» Leanics
Corporation (Maple
Grove) invented
a low-complexity
hybrid LDPC code
encoder. Inventors:
Aaron Cohen,
Keshab Parhi.
Patent: 7657816.
» Lawson Software,
Inc. (St. Paul) in-
vented a technique
to provide auto-
matic control of an
electronic financial
plan. Inventors:
Sarat Sankaran,
Prashant Fuloria,
Rajesh Chandran.
Attorney: Schweg-
man, Lundberg
& Woessner, P.A.
Patent: 7657471
The Smell of Success
Scientists from the University of Minnesota are saving the endangered Aquilaria
tree and, with it, lives. BY ALLIE FENDRICK
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA has patented a method of generating agarwood in cultivated
trees. But what exactly is agarwood?
Agarwood is a resin produced inside a tropical
tree called Aquilaria. It has a magni;cent aroma
when burned and has been coveted as incense for
thousands of years. Since only one in every 100
or 200 trees have the resin in them after 100 years
of growth, people have indiscriminately cut them
over the centuries looking for trees with said resin,
which because of its extreme rarity can be valued
as high as $2,000 per pound. This, in turn, has endangered the Aquilaria.
“We always worked to stop
invasions in trees throughout my
studies of tree defense reactions,
but this project actually had us
stimulating organisms.”
Bob Blanchette, a professor in the department
of plant pathology at the University of Minnesota,
started his work 16 years ago after meeting someone
from the Rainforest Project Foundation that wanted
to help save the Aquilaria tree.
“We began studies, worked with farmers to test
possible methods and perfected the methodology to
induce resin in these trees,” says Blanchette. “Agar-
wood is formed as a tree’s response to invasion by
speci;c micro organisms. We always worked to stop
invasions in trees throughout my studies of tree
defense reactions, but this project actually had us
stimulating organisms.”
Raw agarwood can be used for incense, tradi-
tional medicine or can be extracted to get an es-
sential oil that is used in perfume. All-in-all, these
uses will jump start a new economy in some of the
world’s poorest rural communities, provide high
quality agarwood for world markets and save the
remaining old-growth Aquilaria.
» Joel Wiens
(Lakeville) received
a patent for the de-
sign of a catcher’s
shirt. Attorney: Rob-
ert J. Bartz. Patent:
D608982
7,638,145
REGENTS OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF MINNESOTA,
Minneapolis, received a
patent for methods of
generating agarwood
in cultivated trees.
Inventors: Robert A.
Blanchette, Henry
Heuveling van Beek.
Attorney: Viksnins
Harris & Padys PLLP.
» Medtronic, Inc.
(Minneapolis) in-
vented an implant-
able medical device
with a dual power
source. Inventors:
Craig Schmidt, Paul
Skarstad. Patent:
7657315
» Roger Swening-
son (Cambridge)
invented a device
for erosion control.
Attorney: Patterson,
Thuente, Skaar &
Christensen, PA
Patent: 7654292
