14 patents awarded to Utahns

• Processing electronic documents with embedded digital signatures. Calvin N. Slater, North Logan; Andy L. Rasmussen, Smithfield, Cache County. Assigned to Ingeo Systems Inc., Logan. Filed June 6, 2001, claiming priority to provisional patent Application No. 60/210,180, filed June 6, 2000. Patent No. 6,796,489.

• Knee brace skin pinch guard. Kim Alex Nelson, Salt Lake City; David B. Winer, Vista, Calif. Assigned to DJ Orthopedics LLC, Vista, Calif. Filed Aug. 31, 2001. Patent No. 6,796,952.

• Safety shield for medical needles. F. Mark Ferguson, Salt Lake City; Jeremy W. Snow, North Salt Lake; Chance B. Bagley, Roy; Daniel K. Smith, Woods Cross; David L. Thorne, Kaysville. Assigned to Specialized Health Products Inc., Bountiful. Filed April 8, 2003, a continuation-in-part of Application No. 10/322,288, filed Dec. 17, 2002, which claims priority to provisional patent Application No. 60/424,655, filed Nov. 7, 2002, and Application No. 10/202,201, filed July 23, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of Application No. 09/809,357, filed March 15, 2001. Patent No. 6,796,962.

• Injection needle assembly. James U. Jensen, Salt Lake City. Assigned to NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc., Salt Lake City. Filed Oct. 22, 2001. Patent No. 6,796,967.

• Reaccessible medical needle safety devices and methods. F. Mark Ferguson, Salt Lake City; Mark Nelson, Sandy; David L. Thorne, Kaysville; Gale Thorne Jr., Bountiful. Assigned to Tyco Healthcare Group LP, Mansfield, Mass. Filed March 13, 2001, a continuation of Patent No. 6,280,420, filed Nov. 4, 1999. Patent No. 6,796,968.

• Variable graft tensioner. Marc C. Yap, Millville, Cache County; Daniel F. Justin, Logan; David A. McGuire, Anchorage, Alaska. Assigned to DePuy Mitek Inc., Norwood, Mass. Filed Sept. 28, 2001. Patent No. 6,796,977.

• Spine distraction implant and method. James F. Zucherman and Ken Y. Hsu, both of San Francisco; T. Wade Fallin, Hyde Park, Cache County; Henry A. Klyce, Piedmont, Calif. Assigned to St. Francis Medical Technologies Inc., Alameda, Calif. Filed Jan. 8, 2001, a continuation of Patent No. 6,500,178, filed July 27, 1999, which is a continuation of Patent No. 6,149,652, filed July 27, 1999, which is a divisional of Patent No. 6,074,390, filed Feb. 5, 1998, which is a divisional of Patent No. 5,836,948, filed Jan. 2, 1997. Patent No. 6,796,983.