What would you like to invent?

[Bryn]

I know there's a fair share of budding inventors here that build things for fun but, for those that actually want to take this sort of thing more seriously and hope to make things better for everyone or simply to revolutionise basic concepts, what would you create?

For me, I would invent an alternative for taking blood pressure, particularly one that doesn't have to squeeze one's arm to take it (as to me causes discomfort, and at times can give inaccurate readings even from the patient making slight motion).

I've recently thought of it of having a large ring-like design where it can adjust to the circumference of the patient's upper arm like for the basic cuff but instead of having it squeeze the arm to get the readings (and the pulse included), I'd have it "read" the systolic and diastolic levels instead, although that may sound impractical. I'd think more thought would have to be put on that should it be a successful product...

So, what about you?

[fzabkar]

GM grass that never grows higher than a golf club's lawn.

[SiliconWizard]

https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/genetically-modified-grass-doesnt-need-mowing

[tom66]

A genuine solution to climate change that doesn't involve massive compromises from everyone and so actually happens.

A bit like how we fixed the hole in the ozone layer because we found refigerants that were better than freon in nearly every respect so there wasn't that much pushback against them.

[Alex Eisenhut]

Active noise cancelling windows.

[David Hess]

GM grass that never grows higher than a golf club's lawn.

We already have that.  Emo-grass cuts itself.

[SiliconWizard]

For me, I would invent an alternative for taking blood pressure, particularly one that doesn't have to squeeze one's arm to take it (as to me causes discomfort, and at times can give inaccurate readings even from the patient making slight motion).

There are already some companies working on "cuffless" blood pressure sensors. Like this one:

https://valencell.com/our-product/

Note that this isn't FDA-approved yet and is not formally clinically-proven, so that's not a replacement, but could be interesting already if you need to take it very frequently.

They use photoplethysmography, like pulse oximeters, with some dedicated algorithms.

[Andy Chee]

A camera/microphone that recognises deception (in the same manner as facial recognition, voice recognition, gait recognition, etc)

Essentially a modern lie detector, but without the intrusiveness of breath rate and galvanic skin sensors.  Should be compatible with existing CCTV infrastructure.  Should be compatible with smartphone cameras/microphones.

[K5_489]

I mean...I could tell you...but then I'd have to kill you...

Like I'm gonna just give away all my million dollar ideas??? 

[Bryn]

There are already some companies working on "cuffless" blood pressure sensors. Like this one:

https://valencell.com/our-product/

Note that this isn't FDA-approved yet and is not formally clinically-proven, so that's not a replacement, but could be interesting already if you need to take it very frequently.

They use photoplethysmography, like pulse oximeters, with some dedicated algorithms.

That's interesting... hope it goes get approved and then go on sale 👍

Active noise cancelling windows.

Just when I thought triple-glazing was effective enough...

[Sorama]

There are already some companies working on "cuffless" blood pressure sensors. Like this one:

Just when I thought triple-glazing was effective enough...

On the contrary: triple glazing performs worse.

[K5_489]

There are already some companies working on "cuffless" blood pressure sensors. Like this one:
https://valencell.com/our-product/

Note that this isn't FDA-approved yet and is not formally clinically-proven, so that's not a replacement, but could be interesting already if you need to take it very frequently.

"Not for sale in the USA"....from a company based in the USA...."freest" country in the world strikes again! 

That gives me some ideas...that would probably get me put "on the list" if I were to mention them in public...

[jonpaul]

To learn the US Patent application process,

Read "Patent it yourself" by our old friend David Pressman

https://www.amazon.com/Patent-Yourself-Step-Step-Filing/dp/1413329977

Expect about 5 yrs and $5..10K per patent.

Getting a patent liscenced or enforced is a different issue

Jon

[SiliconWizard]

There are already some companies working on "cuffless" blood pressure sensors. Like this one:
https://valencell.com/our-product/

Note that this isn't FDA-approved yet and is not formally clinically-proven, so that's not a replacement, but could be interesting already if you need to take it very frequently.

"Not for sale in the USA"....from a company based in the USA...."freest" country in the world strikes again! 

Well that makes sense. "Blood pressure monitors" fall into the medical device category, so need to be FDA-approved before one can sell them in the US.
They probably could still sell them as a gadget, but if they intend to market them as true blood pressure monitors, that would ruin their marketing. They could even get in trouble for that, as even if not sold as blood pressure monitors, the fact they provide blood pressure measurements could mislead customers. So, yeah.

[Postal2]

... For me, I would invent an alternative for taking blood pressure, particularly one that doesn't have to squeeze one's arm to take it (as to me causes discomfort, and at times can give inaccurate readings even from the patient making slight motion). ...

This is interesting. It is indeed possible to do this, I would start with the analysis of the eye vessels, most likely suitable sensors already exist.

Easy-to-use Fingertip™ Blood Pressure Monitor device and app

Complete nonsense.

[ebastler]

To learn the US Patent application process,

Read "Patent it yourself" by our old friend David Pressman

https://www.amazon.com/Patent-Yourself-Step-Step-Filing/dp/1413329977

Expect about 5 yrs and $5..10K per patent.

Huh?! If you draft and submit the patent application yourself, what would those $5k to $10k be for? Patent office fees are a fraction of that, including maintenance fees for the first few years: https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/fees-and-payment/uspto-fee-schedule

Whether it's advisable to draft a patent application without a patent attorney is a different question. I'd say if you have read and analysed a good number of patents before, and discuss your own invention with a trusted third party to "take a step back" when describing it, you can do it yourself.

[tom66]

To learn the US Patent application process,

Read "Patent it yourself" by our old friend David Pressman

https://www.amazon.com/Patent-Yourself-Step-Step-Filing/dp/1413329977

Expect about 5 yrs and $5..10K per patent.

Huh?! If you draft and submit the patent application yourself, what would those $5k to $10k be for? Patent office fees are a fraction of that, including maintenance fees for the first few years: https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/fees-and-payment/uspto-fee-schedule

Whether it's advisable to draft a patent application without a patent attorney is a different question. I'd say if you have read and analysed a good number of patents before, and discuss your own invention with a trusted third party to "take a step back" when describing it, you can do it yourself.

I had some insight into the process at my employer and it seems DIY-able, but there are opportunities to screw up during an examination which would void the patent.  We paid towards the lower end of that price for US & GB patent.

[Kasper]

People are working on blood pressure just from PPG.  I think it is easier to do it with PPG and ECG though using a technique called PTT, pulse transit time.

Neat technique but I think cuffs are less intrusive.

[EPAIII]

A truly economical and therefore ECO-FRIENDLY energy source for all. By that I mean one that would actually cost less than the ones available today. And by "cost less" I mean when EVERY cost is included including things like government or private subsidies. Those subsidies are just hidden costs that we all pay for anyway.

And the cost in dollars or whatever currency is a true measure of how eco-friendly things actually are. Lower cost = less resources used = more eco-friendly.

Such an energy source should be affordable, build-able, and maintainable by EVERYONE. No more electric bills. No more gas bills. Etc. You build it and it powers your house, your vehicles, your boat or plane, etc. And I would immediately put it in the public domain so there would be no fees for building it. My gift to the world.

Do I dream? Sure I do. But the question was, "What would you like to invent?" So I dream BIG! And I will leave the improved blood pressure cuffs to others. They obviously don't need to monitor their blood sugar which requires sticking a hole in yourself every time.

[jonpaul]

5..10K total depends on the details, foreign eg WIPO, EPO, etc.


After (IF) patent is granted:


required PTO "maintanince fees" over life of pat 

https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/fees-and-payment/uspto-fee-schedule#Patent%20Maintenance%20Fee

For maintaining an original or any reissue patent, due at 3.5 years   2,000.00   800.00   400.00
For maintaining an original or any reissue patent, due at 7.5 years   3,760.00   1,504.00   752.00
For maintaining an original or any reissue patent, due at 11.5 years   7,700.00   3,080.00   1,540.00

does not include any lawyers.

Jon

[ebastler]

Your were talking about the US patent process (only) in the earlier post, right? Much lower application and examination fees, especially for small entities and sole inventors.

Sure, the maintenance fees climb over time. That's deliberate, to discourage people from maintaining a patent even if they don't commercialize it, blocking others from using the technology. If you decide to maintain the patent for many years, that should be based on the fact that you generate significant income from it.

[Postal2]

People are working on blood pressure just from PPG. ...

Recommend this device to your friend if you want him to die from a stroke.

[coromonadalix]

there was a film ...  who had the universal hacker tool  ... hack anything ... 

[RAPo]

A way to transport any smell by an internet connection, not being by buying a physical product on an internetshop that has that smell.

[SteveThackery]

I'd like to invent a gravity shield. It would be a flat board that you would place anywhere you like - on the ground, for example - and it would shield everything above it from the earth's gravity. So everything directly above the board would be weightless. Very useful.

You could also use it as the heart of a perpetual motion machine: suspend a bicycle wheel so half of it is over the board. The weightless half will rise as the heavy half falls, rotating forever. Doesn't have to be an actual bicycle wheel, obvs.