A few years ago, Wayne and Dawn Nix consulted with LSU Libraries' faculty member David Dunaway about an invention the couple had designed. Dunaway, who then headed the LSU Libraries Patent and Trademark Resource Center, guided them through the complex and lengthy patent process, and on February 20, 2018, the Nixes were issued a patent for their nursing multi-tool, which Wayne Nix has described as a "Swiss army knife for nurses." The product is now beginning manufacture and sales.

Fostering research and catalyzing economic development in the community is integral to LSU’s Strategic Plan, and that's exactly what the LSU Libraries Patent & Trademark Resource Center does. “A tremendous amount of effort goes into applying for a patent," said Dunaway, "and PTRC library staff are trained to use search tools to access patent and trademark information." While Dunaway no longer heads LSU Libraries’ PTRC, he has kept in touch with the Nixes’ progress and has a pre-release model of the MultiNix on his desk. "The Nixes began consulting with me in 2014, and we are delighted to have played a part in their success."

Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs) are a nationwide network of public, state and academic libraries that are designated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to disseminate patent and trademark information.  The LSU Libraries Patent and Trademark Resource Center is the only PTRC in Louisiana and its services are freely available to any Louisiana resident. PTRC representatives are not attorneys and cannot provide legal advice.