The Patents and Intellectual Property Rights Office at Kuwait University's Research Sector announced a new registered patent in the nanofluid technology field thanks to the distinguished achievement of Dr. Ammar Bahman, Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Petroleum at Kuwait University, and Dr. Naser Al-Sayegh, Co-I from Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. This achievement is a result of the research efforts of KU's Mechanical Engineering Department at the Faculty of Engineering and Petroleum and KISR's Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Program for more than four years as part of the research collaboration agreement signed between the two parties and led to the registration of a nanofluid technology patent at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The invention consists of a device capable of characterizing the state of nanosuspensions in nanofluids during their flow in thermal systems and will contribute significantly to the development of systems currently in place and planned to be built in Kuwait in the future like power generation and water desalination plants. This device is considered the most accurate in describing the physical state of nanosuspensions during flow. It also allows understanding their physical and thermal properties and achieving the sustainability of these fluids. The device is further beneficial in improving the performance of power generation and water desalination plants while minimizing operational costs and fuel consumption.

This patent is the second obtained after implementing the Fast Track service at the Patents and Intellectual Property Rights Office in the Research Sector. The service was recently adopted in order to expedite the examination process of inventions by specialists at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, reducing the duration from three years to a span of six months to one year. This is yet another achievement by the Patents Office in its constant endeavor to provide KU's researchers with high-quality services.

On this occasion, the Patents and Intellectual Property Rights Office honored Dr. Ammar Bahman and Dr. Naser Al-Sayegh under the patronage of Prof. Meshari Al-Harbi, Acting President of Kuwait University, acknowledging their distinguished research efforts and the proactive role of the Patents Office in supporting inventors and facilitating the patenting process.

On his part, Prof. Othman Al-Khudher, Acting Vice President of Research, said that the Research Sector encourages all KU's researchers to apply for obtaining registered patents for their research accomplishments and is currently working on updating the application process. Prof. Al-Khudher further said that the RS is proud to have an elite of researchers and scientists whose innovative patents deserve recognition and contribute to the development of the State of Kuwait.

Dr. Haneen Al-Ghabra, Assistant Vice President for External Research Collaboration and Consultations, stated that the Fast Track system implemented by the Research Sector provides a new impetus for KU's researchers to submit more applications for patents registration, which will be reflected in the international ranking of Kuwait University considering that some international scientific and research institutions are now including patents among the requirements for the world university rankings.