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Tag: innovation

  • The Rise of the Tinkerer Class

    I read this interesting article about how the Internet has made it easier for inventors to successfully create and market their products. It mentions resources such as message boards and video sites that teach would-be inventors how to design and create, 3D printers that make it possible to produce prototypes, and crowdfunding and social media that help bring ideas to market.

    As a patent attorney, I use the Internet to communicate with my clients, conduct technical and legal research, submit patent applications at the Patent Office website, and more–all of which lower my clients’ costs of getting a patent.

    It’s a case of innovation breeding more innovation and it’s great to be a part of.

  • 2011 Collegiate Inventors Competition Winners

    The nonprofit organization Invent Now recently announced the winners of the annual Collegiate Inventors Competition (co-sponsored by the USPTO). The competition inlcuded categories for graduate students and undergraduate students.

    The First Place award for graduate students went to Kyle Allison of Boston University for his invention, “Metabolite-Mediated Elimination of Bacterial Persisters.” According to Invent Now’s description, Mr. Allison’s invention “is a combination therapy utilizing specific metabolites and the aminoglycoside class of antibiotics to effectively kill persistent bacteria.” He received the $15,000 graduate first prize.

    The First Place award for undergraduate students went to Elizabeth Asai, Nickolas Demas, and Elliot Swart of Yale University for their invention, “3Derm.” 3Derm is a “handheld imaging device for taking 3-D, high-definition images of skin lesions or other abnormalities in the clinic or at home and, through a proprietary web interface, allows doctors to remotely access the images for more efficient patient care.” They received the $12,500 undergraduate first prize.

  • USPTO Steve Jobs Exhibit

    Steve Jobs Photo (Credit: Matt Yohe)Today is the opening of a new exhibit at the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum in Alexandria, Virginia titled The Patents and Trademarks of Steve Jobs: Art and Technology that Changed the World. According to the USPTO’s press release, the exhibit will feature more than 300 patents granted to Jobs as well as many of Apple’s trademarks.

    The exhibit will be open through January 15, 2012. It is free and open to the public. The National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum is located at the USPTO’s headquarters at 600 Dulany Street in Alexandria, Virginia.

  • National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum

    As one who works with patents and trademarks on a daily basis, I enjoy learning about intellecual property that helped shape history. A current exhibit at the USPTO Museum called Exercising Ingenuity displays just that–“inventions, patents, and trademarks that have emerged from the fitness, nutrition, and exercise industries.”

    The Exercising Ingenuity exhibit allows museum patrons to learn about a variety of famous inventions related to the exercise industry over time. For example, the exhibit includes information on Gatorade, the ThighMaster, and GORE-TEX.

    The National Inventors Hall of Fame was founded in 1973 and is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from noon to 5pm.

  • Small Business Innovation Research Pilot Program

    The US Patent and Trademark Office recently announced a new pilot program it is sponsoring with the National Science Foundation. Through this pilot program, the USPTO provides educational services and its IP Awareness Assessment tool. The pilot program will “provide additional services” in the future.

    The pilot program is available to awardees of the Small Business Innovation Research program. The USPTO Small Business Innovation Research Pilot Program has the stated purpose of “improv[ing] the transfer of research from . . . labs to the marketplace.”

    Since its inception, the Small Business Innovation Research program has granted over 112,500 awards totaling more than $26.9 billion. Here are some additional statistics from the Small Business Innovation Research program:

    • 15,000 firms
    • $21 billion in research
    • 50,000 patents
    • 7 patents/day
    • 400,000 scientists & engineers

    Link:

  • Organizations for Inventors

    The USPTO publishes a newsletter geared toward independent inventors called the Inventors Eye. The most recent edition includes a list of organizations for inventors by state. If you are interested in meeting inventors near you, check it out!