United States Patent Research Articles

Monitoring of Airborne Pollen: A Patent Review

Air pollution is recognized by the World Health Organization as the major environmental threat; therefore, air quality is constantly being monitored by monitoring stations. However, the most common atmospheric pollutants being monitored do not include pollen. Among the reasons for the lack of pollen control is that there are different types and sizes of pollen. The largest particles commonly being monitored by air monitoring stations have a maximum aerodynamic diameter of 10 microns, while the aerodynamic diameter of most pollen grains is known to range from 10 to 100 microns. For this reason, most pollen is not being detected by air monitoring stations. For the patents found in a literature review, monitoring pollen concentration in the air requires the discrimination of pollen grains from particulate matter of a similar size, as well as the identification of the type of pollen grains detected, since different pollen types may produce different effects, such as allergic reactions, asthma, and lung cancer, in exposed people. In this work, 15 patent documents regarding pollen monitoring were identified and reviewed using three search engines: Google Patents, WIPO’s PatentScope, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database. The extracted data from the patents included whether they differentiate pollen type, pollen size, and sensor type and whether they provide real-time data. The results show that 93.33% of the patents identify pollen type, while 80% of the patents identify pollen size. Most of the patents use light-scattering and image sensors and use image processing techniques to analyze particles. Furthermore, 40% of the patents were found to implement artificial intelligence. Further, it was found that only nine patents provide real-time data, which is an important feature of an air monitoring system.

The importance of green patents for CDS pricing: The role of environmental disclosures

Corporate green innovation to address global climate change has potential spillover effects through positive financial outcomes. This study examines how the credit market takes green innovation, measured by the approval of green patents, into account to determine the credit default swap (CDS) premia. Using a sample of United States (US) firms from 2002 to 2020, this research finds that the CDS market favourably prices green innovation: firms with more green patents have lower CDS spread, suggesting that the CDS market considers firms' green innovation in their investment decision. While greater firm-provided environmental disclosures boost the effect of green innovation, involuntary environmental exposures by external channels such as print and online media offset the favourable effect of green innovation on CDS spread. The green technology pilot program by the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2009 is exploited as a quasi-natural experimental setting to apply a difference-in-differences analysis, confirming the favourable effect of green innovation on CDS spread. The results remain robust to various sensitivity and other endogeneity tests. Managers intending to reconcile green innovation with their stakeholder value maximisation objective may find the findings interesting.

The impact of participation in global value chains on the globalization of innovation systems

ABSTRACT This paper estimates the impact of bilateral global value chain (GVC) participation on the globalization of the innovation systems for the years between 1990 and 2018. By combining the data from UNCTAD-Eora GVC, the OECD indicators of international cooperation in patents, and United States Patent and Trademark Office patent cooperation data, we make estimations employing with a type of zero-inflated negative binomial model for 101 countries. Our estimates indicate positive and significant impacts of both backward and forward GVC participations on patent cooperation. However, the backward GVC participation has negative and the forward GVC participation has positive effect on the probability of having patent cooperation. We conclude that the empirical outcomes regarding the relationship between GVC participation and globalization of innovation systems help us to understand the impacts of higher integration on national innovation systems.

Identify the digitalization technology opportunity of low-carbon energy technologies: Using the patent data and collaborative filtering.

The digitalization of low-carbon energy technologies (LCET) provides important technical support for the transition to a greener energy system. Digitalization addresses the phenomenon of the growing application of information and communications technologies (ICT) across the economy, which is regarded as the technology convergence between ICT and other technologies. Scholars have revealed the signs that LCET and ICT are becoming increasingly interlinked, which raises the challenges for predicting and identifying the technology opportunities for innovations in the converged technology area. To address the challenges, this paper proposes a collaborative filtering approach to identify the digitalization technology opportunity of low-carbon energy technologies using patent classification and patent citation information. We applied the proposed collaborative filtering approach using a large LCET patent dataset derived from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The results indicate that the proposed method can effectively identify digitalization technology opportunities of LCET, and the current LCET digitalization technology opportunities identified based on this approach are mainly concentrated in the Energy storage field. The advantages of the proposed approach are that its underlying data are more readily available and its technical complexity is relatively lower, and thus, more replicable for other technology fields.

The potential impact of AI innovations on US occupations.

An occupation is comprised of interconnected tasks, and it is these tasks, not occupations themselves, that are affected by Artificial Intelligence (AI). To evaluate how tasks may be impacted, previous approaches utilized manual annotations or coarse-grained matching. Leveraging recent advancements in machine learning, we replace coarse-grained matching with more precise deep learning approaches. Introducing the AI Impact measure, we employ Deep Learning Natural Language Processing to automatically identify AI patents that may impact various occupational tasks at scale. Our methodology relies on a comprehensive dataset of 17,879 task descriptions and quantifies AI's potential impact through analysis of 24,758 AI patents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office between 2015 and 2022. Our results reveal that some occupations will potentially be impacted, and that impact is intricately linked to specific skills. These include not only routine tasks (codified as a series of steps), as previously thought but also nonroutine ones (e.g. diagnosing health conditions, programming computers, and tracking flight routes). However, AI's impact on labor is limited by the fact that some of the occupations affected are augmented rather than replaced (e.g. neurologists, software engineers, air traffic controllers), and the sectors affected are experiencing labor shortages (e.g. IT, Healthcare, Transport).

Herbal Technological Prospects of Morus nigra L.: A Systematic Patent Analysis Review.

Morus nigra L. is a plant with significant potential for drug development due to the presence of numerous bioactive compounds in its various parts. This article aims to compile the technological perspectives of Morus nigra L. towards drug development and therapeutic indications based on registered patents in databases. The study analyzed patents published within the last five years, focusing on products derived from different parts of the Morus nigra L. plant. Patent databases such as the European Patent Office (EPO), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the National Institute of Industrial Property Databases (INPI) were examined. A total of 45 patents were categorized by country of origin, type of applicant, extraction method, and therapeutic indications. China had the highest number of patent filings (43.48%), and private companies were the primary technology patent holders (38.64%). Noteworthy extraction methods included ultrasound-assisted extraction, decoction, infusion, and maceration. The most utilized plant parts were leaves (44.44%), followed by fruits (35.56%), root bark (15.56%), and stems (4.44%). The main therapeutic indications identified were the treatment of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia (43.33%), along with digestive problems, cosmetics, nutrition, and cleaning applications. The study of patents covers discoveries and advancements often absent in scientific articles, making a review focused on this advanced information crucial for expanding existing scientific knowledge. Even if some therapies have been explored previously, patents can reveal innovative approaches and fresh perspectives that contribute to sustained scientific progress.

Narrative patent review of penile clamp, artificial urinary sphincter, and sling innovation in the management of male stress urinary incontinence.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary loss of urine affecting 1-3% of the male population. To manage leakage, patients may try a plethora of penile clamps. and may even consider artificial urinary sphincters (AUS) or sling implantation. We aimed to synthesize the evolution of the modern clamp, AUS, and sling through a comprehensive patent search. Patents were found through the databases of United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), GooglePatents, and the World Intellectual Property Office Patentscope, covering patents published through January 6, 2024. We found 30 different patents (10 clamps, 13 AUS, and 7 slings), including the patents pertaining to the functionalities and design of five commercially available penile clamps, the American Medical System 800 (AMS 800), the InVance, AdVance, AdVance XP, and Virtue Slings. The clamps, spanning back to 1938 with Bard Cunningham's clamp, have undergone significant refinements. For example, inventors such as Edson S. Outwin and Juan F. V. Wiesner, have modified the location of the primary pressure point. Accessibility has also improved with inventors, such as Gerald French and John W. Timmons, fastening the clamps with Velcro®, as opposed to the screw and ratchet catch closing mechanism, as in Cunningham's clamp. Similarly, the AUS has greatly evolved since Foley's 1947 "Artificial Sphincter and Method", which was the primary AUS precedent to Mark Polyak's AUS invention, which covered the essential elements and functionalities, such as the incorporation of a balloon reservoir, for the AMS 800. In addressing AUS limitations, inventors such as David W. Anderson and Louisa Thomas have created non-hydraulic AUSs. Likewise, the male sling has seen an evolution in the method of securement, from the use of fixed bone anchors in the InVance sling to the transobturator route used in the AdVance XP, avoiding bone complications. Additionally, innovation in sling adjustment of urethral compression allows for adjustable urethral elevation and distal compression respectively. Recent patents have claimed technological integration for clamps, AUS, and slings, especially concerning automation. Overall, patents have built upon the limitations of previous devices. However, there is still a need to innovate for increased clamp comfort and reduced reoperation rates for the AUS and sling.

Do deep regional trade agreements facilitate international research collaboration?

ABSTRACT We examine whether regional trade agreements (RTAs) facilitate international research collaboration. First, using a two-country model of a continuum of oligopolistic industries with process research and development (R&D) investment and spillovers, we analyze whether trade liberalization through a trade agreement with shallow or deep economic integration increases the number of firms that collaborate. We then empirically investigate the effects of shallow and deep RTAs by employing data on patents with multiple inventors from different countries at the United States Patent and Trademark Office for 114 countries/regions over 1990–2015. We interpret co-inventions by inventors from different countries as evidence of international research collaboration. We find that both shallow and deep RTAs are positively associated with research collaboration among member countries, and that the effect of deep RTAs on international research collaboration is stronger than that of shallow RTAs under certain conditions.

Botanical Extracts and Compounds of Castanea Plants and Methods of Use: US20190125818A1 - The United States Patent Evaluation.

Bacterial infections are increasingly difficult to combat, which makes them a threat to public health on a global level. Staphylococcus aureus is considered one of the main causes of infections in hospitals, as it has a variety of virulence factors, as well as is able to produce bacterial biofilms, which, consequently, bring numerous damages to public health as a result of increased resistance to conventional antibiotics and a longer hospital stay. Therefore, the use of compounds extracted from medicinal plants is a potential pharmaceutically acceptable target, as they do not have toxicity and the potential to disrupt biofilms produced by Staphylococcus aureus already evidenced, thus revealing their relevance to our study. The objective of this work was to perform a critical analysis of a patent with natural extracts against bacterial biofilms found in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database, to map the possible bioactive compounds that may serve as potential future antimicrobial drugs. A technological survey was carried out to verify existing patents using natural extracts with anti-biofilm potential. For this, it was searched with the keywords: Botanical extracts AND biofilms; which were performed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database. Thus, the selected patent used a non-aqueous extract partitioned and vacuum-contracted, subsequently lyophilized for assays with antimicrobial potential. Because of this, a patent was analyzed regarding its chemistry, and biological activity, followed by a critical analysis of the technology proposed in the invention. When using the keywords Botanical extracts AND biofilms in the USPTO, it was possible to find twenty-two inventions; however, only four patents in the USPTO were in agreement with the proposal of the natural extract having antimicrobial activity and an anti-biofilm potential, of which two belonged to the same applicant with similar proposals. The key point of this invention was to enable the compounds of the Castanea sativa plant and its methods of obtaining the extract to present a significant antimicrobial action associated or not with antibiotics, promoting the development of new therapies against bacterial infections capable of disrupting biofilms. The invention developed a methodology for extracting Castanea sativa, in which pentacyclic triterpene compounds were found mostly in its leaves. Whereas for the extraction, the crude methanol extracts called extracts 224 from the ground leaves were made by maceration, filtered, combined, concentrated under pressure in rotary evaporators, and lyophilized. After that, they were resuspended in water and partitioned in succession with hexane, ethyl acetate, and butanol. The most active refined partition was the 224C extract with the solvent ethyl acetate, which was subjected to further fractionation using silica column chromatography. Resulting in the most refined extract, which was 224C-F2, capable of acting directly on the quorum sensing of bacteria, mainly Staphylococcus aureus, blocking the translation of RNAIII, including a series of exotoxins. Regarding the antimicrobial capacity against Staphylococcus aureus, it presented Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of 1.56 μg/mL-1 and > 100 μg/mL -1, respectively. Given the analyzed patent, it was possible to verify the importance of alternatives to reduce the impact of bacterial biofilms, which causes damage to industries in general and to health. From this, the invention analyzed has a promising proposal with antimicrobial potential focusing on the great impact of bacterial biofilms. Therefore, natural extracts with antibiofilmic potential can help to minimize the economic losses caused to health due to these multidrug-resistant microorganisms with different virulence mechanisms.

Technology Prospection of Ora-pro-Nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.): A Non-conventional Food Plant.

The ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.) is a plant from Brazilian biodiversity used for food and medicinal purposes. It has ample technological potential, however, it is still underutilized, being classified as a Non-Conventional Food Plant (PANC). Prospective studies in intellectual property banks make it possible to expand perspectives for scientific research, enhancing the generation of new products. Evaluate the patents of products containing Pereskia aculeata Mill. for the areas of food and health in intellectual property databases. The study was conducted through structured prospective investigation (collection, processing and analysis) in 4 patent databases: National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI) - Brazil, United States Patent and Trademark Office, World Trade Organization Intellectual Property (WIPO) and Espacenet. The evaluation showed a reduced number of registered patents. In general, 8 patent applications were examined, of which 7 are directly associated with the species (and its derivatives) and 1 is related to a device specially designed for harvesting leaves/fruits and removing thorns. The focus of the patents was the use of the species in the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnological areas, with emphasis on the use of the leaves in the extraction of mucilage and proteins. This study showed that Pereskia aculeata Mill. is a technologically promising plant, because of its nutritional and medicinal composition, and it is important to encourage innovation and the development of new products with the species.

AI innovations and financial performance: An examination of patent filings and revenue generation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming indispensable for businesses, offering numerous advantages to compete in today's dynamic market landscape. This study investigates the relationship between AI patent filings and firms' performance in revenue generation from a point of view, aiming to elucidate the impact of AI investments on revenue generation. Leveraging data from The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and employing regression analysis, the research finds a significant correlation between firms with AI patent applications and their generated revenue. The findings underscore the importance of AI investments for financial outcomes and provide valuable empirical evidence for strategic decision-making by businesses and policymakers. Additionally, the methodological approach adopted in the study contributes to the methodological approach available for future research in the field of AI and business performance analysis.

Trade and the margins of innovative technologies: evidence from patent-firm matched data

ABSTRACT We study the impact of China’s surge in the global economy on the intensive and extensive margins of firm-level innovative technologies. We predict that greater market access following the accession of China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has positive effects on both the intensive and extensive margins of innovative technologies, and the effects are more pronounced for more productive firms. We confirm our predictions empirically using the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent data matched with Taiwanese firm-level data for the period from 1998–2014.

A Mini-Review on Elisa-Based Diagnosis of Schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical parasitic disease caused by trematode worms of the genus schistosoma, which affects approximately 240 million people worldwide. the diagnosis of the disease can be performed by parasitological, molecular, and/or immunological methods, however, the development of new diagnostic methods still essential to guide policy decisions, monitor disease trends and assess the effectiveness of interventions. in this sense, the current work summarizes the findings of a systematic review regarding antigens applied in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test, which were patented and published over the last ten years. the literature search strategy used medical subject heading (mesh) terms to define as descriptors. "schistosoma mansoni" was used in arrangement with the descriptors "immunoassay", "enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay", "elisa", and "antigens", using the "and" connector. the patent search was done using keywords, including diagnosis and schistosoma or schistosomiasis or schistosome. several databases were employed for the patent search, such as intellectual property national institute; european patent office; the united states patent and trademark office; patent scope, and google patents. forty-one articles were retrieved, of which only five met the eligibility criteria. seventeen patents were taken from the databases, and a brief description of the most relevant inventions is given here. schistosomiasis is considered the most important helminthic disease in worldwide. therefore, it is important to of searching for and develops diagnostic methods based on serology to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by the disease.

Chlorogenic Acid Inhibits Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Pancreatic Cancer Cells via AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin Signaling Pathway.

Chlorogenic acid (CA, United States Patent No. 10772340), a natural biologically active food ingredient, displays potent antitumor activity against a variety of cancer cells. However, the mechanism underlying its anticancer effect is not well elucidated. In the present study, we hope to dissect the mechanism underlying the anticancer effects of CA in pancreatic cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of CA in pancreatic cancer cells was determined by MTT assay. Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the cells apoptosis, while a clonogenic assay was carried out to check the colony formation of cancer cells. Transwell assay was performed to assess the cells migration and invasion. The protein expression of AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway was detected by Western Blot. Our data indicated that CA inhibited the proliferation of PANC-28 and PANC-1 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner. CA was able to inhibit colony formation, migration, and invasion ability and trigger apoptosis in PANC-28 and PANC-1 cells. Further study showed that CA down-regulated the expression of AKT, p-AKT(Thr308), p-GSK-3β(Ser9), β-catenin, N-cadherin, and vimentin while enhancing the expression of cleaved-caspase 3 and cleaved-caspase 7 in PANC-28 and PANC-1 cells. Our study provides significant evidence that CA is able to inhibit the growth of pancreatic cancer via the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Comparisons of successful and failed Phase III trials of drugs and biologicals tested for mitigation of oral mucositis in patients being treated with radiotherapy with or without concomitant chemotherapy for cancers of the head and neck.

Oral mucositis (OM) remains a significant toxicity among patients being treated with radiotherapy (RT) alone or with concomitant chemotherapy (CRT) for cancers of the head and neck (HNC). Given its clinical significance as an unmet need and its potential commercial viability, the pharmaceutical industry has been actively pursuing an effective intervention. Despite this interest and activity, only a few agents have been studied in Phase III trials (n = 6). The objective of this study was to identify common features that differentiate successful and failed Phase III OM trials. We used the United States Patent and Trademark Office Patent Public Search database to search patents with "oral mucositis" in the claims. We then searched ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed to determine if Phase III or Phase II trial data for identified biologics/drugs had been published. We assessed each Phase III and Phase II trial for characteristics that may be associated with trial success or failure. We considered a study as a "success" if the primary endpoint reached statistical significance, and we considered a study as "failure" if the primary endpoint did not reach statistical significance. Of the three successful Phase III trials, one investigated avasopasem manganese (Galera Therapeutics) and two examined palifermin (Amgen). The three failed trials included those evaluating dusquetide (Soligenix), iseganan hydrochloride (IntraBiotics Pharmaceuticals), and clonidine (Monopar Therapeutics). We found that differences in the level of sponsor funding, patient inclusion criteria including radiation source and concomitant chemotherapy regimen, and concordance of primary efficacy outcomes between Phase II and Phase III trials influenced outcomes. To properly design clinical trials for OM in HNC patients, it is important that researchers and sponsors take note of specific study characteristics associated with success or failure, particularly with Phase III trials where the risks and costs are the highest.

Drone-Assisted Particulate Matter Measurement in Air Monitoring: A Patent Review

Air pollution is caused by the presence of polluting elements. Ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM) are the most controlled gasses because they can be released into the atmosphere naturally or as a result of human activity, which affects air quality and causes disease and premature death in exposed people. Depending on the substance being measured, ambient air monitors have different types of air quality sensors. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in designing drones as mobile sensors for monitoring air pollution. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive patent review to gain insight into the proprietary technologies currently used in drones used to monitor outdoor air pollution. Patent searches were conducted using three different patent search engines: Google Patents, WIPO’s Patentscope, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The analysis of each patent consists of extracting data that supply information regarding the type of drone, sensor, or equipment for measuring PM, the lack or presence of a cyclone separator, and the ability to process the turbulence generated by the drone’s propellers. A total of 1473 patent documents were retrieved using the search engine. However, only 13 met the inclusion criteria, including patent documents reporting drone designs for outdoor air pollution monitoring. Therefore, was found that most patents fall under class G01N (measurement; testing) according to the International Patents Classification, where the most common sensors and devices are infrared or visible light cameras, cleaning devices, and GPS tracking devices. The most common tasks performed by drones are air pollution monitoring, assessment, and control. These categories cover different aspects of the air pollution management cycle and are essential to effectively address this environmental problem.

Far Out: The Extended Denial of Public Access to Psychedelic Therapeutics

The United States patent regime is designed to promote dissemination of information that undergirds a particular innovation. To incentivize disclosure, inventors are granted a time-limited right to exclude others from practicing the invention, thereby affording the inventor a period in which to commercialize and financially benefit from their inventive contribution. The disclosure provides information sufficient for one of skill in the relevant art to make and use the invention, and the public may freely do so upon the patent’s expiry. Global advancement of human medicine is fundamentally intertwined with the United States patent system; medical progress largely depends upon the exclusionary protections United States patents confer. Ordinarily, the expiry of patents covering therapeutic products and methods yields substantial price reduction, as new market participants seek to establish market share by undercutting the expired patent holder and others. The patent system also yields to the public not only access to new and improved medical technology but also a delayed, unencumbered freedom to make and use the invention upon the patent’s exhaustion. Recently, psychoactive chemical compounds have garnered renewed and international attention. Although many psychedelic substances have had a long history of human use, including within therapeutic contexts, the Controlled Substances Act and related legislation significantly stifled research directed toward developing these substances for medical use. This “artificial” impediment to therapeutic innovation effectively delayed public access to the fruits of earlier innovation.

Cross-industry vs. same-industry acquisitions: unveiling their differential impacts on innovation in the smartphone industry

ABSTRACT Firm acquisitions have emerged as a pivotal driver of innovation, particularly in the smartphone industry. This study investigates the effects of different acquisition strategies – same-industry and cross-industry – on innovation. By analysing data from 84 acquisitions by smartphone firms between 2007 and 2022, along with United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent records, it is evident that cross-industry acquisitions significantly enhance innovation. By contrast, same-industry acquisitions do not impact firm innovation. This trend is also consistent with breakthrough innovations examined through patent citations. The findings underscore the crucial role of cross-industry acquisitions in stimulating substantial innovation and provide key insights for strategic economic decision-making, particularly for firms that consider diverse acquisition strategies.

Comparison of patenting trends and alliance patterns among countries with a majority religion: structural topic model and network analysis

ABSTRACT In our modern, technologically advanced society, 84% of the world’s population holds some form of religious faith. Our history has also witnessed religion and technology having an impact on each other. Assuming the underlying correlation between them, we question whether there are distinguished technological features among countries with strong religions. This study examines the technological trends in countries with a majority religion according to the dominant religion of each – namely, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. We applied structural topic modelling (STM) and co-patent network analysis to patents from those countries registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office between 1965 and 2015. According to the STM results, technologies appear to reflect geographical environments, industrial concentrations, and investments led by governments and private sectors rather than religion. Moreover, countries with a majority religion in our study had mainly collaborated with the United States and European countries, regardless of religious tendency.

Efficient retrosynthetic planning with MCTS exploration enhanced A* search

Retrosynthetic planning, which aims to identify synthetic pathways for target molecules from starting materials, is a fundamental problem in synthetic chemistry. Computer-aided retrosynthesis has made significant progress, in which heuristic search algorithms, including Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) and A* search, have played a crucial role. However, unreliable guiding heuristics often cause search failure due to insufficient exploration. Conversely, excessive exploration also prevents the search from reaching the optimal solution. In this paper, MCTS exploration enhanced A* (MEEA*) search is proposed to incorporate the exploratory behavior of MCTS into A* by providing a look-ahead search. Path consistency is adopted as a regularization to improve the generalization performance of heuristics. Extensive experimental results on 10 molecule datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of MEEA*. Especially, on the widely used United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) benchmark, MEEA* achieves a 100.0% success rate. Moreover, for natural products, MEEA* successfully identifies bio-retrosynthetic pathways for 97.68% test compounds.