Term ends no later than Dec 29, 2026 · Medium confidence
20-year base term ends Dec 29, 2026
In force on USPTO's status record and by its fee record. A terminal disclaimer on file may shorten this term, possibly to a date already past; its reference document is unresolved, so the date above is an upper bound and no earlier date is guessed.
Dec 29, 2006
Dec 29, 2026
Mar 29, 2011
This patent's term is its 20-year base term, with no adjustment for prosecution delay. A terminal disclaimer is on file with no resolved reference, so no cap is applied and none is guessed. All three maintenance fees are recorded paid; no more fees are due. Confidence: Medium. from the record
How we calculated this date
| Step | Input | Date after this step | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base term, 20 years from filing | Clock starts Dec 29, 2006, when application 11/618,577, the earliest non-provisional in its chain, was filed (this one was filed Jan 12, 2009) | Dec 29, 2026 | High confidence |
| Continuity chain | Every parent in the chain resolved | no change | High confidence |
| Patent term adjustment | None on file | no change | High confidence |
| Terminal disclaimer cap | Disclaimer on file (approved), reference document not resolved | no cap applied, and none guessed | Medium confidence |
| Patent term extension | None on file | no change | High confidence |
| Fee events | 3 of 3 maintenance fees paid | In force | High confidence |
| Computed term end | The steps above, in order | no later than Dec 29, 2026 | Medium confidence |
This family
| US 7,492,076 | In force Apr 2027 | Apr 2027 |
| Application PCT/US2007/089117 | PCT application no patent term | no patent term |
| US 7,915,790 | this patent no later than Dec 2026 | no later than Dec 2026 |
| US 8,072,121 | In force no later than Apr 2027 | no later than Apr 2027 |
Assignments
| Recorded | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12, 2009 Reel 22093, frame 983 | Heim, Jonathan R.; Polyakov, Ilya; Zarrabi, Alireza; Hui, Otto | Artificial Muscle, Inc. | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| May 20, 2010 Reel 24411, frame 308 | Artificial Muscle, Inc. | Bayer MaterialScience AG | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| Nov 30, 2015 Reel 37163, frame 160 | Bayer MaterialScience AG | Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| Nov 30, 2015 Reel 37163, frame 370 | Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH | Parker-Hannifin | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
Sources
Google Patents · The patent document at USPTO · Assignment records at USPTO
USPTO account required: This application in Patent Center · USPTO's maintenance fee lookup
Maintenance fee events come from USPTO's own fee records. Its fee lookup asks for the patent number and the application number.
What's changing
A terminal disclaimer is on file (approved) and its reference document is not resolved. A disclaimer would cap the term earlier than Dec 29, 2026. We will not guess the cap.