Assignment history

Inventors

The named inventors are Xing Yang, Sridhar Nimmagadda, Steven Rowe, Stephanie Slania, and Martin G. Pomper. Based on the assignment records and context, all inventors were employed by and assigned their rights to The Johns Hopkins University at the time of filing. There are no unusual patterns, as this represents a standard inventor-to-employer assignment for a university-based research team.

Original assignee

The original and current assignee is The Johns Hopkins University. As a major research university, its primary "business" is education and scientific research. The university does not manufacture or ship a commercial therapeutic or imaging agent embodying the patent's claims. However, it operates a technology transfer office to license its intellectual property, which is standard for research institutions. The Johns Hopkins University is an active, globally recognized operating entity.

Assignment timeline

A search of the USPTO Patent Assignment Search database for US patent 11,938,201 reveals the following records, confirming the initial assignment from the inventors to their employer.

• Executed before 2023-08-01 / recorded 2023-08-01

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: Xing Yang; Sridhar Nimmagadda; Steven Rowe; Stephanie Slania; Martin G. Pomper
  • Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
  • Correspondent: Based on a review of the assignment document recorded at Reel 65103/0147, the correspondent was Venkatesh S. Murthy, GIBBONS P.C., One Gateway Center, Newark, NJ 07102.
  • Context: Standard assignment of rights from inventors to their parent institution at the time of filing.

• Executed before 2023-08-08 / recorded 2023-08-08

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: Xing Yang; Sridhar Nimmagadda; Steven Rowe; Stephanie Slania; Martin G. Pomper
  • Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
  • Correspondent: Based on a review of the assignment document recorded at Reel 65118/0239, the correspondent was Venkatesh S. Murthy, GIBBONS P.C., One Gateway Center, Newark, NJ 07102.
  • Context: This appears to be a duplicate or corrective recording of the initial inventor assignment.

No other assignments have been recorded as of 2026-05-13. The Johns Hopkins University remains the current owner of record.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11938201
    2017 : Priority date
    2023 : Application filed
         : Inventors assign to Johns Hopkins University
    2024 : Patent issued to Johns Hopkins University
    2025 : PTAB litigation initiated against patent

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Not present. The only assignee is The Johns Hopkins University, a major research university and operating entity.

2. Known asserter in the chain: Not present. The Johns Hopkins University is not categorized as a non-practicing entity or patent troll.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Not present. The same correspondent, Venkatesh S. Murthy of GIBBONS P.C., handled the duplicate initial filings (Reels 65103/0147 and 65118/0239). As this is the only transfer event, it does not represent a pattern of transfers between different shell entities managed by the same lawyer.

4. Cascading transfers: Not present. The patent has not been transferred since the initial inventor assignment.

5. Pre-litigation transfer: Not present. The assignment was a routine inventor-to-employer transfer at the time of filing, not a transfer to a third party immediately preceding litigation.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Not present.

7. Privateering: Not present. The university is the original assignee and is acting on its own behalf.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE): Not present.

Verdict

Insufficient data

The patent was issued recently (March 2024) and has only the standard assignment from the inventors to their employer, The Johns Hopkins University. While the presence of multiple PTAB challenges (PGR2025-00012, IPR2025-00808, IPR2026-00069) strongly indicates the patent is being asserted in litigation or a licensing campaign, the owner is the original research institution, not an NPE. The activity is best characterized as a university technology transfer office enforcing its patent rights. There are no signals of a transfer to a patent-trolling entity.

Verification link: USPTO Assignment Search for US 11938201