Occasionally, when a new company is about to launch, they operate in “stealth mode,” meaning they seek to obfuscate any research they are performing and any products they are prepared to launch in order to stop competitors from cutting them off. It appears that Qxonix, a semiconductor start-up operating out of California, is also trying this strategy as it, well, admits it on its website. However, based on a recent patent publication, it appears that the smokescreen may be fading. 

On February 4, 2021, an application by Qxonix published directed to the use of a Bulk Wave Acoustic resonator to detect elements of a fluid. Specifically, one dependent claim of the application states that the system is capable of detecting COVID-19 in the fluid. Interestingly, because this application has now been published, it is now possible to see each of the six provisional applications that Qxonix filed in July of last year on USPTO’s Public Pair system. One might wonder why Qxonix did not file a non-publication request in order to keep their innovations a secret until the patents are issued. However, the answer to this likely lies in the fact that Qxonix decided to file ten PCT applications, each claiming priority to each of the six provisional applications. Non-publication requests are not granted where the applicant is planning on filing in other countries. With each of these applications now being public, Qxonix’s so-called “stealth mode” appears to be in jeopardy. The Patent Forecast® not only shows how patent data precedes market data, but also helps to reveal companies seeking to hide!

For more developments regarding new companies entering the fight against COVID-19, check out our free Patent Forecast® for Pandemics.