They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. By all accounts, Target was paying homage to one of the greatest video games of all time when it rolled out “Foot Pong” in a limited store release.
Imagine having the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. This the promise and reality of healthcare simulation technology (and related patents) which I explored during my recent keynote address to The Gathering of Healthcare Simulation Technology Specialists (SimGHOSTS).
Small actions at the right time, in the right place, with the right people, led to one of the most famous patents of all time that was the harbinger of the denim blue jeans that James Dean, America – and eventually the world – fell in love with.
Inventors, if I had to ask you what commercial product is in 96% of our homes and used 30 billion times per year what would be your answer? If you answered salt or paper clips you guessed wrong. However, if your answer was the common toothpick, bravo, you nailed it!
The way it wiggled when it hit the floor struck Richard T. James like a sledgehammer welded by the inventing gods themselves. The torsion spring had fallen off his desk and “stepped its way down” to the floor in a magical spring-like fashion that conjured up the idea for the world-famous Slinky® toy that he successfully patented in 1947.
Sometimes when death stares us in the face, we not only discover untapped reservoirs of courage but the keys to a new invention that will save countless lives in the future.
Inventors, you have all plunged your knife into a glass ketchup bottle to squeeze a little extra sauce onto your delicious fries. But how many of you wished you had invented the patented solution to this annoying problem?
Seven medical device inventors with patented products that are shaking up healthcare in the areas of blood analysis, surgery, bionics & medical oncology software (and artificial intelligence)
Women across America can see life more clearly now with Valerie Carbone’s trademarked and patented dual-purpose EyeBandz® that uniquely pairs the best attributes of drugstore reading glasses with everyday headbands. The novel new product is guaranteed to STOP women everywhere from tearing their hair out!
When Arthur Fry jointly invented the legendary Post-It® Note in 1974 with fellow engineer, Spencer Silver, he became one of the most famous in-house “garage inventors” of all time or what 3M proudly calls an “intrapreneur”.