Michael E. Benz, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Minneapolis

• Guided patent review boards in evaluating the business value and patentability of new concepts in order to maximize the value of IP investments• Reviewed and edited draft patent claims and specifications written by outside attorneys to ensure appropriate scope and fit with overall IP strategy• Worked with inventors to develop well-written and complete invention disclosures, help them understand prior art, and manage their disclosures through the disclosure review process • Evaluated novelty of new concepts by searching prior art to reduce the risk of investing in unpatentable technologies• Prepared patent landscapes that described technologies and patent coverage of new and existing products• Assisted attorneys with product clearance reviews by conducting IP searches, screening for relevant results, and presenting summaries for attorney review, thereby reducing the business risk associated with new product introduction• Worked with technical management to investigate area of future R&D interest

Minneapolis

• Supported the invention review process, including preparation of materials for patent review board meetings, running patent review board meetings, and managing the flow of disclosures through Medtronic’s invention disclosure system• Monitored the patent portfolios of Medtronic and its competitors to understand the competitive landscape • Supported due diligence efforts by compiling intellectual property landscapes to contrast and compare the intellectual property owned by target companies and their competitors• Facilitated brainstorming sessions by Medtronic inventors to generate new, patentable ideas

• Evaluated new therapy areas of interest to Medtronic• Member of a strategic planning group evaluating technologies for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches to medical therapies• Provided internal consulting on issues related to organic chemistry and polymer science

• Led a diverse team of nine scientists working on projects ranging from polymer physics to molecular biology• Developed new biodegradable polymers for implanted drug delivery depots

• Led projects focused on the synthesis of biostable and biodegradable polymers for medical applications• Supervised other scientists• Monomer synthesis and polymer synthesis• Provided internal consulting on issues related to polymer science and chemistry to most of Medtronic’s business units

• Synthesized novel soft segment diols for polyurethanes with greater biostability• Created new monomers used in polymer films with high dielectric constants for multilayer capacitors

Phd, Organic Chemistry

Bs, Chemistry