Notice2026-03994
Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License: Powered Gait Assistance Systems and Gait Assistance Systems and Methods of Control Thereof
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 27, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentNational Institutes of Health
Abstract
The Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of an Exclusive Patent License to practice the inventions embodied in the patent applications listed in the Supplementary Information section of this notice to Bionic Power Inc., a company organized in British Columbia, Canada.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 39 (Friday, February 27, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9875-9876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03994]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Prospective Grant of an Exclusive Patent License: Powered Gait
Assistance Systems and Gait Assistance Systems and Methods of Control
Thereof
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health,
Department of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of
an Exclusive Patent License to practice the inventions embodied in the
patent applications listed in the Supplementary Information section of
this notice to Bionic Power Inc., a company organized in British
Columbia, Canada.
DATES: Only written comments and/or applications for a license which
are received by the National Cancer Institute's Technology Transfer
Center on or before March 16, 2026 will be considered.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the patent application, inquiries,
and comments relating to the contemplated an Exclusive Patent License
should be directed to: Edward Fenn, Senior Technology Transfer Manager,
NCI Technology Transfer Center, Telephone: (240)-276-6833; Email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#80d4e5e4e4aec6e5eeeec0eee9e8aee7eff6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="acf8c9c8c882eac9c2c2ecc2c5c482cbc3da">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Intellectual Property
1. US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/368,926 filed July 29,
2016, and entitled ``Powered Gait Assistance Systems'' [HHS Reference
No. E-096-2016-0-US-01];
2. International PCT Application No. PCT/US2017/044625 filed July
31, 2017, and entitled ``Powered Gait Assistance Systems'' [HHS
Reference No. E-096-2016-0-PCT-02];
3. US Patent No. 11,801,153 issued 10/31/2023, and entitled
``Powered Gait Assistance Systems'' [HHS Reference No. E-096-2016-0-US-
03];
4. US Patent Application No. 18/243,573, filed 9/7/2023, and
entitled ``Powered Gait Assistance Systems'' [HHS Reference No. E-096-
2016-0-US-04];
5. US Provisional Patent Application No. 63/539,898 filed September
22, 2023, and entitled ``Powered Gait Assistance Systems'' [HHS
Reference No. E-241-2023-0-US-01];
6. International PCT Application No. PCT/US2024/047743 filed
September 20, 2024, and entitled ``Powered Gait Assistance Systems''
[HHS Reference No. E-241-2023-PCT-02];
The patent rights in these inventions have been assigned to the
Government of the United States of America.
The prospective exclusive license territory may be worldwide where
patent rights exist and the field of use may be limited to the
following:
``For the treatment of human movement disorders.''
The subject technologies relate to systems, methods, and devices for
powered gait assistance--that may be integrated to comprise a wearable
orthosis (for example a powered exoskeletal device) that attaches to
the leg of a user who has a movement disorder, such as a gait disorder.
The technologies can augment and provide assistance and training for
improvements to walking. The system can detect movements, such as gait
phases and adjust torque in real time to provide assistive torque
during stance and resistive torque during training to improve strength
and movement mechanics of the user. For example, it can provide
assistance with gait movement for patients with knee extension deficits
in conditions such as crouch gait in cerebral palsy, or spina bifida,
stroke and other movement disorders).
[[Page 9876]]
This Notice is made in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR
part 404. The prospective exclusive license will be royalty bearing,
and the prospective exclusive license may be granted unless within
fifteen (15) days from the date of this published notice, the National
Cancer Institute receives written evidence and argument that
establishes that the grant of the license would not be consistent with
the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404.
Complete applications for a license that are timely filed in
response to this notice will be treated as objections to the grant of
the contemplated exclusive patent license. In response to this Notice,
the public may file comments or objections. Comments and objections,
other than those in the form of a license application, will not be
treated confidentially, and may be made publicly available.
License applications submitted in response to this Notice will be
presumed to contain business confidential information and any release
of information in these license applications will be made only as
required and upon a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5
U.S.C. 552.
Dated: February 25, 2026.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Supervisory Technology Transfer and Patent Specialist, Technology
Transfer Center, National Cancer Institute.
[FR Doc. 2026-03994 Filed 2-26-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P
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