that have reshaped oil production and are now helping to advance carbon sequestration.

Named an “Innovative Thinker” by World Oil Magazine, Fripp is that rare hybrid: equal parts theoretician and doer. He’s not chasing headlines. He’s chasing breakthroughs, and catching them.

🧰The Erector Set: Building America’s Imagination Since 1913

Unlike static wooden blocks, the Erector Set was a hands-on STEM playground before STEM was even a thing. Kids could build working cranes, bridges, elevators—real mechanical systems powered by tiny motors. It didn’t just entertain; it taught. A generation of engineers, tinkerers, and inventors would credit it for their first lessons in mechanics.

Gilbert marketed the toy with bravado, even persuading Congress not to halt toy production during World War I, arguing that “America’s future engineers” needed to keep building.

More than a century later, Gilbert’s creation lives on as a symbol of American ingenuity, one metal beam at a time.

Congratulations to last week's Centurion Patentors!
We are excited to welcome the following inventors into these prestigious patent clubs:

For more info about their research & patents, click here

Answer: Gillette. The company’s razors, particularly the Gillette Mach3 and Gillette Fusion, have held the record for being the most patented consumer products. At its peak, a single SKU of the Fusion razor was protected by over 100 patents, covering everything from blade coating to ergonomic handle design.

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