The holiday season is upon us yet again! We’re ringing in the most wonderful time of the year by celebrating inventions of all types – even some of Emory’s. We polled members of our office for their favorite inventions of all time – and then had a week full of voting to narrow it down! It was a true team effort to decide on the final 12 inventions. Happy Holidays from all of us at the Office of Technology Transfer. We hope you enjoy our 12 Days of Invents!
He knows if you’ve been bad or good… so be good for goodness sake! Santa Claus is coming to town, and he might just use this “Naughty or Nice Meter” to see who makes his list! With US Patent 20080299533A1, parents can use the device during the holiday season (or all year!) to grade children on things like doing their chores and doing well in school. The child will then be given a score that ranges from naughty to nice! https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080299533
Got a stubborn stain? The Magic Eraser has got your back! US Patent US20070061991A1 describes a cleaning device comprised of heat-compressed melamine foam. It can remove tough stains and scuffs without damaging the surface! https://patents.google.com/patent/US20070061991A1/en
Atrial Fibrillation affects approximately seven million people across the globe, and medication only helps about half of that number. The Arctic Front® cryoablation catheter was designed by Emory’s own Jonathan Langberg to simplify pulmonary vein ablation, which is the most common nonsurgical treatment for atrial fibrillation. https://www.ott.emory.edu/about/success/articfront.html
In desperate need of coffee to get your day started but running late to work? What if you could make a fresh cup of coffee in your car as you drove? US Patent US5233914A would do just that! This proposed in-car coffee maker would allow the driver to brew a single cup of coffee without taking their eyes off the road. https://patents.google.com/patent/US5233914A/en
Contact lenses are an everyday object for approximately 45 million people in the United States. US Patent US2196066A, issued in 1940, was the beginning of the contact lenses we know today. They’ve come a long way since then, and these days, they even come colored! https://patents.google.com/patent/US2196066A/en
Want to include your furry friend in your holiday festivities? US Patent US20130149418A1 proposes a completely edible gift wrap system for pets, including a gift box, wrapping paper, bows, and stickers! It even comes in different flavors. This way, you can safely allow your pet to take part in the fun of unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning! https://patents.google.com/patent/US20130149418A1/en?oq=2013%2f0149418
Way back in 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis were granted US Patent #139,121 for the process of adding rivets to men’s work pants. And thus, Levi’s Blue Jeans were born. Denim had been around for many years, but the addition of the rivets created what we know as blue jeans today. Many styles, brands, and colors of jeans have been made since then, but they wouldn’t exist without this patent! https://www.levistrauss.com/2019/07/04/the-history-of-denim/
Swallowing a pill is quite the common occurrence – but there’s great debate about what the best method to do so is! US Patent US3418999A describes a “method of swallowing a pill” in which a person puts the pill in their mouth, takes a sip of water, and tilts their head forward and swallows the pill in that position. Try it out the next time you take medicine and let us know if it’s the best method! https://patents.google.com/patent/US3418999A/en
Music is a huge part of our day-to-day lives, and the technology to listen to it has evolved so much that we often don’t think of the portable CD player, lovingly known as the Walkman, anymore! US Patent USD351385S helped transform how music was listened to in the late 1980s and 1990s. The portable CD player was an evolution of the cassette player, but CDs allowed for more data storage in a smaller surface area, meaning songs could be longer and more tracks could be put on an album! https://patents.google.com/patent/USD351385S/en
Did you know that one of the most widely applied cardiac imaging systems was invented here at Emory? It’s known as the Emory Cardiac Toolbox™ and has been in use since 1998! The software addresses whether a patient has coronary artery disease, and the latest addition to the toolbox allows for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of heart failure. https://www.ott.emory.edu/about/success/cardiac-toolbox.html
The pencil is likely an invention most people don’t think twice about, but it was actually quite transformative. It provided an easy and accessible way for everyone – regardless of social status or wealth – to write down their knowledge, stories, and ideas. If US Patent US1798003A was never issued, there may be many historic events or ideas that were never recorded! https://patents.google.com/patent/US1798003#:~:text=PENCIL%20Original%20Filed%20Sept.,Great%20Britain%20September%2021%2C%201926.
Love the look and smell of having a live Christmas tree but concerned it will dry out because you forgot to water it? Insert US Patent US7757435B1 which describes a tree watering ornament! This decorative ornament not only comes in different Christmas shapes, but also functions as a funnel system to help you water your tree! Just simply fill the ornament with water, and it does the work for you. No more trying to crawl under the tree! https://patents.google.com/patent/US7757435B1/en?oq=7%2c757%2c435