Posts Tagged: "Johnson & Johnson"

Johnson & Johnson patent applications have been focused on the development of electronic components for contact lenses. Recent patent applications published by the USPTO covered today include lenses with energized elements for cosmetic enhancements or the prevention of counterfeit products. Other patent applications we noticed would protect surgical mesh for hernia repair as well as one very interesting system for collecting non-monetary donations for philanthropic purposes.

J&J is pretty active in terms of patenting, and our recent survey of patent applications filed with the USPTO showed us that the company is looking to usher in the next age of contact lenses. In a time when many people are talking about Google Glass and other wearable technologies, we were intrigued to find a large number of patent applications filed by J&J to protect methods of incorporating semiconductor components into contact lenses for digitizing vision care and correction. A surgical implant for hernia repair and cosmetic compositions which cause less skin irritation are also discussed below… Even more contact lens innovation is reflected in these recently issued patents, including contact lenses for stopping myopia progression or for providing more stability when worn on the eye. Anti-tumor topical compositions and disposable assay devices for the simpler completion of biochemical tests have also recently entered the intellectual property portfolio of this firm.

What we’re seeing today is a preponderance of research and development in the fields of skin and optical care. Our featured patent application today describes a system meant to enable consumers to better find skin care products and assess the probable results of use. This Internet-based recommendation system involves multiple filtering methods for helping the system more accurately provide product recommendation based on consumer needs. We’ve also explored some intriguing innovations in contact lenses and skin care products, including multiple skin treatments for oily skin that reduce skin dehydration. Of the many patents issued recently to Johnson & Johnson, most have been assigned to its visual care subsidiary to protect more improvements to visual aids. A trio of patents we cover today involve various contact lens upgrades, including one patent protecting a more comfortable contact lens which incorporates electronic elements. A system for detecting and treating pre-emerging pimples, as well as a one-piece housing with inserts for various personal care treatments, are also protected in other patents that we discuss below.

We start today with a look at our featured patent application, which describes a method of constructing contact lenses with inversion markings. These markings will let a user know that a contact lens is improperly inverted before inserting one into an eye, avoiding unnecessary irritation. Other contact lens technologies, including a lens containing an electronic circuit for visual enhancement, are described in other patent applications that we noticed today. Johnson & Johnson has a fairly wide patent portfolio comprising many consumer products and professional devices for medical fields. This is evidenced by a few recently issued patents, one of which protects a system of analyzing patient health through fluorescent lighting applications. A soap bar with better cleansing properties, and a ophthalmologic solution container that prevents contamination, are protected by other patents that our readers may find interesting.

What follows below is a review of some of the biotech and pharma news stories that caught my attention during the month of December 2013. Fitch Puts Negative Outlook on Bristol-Myers. AstraZeneca Loses at the Federal Circuit on Omeprazole. Merck and GlaxoSmithKline Collaborate on Regimen for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma. Teva and Pfizer Settle Viagra® Patent Dispute. FTC Settles with Mylan over Agila Acquisition. FDA Fast Tracks Savara Pharmaceuticals Antibiotic AeroVanc to treat MRSA. Fitch Gives Johnson & Johnson AAA Rating. Sales of Antiretroviral Drugs for HIV Predicted to Decrease.

Today, we feature one patent application that has a number of intriguing implications for visual care, especially related to corrective contact lenses. An application filed recently by Johnson & Johnson discusses a method of creating electronic contact lenses that are capable of hosting a semiconductor for boosting optical power and other functions. Other patent applications discuss improved manufacturing methods for more comfortable for contact lenses and a pair of eyeglasses that can deliver light therapy to treat emotional disorders. We’ve also taken a look at a number of notable patents that we feel have very interesting implications for Johnson & Johnson’s intellectual property holdings. We look at two patents that provide protections to J&J for improved contact lens designs, including a patent that protects a rigid center capable of housing a semiconductor. We also feature a couple of patents that protect a handheld skin exfoliator device as well as an easier method for opening liquid containers that have been heat sealed for sterilization.

Once again, a plethora of interesting events has occurred since the last time we stopped by. What was the biggest headline? That decision may be up for grabs, but certainly, the $500 million penalty paid by Ranbaxy Laboratories is high on the list. In other news, yet another Johnson & Johnson manufacturing scandal has erupted, this time in South Korea, where the authorities plan to bring criminal charges against its Janssen unit and ban production of five products – notably, a type of Children’s Tylenol. A non-profit group put Bayer on notice that a lawsuit will be filed charging the drugmaker with making “unsubstantiated and illegal claims” about the ability of its One-A-Day vitamin to prevent various disease, such as breast cancer, bolster physical energy and improve immunity, among other things.

Essentially you take a topical analgesic, cool it, remove it from the cooling environment and then apply. If this claim gets patented it will be extraordinarily embarrassing for the USPTO. But what exactly was Johnson & Johnson thinking when they tried to obtain coverage with this ridiculously broad claim? Just several weeks ago they were in front of Congress complaining about specious patent claims being brought in litigation.