Inventors (old) • Bioventures

Inventors

Bioventures' Pathway to Patents

The invention disclosure process can be overwhelming at times, which is why we have broken down the step by step process for you. Here you can read the timeline in a simple and clear way. If you are an inventor, click here to read a more detailed description of the process.

Step 1

Invention Disclosure

Submit the invention disclosure form stating the current status of your invention.

Step 2

Technology Assessment Report

Our team will complete the TAR, a structured summative document regarding your invention. This includes a snapshot of colesely related inventions, and preliminary market analysis.

Step 3

Technology Assessment Deck

The slide deck helps us focus the technology assessment report even more and allows us to send the information to individuals in the industry to help us assess the technology.

Step 4

Patent and Copyright Committee Presentation

The Bioventures team preset the technology to the Committee with the collaboration of the inventor.

Step 6

Determination

After the Patent and Copyright Committee meet, there are 3 possible determinations.

Start now!

To start the process, the first step is to fill out the Invention Disclosure Questionnaire. Log in to Wellspring Sophia and click “Login through UAMS”.

Latest News and Updates

News

BioVentures Podcast Episode 20: TTO to TTO with Arkansas State University

Technology transfer is evolving rapidly, and collaboration between institutions has never been more important. In Episode 20 of the BioVentures Podcast, we welcome Luna Acosta, Director of Technology Transfer at Arkansas State University, for a conversation about the changing landscape of research commercialization and the future of university innovation. Drawing on her experience leading Arkansas State University’s technology transfer efforts, Acosta shares insights into how technology transfer offices are adapting to meet the needs of today’s researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry partners. The discussion explores how artificial intelligence is beginning to influence research commercialization, why customer discovery has become a critical component of successful innovation, and how strategic partnerships with industry can accelerate the path from discovery to impact. The episode also examines an important shift occurring across the technology transfer profession: moving beyond traditional success metrics such as patent counts to focus on the real-world impact of university innovations. Acosta and the BioVentures team discuss the current funding environment, the lasting importance of the Bayh-Dole Act in supporting innovation, and the role that collaboration among Arkansas institutions plays in strengthening the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Whether you’re a researcher looking to commercialize your work, an entrepreneur interested in university innovation, or a technology transfer professional, this episode offers valuable perspectives on the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of research commercialization. Listen to Episode 20 of the BioVentures Podcast and join the conversation on how collaboration, innovation, and technology transfer are driving meaningful impact across Arkansas and beyond.

July 28, 2026

Events

BioVentures Invites Community to Register for Innovation Day 2026

Turning promising discoveries into products, companies and technologies that improve lives takes more than great ideas. It takes collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, industry partners and the organizations that help move innovation forward. Those connections will be at the heart of BioVentures Innovation Day 2026, taking place August 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.on the 12th floor of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock. Registration is now open for the one-day event, which will bring together innovators from across Arkansas and beyond to explore how research can become real-world impact. Hosted by BioVentures, this year’s event is centered on the theme “From Discovery to Impact.” Throughout the day, attendees will hear from leaders in health care, life sciences and entrepreneurship while exploring topics including intellectual property, startup formation, funding strategies, medical device development, commercialization, regulatory pathways and industry partnerships. Innovation Day is designed for researchers, clinicians, faculty, students, entrepreneurs, investors, industry professionals and community partners who are interested in advancing health care innovation and strengthening Arkansas’ life sciences ecosystem. In addition to educational sessions, attendees will have opportunities to network, connect with innovation support organizations and discover resources available to help translate research into new products and ventures. Innovation Day is made possible through the support of organizations that share BioVentures’ commitment to advancing innovation and entrepreneurship across Arkansas, including Polsinelli, ARise, Wright, Lindsey & Jennings, Synapse Communications Consulting and Norton Rose Fulbright. Their partnership helps create opportunities for researchers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders to connect, collaborate and accelerate the commercialization of new health care technologies. Whether attendees are taking their first steps toward commercialization or looking to expand an existing venture, Innovation Day offers an opportunity to learn from experienced leaders, build new partnerships and become part of Arkansas’ growing innovation network. Registration for Innovation Day 2026 is now open.

July 7, 2026

Innovation

Licensing Spotlight: From UAMS Research to NuvOx’s NanO₂ Stroke Program

A technology developed at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and licensed through BioVentures is continuing its path toward the clinic as NanO₂, an investigational oxygen therapeutic being developed by NuvOx Therapeutics for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The underlying innovation was discovered by William C. Culp, M.D., Robert D. Skinner, Ph.D., and Evan C. Unger, M.D. and is based on dodecafluoropentane emulsion (DDFPe), a technology designed to enhance oxygen delivery to tissues affected by ischemia. During an ischemic stroke, blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, depriving brain tissue of the oxygen needed to survive. Early research at UAMS demonstrated the potential of DDFPe to support oxygen delivery to vulnerable brain tissue in preclinical models of ischemic stroke. These findings led to the development of intellectual property covering the use of DDFPe for stroke and ischemia, which was subsequently licensed to NuvOx Therapeutics through BioVentures. Since licensing, the technology has continued to advance through both preclinical and clinical development. UAMS investigators evaluated intravenous DDFPe in an early randomized, controlled, dose-escalation clinical trial involving patients with acute ischemic stroke, generating data that supported continued clinical investigation. Today, NuvOx is evaluating NanO₂ in NOVEL, a Phase IIb clinical trial in the UK with 150 patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion. The study is investigating NanO₂ in combination with standard reperfusion therapy and is designed to evaluate its ability to reduce brain infarct size by improving oxygen delivery to tissue at risk. While NanO₂ remains an investigational therapy and has not yet been approved for general medical use, its progress illustrates how discoveries made within academic research institutions can evolve into promising therapeutic candidates through intellectual property protection, licensing, and industry partnership. BioVentures is proud to support the commercialization of innovations that have the potential to improve patient care while translating groundbreaking university research into real-world impact.

July 7, 2026

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