“Patents facilitate and encourage
disclosure of innovations into the public domain for the
common good.”
– Howard T. Markey (chief judge of the United States
Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and later of the
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit), Special
Problems in Patent Cases, 66 F.R.D. 529, 1975
Patents provide incentives to individuals by offering
them recognition for their creativity and material
reward for their marketable inventions. These incentives
encourage innovation, which assures that the quality of
human life is continuously enhanced. All patent owners
are obliged, in return for patent protection, to
publicly disclose information on their invention in
order to enrich the total body of technical knowledge in
the world. Such an ever-increasing body of public
knowledge promotes further creativity and innovation in
others. In this way, patents provide not only protection
for the owner but valuable information and inspiration
for future generations of researchers and inventors.
An invention must show three criteria to be protected by
a patent. The concept must be:
1. Novel (it must show some new characteristic
which is not known in the body of existing knowledge
2. Non-obvious (the inventive step cannot be
deduced by a person with average knowledge of the
technical field)
3. Useful (the innovation must be industrially
applicable)
--Patents: Frequently Asked Questions, World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),
http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/patents_faq.html ,
retrieved on 20 May 2010
Rodney is first-named inventor or co-inventor in 19
water technology patents and patents pending. He also
holds patents in cryogenics and infrared detection
systems for work conducted in his prior career at Texas
Instruments. In addition, he has invented several
innovative custom designs for drilling equipment,
drilling rigs, and mud pump systems during his oil field
career. His water technology patents are listed below,
along with their date of expiration.
The water related patents listed below are assigned to MIOX
Corporation.
Patents Issued:
1. 6,261,464 Portable Water Disinfection System (May
‘19)
2. 6,524,475 Portable Water Disinfection System with
Sensors (May ‘20)
3. 6,558,537 Portable Hydration System (Oct ‘20)
4. 6,736,966 Portable Water Disinfection System (Cap)
(July ‘21)
5. 7,005,075 Gas Drive Electrolytic Cell (Feb ‘24)
6. 7,008,523 Electrolytic Cell for Surface and Point of
Use Disinfection (Feb ‘24)
7. 7,244,357 Pumps for Filtration System (Jan ‘24)
8. 7,297,268 Dual Head Driven Filtration System (Jan
’24)
9. 7,326,330 Method and Apparatus for Scale and Biofilm
Control (June ‘ 25)
10. 7,482,591 Carbonate Scale Detector (Window Type)
(Sept ‘24)
11. 7,311,831 Filtration Membrane and Method of Making
Same (Mar ‘23)
Patents Pending:
• 20060137973 – Device and Method for Instrument
Sterilization
• 20080116146 – Water Purification System
• 2009145773 – Membrane Cycle Cleaning
• 20080164152 – Internal Flow Control in Electrolytic
Cells
• 20080237054 – Low Maintenance On-Site Generator
• 20090205972 – Electrolytic Purifier
• 20090229992 – Reverse Polarity Cleaning
• 20090283417 – Electrolytic Cell with Gas Driven
Pumping