The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a website called DOepatents which allows search and retrieval of information from a collection of more than 20,000 patent records.
The database represents a growing collection of patents resulting from R&D supported by the DOE and demonstrates the department’s contribution to scientific progress from the 1940’s to the present day.
Highlighted at DOepatents is a compilation of noteworthy DOE innovations from the past few decades. One such invention is the artificial retina, a collaborative research project between DOE national laboratories, universities and the private sector aimed at restoring vision to millions of people blinded by retinal disease. Another is the DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s multi-junction solar cell. A cell based on this design set a world efficiency record in converting sunlight to electricity.
The DOepatents database also includes inventions of Nobel Laureates associated with the DOE or its predecessors, such as Enrico Fermi, Glenn Seaborg and Luis Alvarez, along with other distinguished scientists.
DOepatents consists of bibliographic records, with full text where available via either a PDF file or an HTML link to the record at the US Patent and Trademark Office. The DOepatents database is updated quarterly with new patent records.
The website is updated on a regular basis with news and information about significant and recent inventions. Resource links for inventors are included at the site, as well as recent inventions and patent news pages.