It started out with a research team headed by prof. Chmelík from BUT’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, who had developed a new microscope. In order to ensure its patent protection, both a utility model application and patent application were filed in 2010. This microscope was so attractive commercially that Tescan bought a licence to use the technology concerned. In 2011, BUT together with Tescan decided to file several international patent applications to protect the technology in strategic developed countries.

After somewhat lengthy proceedings and correspondence, good news started to come back from patent offices. As early as 2011, the utility model was registered in the Czech Republic, and a Czech patent was granted. Then the proceedings for a European patent in the USA as well as for the Eurasian patent were successfully completed. International proceedings came to a successful climax with the granting of a Japanese patent in 2014 and, last but not least, this year, by a Chinese patent granted on 10 February 2016.

Source of the pictures: author's archives