Patent Number: US10086359
Adsorption Material for Removing Chemical Compounds from Water and Method of Making the Same
Arturo J. Hernández, PhD
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering (INQU)
Description: In recent years, the scientific community has highlighted the increasing concentrations of emerging contaminants in water. These include pharmaceuticals such as painkillers, antibiotics, and other compounds found in parts per billion or trillion. Due to the widespread availability of over-the-counter products, their presence is detected in various water bodies. However, they pose a challenge for conventional water treatment methods, which are not designed to target such low-concentration substances. In this context, Dr. Arturo Hernández-Maldonado has patented an innovative invention focused on the removal of naproxen, a component of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) found in water. The invention involves modifying mesoporous SBA-15 supports with cobalt (II), nickel (II), and copper (II) amine complexes as a strategy to develop adsorbent materials capable of removing PPCPs even at low concentrations, such as naproxen.
Patent Numbers: US962334 | US10052610 | US10272414
CO₂ Removal Material
Arturo J. Hernández, PhD
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering (INQU)
Description: The selective removal of CO₂ from gas mixtures is crucial to addressing major environmental and energy-related challenges. Efficient CO₂ capture from industrial emissions is known to help mitigate the adverse consequences of the greenhouse effect. On the energy side, a significant portion of the U.S. natural gas reserves (approximately 17%) contains high CO₂ concentrations, making them unsuitable for pipeline transportation. The three patents granted to Dr. Hernández-Maldonado tackle this issue through the identification, preparation, and application of a nanoporous silicoaluminophosphate material containing strontium or other metals. This material is designed for CO₂ removal in closed-volume applications, such as life support systems for space exploration or CO₂ capture at the point of generation or from the environment on Earth.
Patent Number: 10376244
Sil Technologies
Silvina Cancelos, PhD
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering (INME)
Description: Device for monitoring the presence, quantity, and size of bubbles in a person’s bloodstream and/or tissue, along with a method for its use. Decompression sickness (DCS) occurs when divers ascend to the surface, exposing the body to sudden changes in pressure that generate nitrogen bubbles in tissues, leading to serious injuries or even death. This invention enables the prevention of DCS through a method that detects the presence of bubbles in real time. It proposes a novel method for bubble detection using a piezoelectric ring (PZT) and piezo microphones (PM) placed around a diver’s thigh. The electrical signals from the PZT ring and PMs are processed by a pattern recognition algorithm to determine the presence, quantity, and size of the bubbles.