Getting paid for not filing a patent – Androgel

Inventor: Solvay Pharmaceuticals
Invention: Androgel (synthetic testosterone gel)

For aspiring inventors, the path in front of them to fame is pretty clear. First you think of an idea, then you build a prototype, file a patent, and do a lot of marketing. If you are lucky, you will end up with a good licensing deal. The company which licenses your invention, pays you for the patent. How about if you get paid for not filing a patent? Well, that is what happened in the case of Androgel. Continue reading →

Invention uses cell phone for blood testing

Inventor: Professor Aydogan Ozcan
Invention: LUCAS

A major obstacle in providing quality healthcare to third world country residents is the distance between the healthcare facilities and the patient. This is especially true for people living in remote villages. The healthcare workers always wish for devices which they can take with them for field testing. As far as testing the blood is concerned, they can rest assured now. A research team from UCLA, led by Professor Aydogan Ozcan,  invented LUCAS (an acronym for Lensless Ultra-wide-field Cell monitoring Array platform based on Shadow imaging) around 2007, and made improvements to it over time. Now, the technology has been tweaked so that it can be incorporated into a cell phone; and blood can be viewed and analyzed using it. Continue reading →