US Patent Issued to THE PENN STATE RESEARCH FOUNDATION on July 21 for "Apparatus utilizing shape-memory and self-assembly to plug relatively wide remote fractures" (Pennsylvania Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 21 -- United States Patent no. 12,686,804, issued on July 21, was assigned to THE PENN STATE RESEARCH FOUNDATION (University Park, Pa.).

"Apparatus utilizing shape-memory and self-assembly to plug relatively wide remote fractures" was invented by Arash Dahi Taleghani (University Park, Pa.) and Seyedeh Maryam Tabatabaei (University Park, Pa.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Embodiments relate to a lost circulation material comprising a plurality of shape memory polymer members, each member having a temporary shape and a permanent shape. The members may be programmed to form a temporary shape that is small enough to be used with conventional drilling equipment and may furthe...