Iowa Adaptive Technologies Inc., a University of Iowa startup that is developing devices and solutions to help critically ill and disabled patients take a more active role in communicating and participating in their own care, has signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with the UI Research Foundation. The year-old company based at the UI Research Park has already developed a working prototype of its “noddle” device, which gives patients who are unable to speak and are physically impaired access to nurse call systems, environmental controls and communication apps on iPads and speech-generating devices. The exclusive license provides the company the sole ability to bring the technology to market during the life of the patents, an exclusivity that helps attract additional investment, the foundation said in a press release. The UI Research Foundation has executed 32 options and licenses in the past fiscal year, a 10 percent increase over the previous year.