849 patents awarded to Utahns in 2003

The final patent numbers for 2003 are in.

On Dec. 30, the last patent-issuance date of the year, 12 new patents were granted to Utah inventors. That took the total number of patents granted to Utahns to 849 for the year, marking the second year in a row the number has declined.

This recent trend may reflect in part the economic times of 2001, given the approximately two-year time cycle between filing and issuance of the average patent.

Patent grants to Utah inventors had been climbing steadily each year since the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Utahns were typically granted about 200 patents annually. Since 1986, a year in which Utahns garnered a respectable 256 patents, the annual increase in patent numbers has been dramatic, reaching as high as 35 percent in some years.

The 849 patents granted in 2003 were preceded by 875 patents granted in 2002, 917 in 2001, 875 in 2000, 870 in 1999 and 849 patents in 1998. The year 2001, at 917 patents, remains the record year for Utah patents.

• Methods, apparatus and systems for accelerated bioremediation of explosives. Farrell G. Badger, Mapleton; Brendan M. Welch, Farmington, Conn.; Ronald D. Thomas, Woodland Hills; Lyman G. Bahr, Payson; Dean F. Richards, Pleasant Grove. Assigned to The Ensign-Bickford Co., Simsbury, Conn. Filed Dec. 31, 2001, a divisional of Patent No. 6,334,395, filed May 30, 1997. This new patent is also a continuation-in-part of both Patent No. 6,120,627, filed Oct. 18, 1996, and of Application No. 08/687,092, filed June 4, 1996, now abandoned. Patent No. 6,120,627 is a continuation-in-part of both the Application No. 08/687,092, filed June 4, 1996, and Application No. 08/658,104, filed June 4, 1996, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Application No. 08/560,074, filed Nov. 17, 1995, now abandoned. The Application No. 08/687,092, filed June 4, 1996, is also a continuation-in-part of Application No. 08/560,102, filed Nov. 17, 1995, now abandoned. Patent No. 6,668,725.

• Transit system. Bryan Richards, Provo. Filed Aug. 21, 2002. Patent No. 6,668,729.

• Chuckable natural stone tile edge chipping tool. Michael L. Staker, Orem. Filed Feb. 28, 2002. Patent No. 6,668,817.