The first patent for aluminium foil was granted in 1889 for this indispensable kitchen item.

In 1896, African inventor Henry A. Jackson got a patent for the kitchen table. But its history goes much further back.

In 1833 Barthelemy Thimonnier was the originator of the concept of making sewing garrments a lot easier by using this machine

In the 19th century, a former slave named Sarah Boone was the fist person to create a device to help with ironing the wrinkles out of clothes.

In 1896, African inventor Henry A. Jackson got a patent for the kitchen table. But its history goes much further back.

How people used outhouses before they were eventually incorporated into the home, before floor coverings were even invented.

The earliest known device of the overhead projector was the episcope which came out in the early 1900s. Several lenses would be used to place the image on a screen. However it was difficult to setup and usage was limited.

The very first sheet of plastic ever used for wrapping was called cellophane. Invented by Jacques Brandenberger, a Swiss chemist, in 1911, it was never originally designed to keep food fresh.

There are two different accounts of how heated water was used for bathing. They can both be traced back to the Ruud Manufacturing company  in the mid 19th century.

The word shampoo derives from the Indian word for massaging your hair in a vapour bath with hair oil

The architect William Le Baron Jenney is credited with being the creator of the  American skyscraper. His original ten-storey building was the very first skyscraper in the world.

Modern synthetic materials helped the development of carpet tiles for floor-covering solutions such flooring specialists carpet tile wholesale.

Cosmetic surgery today offers a huge range of treatments, many tried and tested and proven to work.

There is great skill involved in hair transplants. Many celebrities have had the procedure to  enhance their careers.

The beauty sector’s demand for perfect skin,  has created a huge range of treatments. 

Medical engineering technology represents a vital intersection between engineering and medical sciences, aiming to enhance beauty and healthcare through innovative solutions. This field encompasses a wide array of applications, from developing advanced medical devices to pioneering novel treatment methods. Here we discuss the contributions of medical engineering technology in various specialized medical procedures, including treating cancer with stem cells, the lymphatic system, vaser liposuction, skin care, hair transplants, rhinoplasty, and hairline lowering surgery.

Beauty Treatments

Botox (1980s): Botulinum toxin (Botox) was first used for medical purposes to treat muscle spasms but later became popular in cosmetic treatments for reducing wrinkles and fine lines​ (Cad Crowd)​.
Laser Hair Removal (1960s): Developed as a method to permanently reduce unwanted hair, laser hair removal uses concentrated light beams to target and destroy hair follicles​ (Cad Crowd)​.
Chemical Peels (1950s): Chemical peels use acids to remove the outer layers of skin, treating wrinkles, scars, and discoloration to improve skin appearance​ (Cad Crowd)​.

Cosmetic Surgery

Rhinoplasty (1920s): Modern rhinoplasty techniques were developed in the early 20th century, allowing for the reshaping of the nose for both cosmetic and functional purposes​ (Cad Crowd)​.
Breast Implants (1962): Thomas Cronin and Frank Gerow developed silicone breast implants, which have become a common procedure for breast augmentation and reconstruction​ (Cad Crowd)​.
Liposuction (1974): Invented by Italian and French surgeons, liposuction is a technique for removing excess fat from specific areas of the body, improving body contours and proportions​ (Cad Crowd)​.

Hair Transplants

Hair Transplant Surgery (1950s): Dr. Norman Orentreich pioneered hair transplantation techniques, which involve moving hair follicles from one part of the body to bald or thinning areas to restore hair growth​ (Cad Crowd)​.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (1990s): This technique involves transplanting hair in its naturally occurring groups of 1-4 hairs, resulting in a more natural appearance and better outcomes for patients​ (Cad Crowd)​.

Skin Care

Retinoids (1970s): Originally developed to treat acne, retinoids (vitamin A derivatives) have become popular for their anti-aging properties, improving skin texture and reducing wrinkles​ (Cad Crowd)​.
Sunscreen (1938): Developed by chemist Franz Greiter, modern sunscreens protect the skin from harmful UV rays, preventing sunburn and reducing the risk of skin cancer​ (Cad Crowd)​.
Moisturizers (20th Century): Advancements in dermatology led to the development of various moisturizers that help maintain skin hydration, prevent dryness, and improve skin barrier function​ (Cad Crowd)​.
These innovations have significantly advanced medical treatments and cosmetic procedures, enhancing both health outcomes and aesthetic possibilities for individuals.
Stem cells for cancer treatment, invented in the 20th century. Treating cancer with stem cells, a groundbreaking 20th-century invention, leverages the unique ability of stem cells to differentiate into various cell types. This innovative approach involves engineering stem cells to target and deliver therapies directly to tumor sites, potentially regenerating damaged tissues and effectively combating cancer. This advancement represents a significant leap in oncology, offering new hope for more precise and effective cancer treatments.
The lymphatic system
The 20th century saw significant advancements in the study and treatment of the lymphatic system, including the development of lymphangiography for imaging lymphatic vessels, nuclear medicine techniques like lymphoscintigraphy for non-invasive diagnostics, and improved understanding and management of lymphatic diseases such as lymphomas and lymphedema.

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Forrest Mars Sr., the owner of Mars Inc., invented the chocolate bar in the 1930s. The product was first manufactured in Great Britain at the Slough factory of the firm in 1967.

Inventions are unique products or processes – something that’s never been made or done before, using technology to solve specific problems.

While all inventions begin with an idea, not every idea can be called an invention, and abstract ideas can’t be patented. To be eligible for a patent, an invention must be novel, involve an inventive step, and be capable of practical application.

Innovation isn’t the same as invention. Innovation identifies and uses the potential of an invention to fill a gap in the market. In other words, the invention creates something new; innovation creates something that sells.

The worldwide web (www) was invented in 1989 by British scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee, while working as a software engineer at CERN, the European nuclear research organisation.

It was originally conceived and developed for automated information-sharing among scientists in universities and institutes around the world. CERN put the software in the public domain, which allowed the web to flourish as a system of interlinked documents across the internet.

The worldwide web opened up the internet to everyone, connecting the world in a way that has transformed how we get and share information and communicate.

Two men had the idea for an integrated circuit almost simultaneously.

In 1961, the first patent for an integrated circuit was awarded to US engineer Robert Noyce. This happened while an application by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments was still being scrutinised. Both men are now acknowledged as having independently thought of the concept.

An integrated circuit (IC) – also called a monolithic integrated circuit – is a set of circuits that connects electronic components. The circuits are contained within a microchip – a small flat piece of semiconductor material, usually silicon.

Integrated circuits are the fundamental building block of all modern electronic devices, including computers.

The concept of virtual reality was around in literature and art as far back as the 1860s, but what we know today as virtual reality (VR) came into being a century later.

In 1968, American computer scientist Ivan Sutherland and his students developed what is widely considered to be the first modern virtual reality design – a head-mounted display system with a screen inside for viewing computer-generated simulation of 3D images or environment.

Today, virtual reality has multiple applications, including online and console gaming, healthcare training, and in the space and military sectors.

Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor whose innovations have had a huge influence on modern life.

Among Edison’s innovations were:

  • The motion picture camera.
  • The incandescent light bulb.
  • The phonograph.

And he improved the telephone and telegraph.

Edison was also an astute businessman, manufacturing his inventions and marketing them to the public.

He acquired well over 1,000 patents during his life (1847-1932) and some of them led to momentous legal battles. For example, Edison’s patent lawsuits sabotaged the early US film industry, reducing production mainly to two companies – Edison, and Biograph, in which he had shares.

  1. The computer. English mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage (1791-1871) is widely recognised as the inspiration behind present-day computers. Based on his Analytical Engine, computers were first patented in 1946.

 

  1. The internet. The internet began life in 1973 as ARPANET – the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network developed by the US Department of Defense.

 

  1. The microwave oven. Patented in 1947, the microwave oven came about when American physicist Percy Spencer (1894-1970) realised microwaves were melting a chocolate bar in his pocket.

 

  1. Penicillin. Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 when he saw that bacteria in a Petri dish had become infected with a mould that killed the microbes.

 

  1. X-rays. In 1895, German physics professor Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845-1923) detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength we now know as X-rays.

 

  1. The printing press. German inventor Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press sometime in the mid-1400s.

 

  1. Velcro. Velcro revolutionised clothing and was invented in the 1940s when Swiss engineer George de Mestral developed a fabric with tiny loops and hooks that stick when pressed together.

 

  1. The oral contraceptive. The first birth control pill available commercially was made by American chemist Frank Colton in 1960.

 

  1. The airplane. American brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright are largely credited with making the first successful plane, in 1903.

 

  1. The bagless vacuum cleaner. James Dyson set up his own company to launch his invention of the bagless vacuum cleaner, based on the principle of cyclonic separation. The machine was patented in 1986.

While an invention creates something totally new, a scientific discovery can change our lives by recognising for the first time something that already exists but nobody has noticed before.  Some discoveries have transformed the world so radically they’ve won a Nobel prize – the prestigious annual international awards for exceptional work in different fields.

Polish scientist Marie Curie was the first person to win two Nobel prizes – the physics prize in 1903 for discovering radioactivity, and the chemistry accolade in 1911 for discovering the elements radium and polonium.

Albert Einstein, who created the world’s most famous equation, E = mc2, won the Nobel prize in physics in 1921 for discovering what caused the photoelectric effect – emission of electrons when atoms are bombarded with light.

The 1945 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine went to Sir Alexander Fleming and two colleagues – Sir Howard Florey and Ernst Chain – for their discovery of penicillin.

In 1946, American Hermann Muller won the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine for discovering that radiation causes mutations.

Copyright can protect some invention design elements but in itself is unlikely to make any money for the inventor – with the unlikely exception that someone would want to publish the inventor’s notebook or make a movie out of it.

Inventors typically earn money through patents on their inventions. These give the patent owner exclusive right to features and processes of the invention, in return for paying royalties – a percentage of net revenues – to the inventor.

Although copyright doesn’t protect the functional aspects of an invention, it can protect its non-functional artistic elements such as pictorial depictions or graphics.

Copyright protects your work and prevents others from using it without your permission.

Most copyright safeguards are automatic and free, and you can simply mark your work with the copyright symbol © if you wish.

From the instant you finish your creative work, it’s automatically copyrighted as yours. However, registering a copyright is recommended because it establishes a record that you claimed the copyright. This can be a big help in any copyright disputes.

In the US, the standard fee to register copyright with the Copyright Office is over $50. It costs less if you’re registering only one item, you’re the sole credited creator, and you didn’t create it as part of your job.