Utahns awarded 18 patents

Eighteen new patents were awarded to Utah inventors on April 8. They are:

• Vacuum sweeper. Robert Wertz, Salt Lake City. Filed Feb. 3, 2004. Patent No. 7,353,564.

• Clasps, interchangeable jewelry pieces, and methods for connecting the same. Dana Richardson, Salt Lake City. Assigned to Spectrum Gems Inc., Salt Lake City. Filed July 27, 2005, claiming priority to provisional patent Application No. 60/591,764, filed July

27, 2004. Patent No. 7,353,665.

• Apparatus and techniques for reducing the effects of general anesthetics. Joseph A. Orr, Park City; Derek Jo Sakata, Dwayne R. Westenskow, both of Salt Lake City. Assigned to Axon Medical Inc., Salt Lake City. Filed Oct. 7, 2003, claiming priority to provisional patent Application No. 60/466,934, filed May 1, 2003. Patent No. 7,353,825.

• Variable rate pressure regulator. Ronald E. Childers, South Jordan. Assigned to Dresser Inc., Addison, Texas. Filed Oct. 31, 2005, claiming priority to provisional patent Application No. 60/711,313, filed Aug. 25, 2005. Patent No. 7,353,834.

• Tool with a large volume of a superhard material. David R. Hall, Ronald Crockett, Jeff Jepson, all of Provo. Filed Jan. 29, 2007, a continuation-in-part of Application No. 11/553,338, filed Oct. 26, 2006. Patent No. 7,353,893.

• Graphical code reader configured for data collection and decoding. Paul Hepworth, Jeremy Williams, both of Riverton. Assigned to The Code Corp., Draper. Filed Jan. 14, 2005, claiming priority to Application No. 60/537,224, filed Jan. 16, 2004. Patent No. 7,353,999.

• Recumbent vehicle. C. Martin Rasmussen, Fruit Heights. Filed Aug. 28, 2006, claiming priority to multiple prior patent applications. Patent No. 7,354,055.

• Strain matched threads for a high pressure high temperature press apparatus. David R. Hall, Scott Dahlgren, Timothy C. Duke, Joe Fox, all of Provo. Filed Jan. 29, 2007, a continuation-in-part of Patent No. 7,186,104, filed July 6, 2005. Patent No. 7,354,262.

• Practice switch apparatus. Ladd Anderson, Salt Lake City. Filed Sept. 1, 2006, claiming priority to multiple prior patent applications. Patent No. 7,355,134.

• System and method for supplying power to X-ray imaging systems. Armin R. Schwarz, Sandy. Assigned to General Electric Co., Schenectady, N.Y. Filed Nov. 8, 2005. Patent No. 7,356,121.