| Learning Objective #1: Articulate the basic requirements for an invention to be patentable | |||
| Learning Objective #2: List five examples of inventions by nurses |
Design: A catwalk view of the prowess and creativity of nurse inventors is presented. The collection includes a mélange of patent designs with an emphasis on the understated and functional.
Methods: To discover patents by nurses, potential nurse patent-holders were initially identified through a review of professional and trade journals, nursing and invention books, Internet searches, obituaries, business press releases, and news databases. This screening was necessary because the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) does not collect occupational data on inventors and its official database cannot be searched directly for nurse-inventors. Patents of potential nurse-inventors were confirmed by crosschecking multiple variables including names, subject matter, dates, locations, and assignees in the official PTO patent database. After confirmation, a follow up search was conducted in the patent database using the names and other variables listed on the confirmed patents to identify additional patents by the same nurses. Patents directly or whimsically related to apparel were chosen for the fashion show.
Findings and Conclusions: Over 130 U.S. patents ranging from food items to surgical instruments have been issued to nurses. The historical and creative impact of nurse inventors is entertainingly revealed through a subset of their inventions designed to help nurses and patients dress for success. A newborn can join the ranks of the glitterati when decked out from top to bottom in a matching Bili-Bonnet® and Bilibottom™ diaper. From an haute couture cummerbund (e.g., gastrostomy belt) to the risqué (e.g., pocketed underwear) to the edgy (e.g., patient restraints) to the cozy (e.g., infant sleep wrap) to the utilitarian (e.g., surgical apron) to the pièce de resistance (1908 vintage sexual armor), nurse inventors design with a reckless glamour.