3D Breakthrough?
Asomewhat less than breathtaking development was announced a couple months ago by a research team at the
University of Western Ontario’s Schulich School of Medicine
and Dentistry ( www.schulich.uwo.ca), who reported the
successful creation of a stethoscope produced entirely with 3D
printed parts and recycled plastic tubing. “As far as we know,
this is the first open-source medical device that has been
clinically validated and is widely available,” said Dr. Tarek
Loubani, associate professor, associate scientist at Lawson
Health Research Institute, and emergency room physician at
London Health Sciences Centre.
The device was printed using ABS plastic like that used to
make lawn chairs and LEGOs. The fabrication process used only
about $3 worth of materials and was completed in less than
three hours. Pretty impressive until you consider that a standard
Omron Sprague Rappaport scope, which For Us Docs magazine
named a best buy, costs only about $20, and an off-brand copy
can be had for $6.59. Plus, neither one eats up three hours on
your 3D printer. Oh, well. Sounded like a good idea. ▲
INDUSTRY and the PROFESSION
■ Omron Sprague Rappaport-style stethoscope,
priced at $6.59.
May/June 2018 13
Number One Again
Shortly after New Year’s Day, IBM ( www.ibm.com) announced that it had
again scored the top number of US patents.
“For the past 25 years, IBM’s patent leadership
has changed the way the world works with
advancements critical to the modern era of
computing,” said Ginni Rometty, IBM chairman,
president, and CEO. “Today, nearly half of our
patents are pioneering advancements in AI,
cloud computing, cybersecurity, blockchain,
and quantum computing — and all are aimed at
helping our clients create smarter businesses.”
IBM inventors received more than 1,900
cloud patents, including a patent for a system
that uses unstructured data about world or
local events to forecast cloud resource needs. The system
can monitor data sources, including news feeds, network
statistics, weather reports, and social networks to identify
where and how cloud resources should be allocated to
meet demand.
Samsung lagged behind in second place with 5,837,
but if you add Samsung’s display business to its total, it
jumps to 8,110. ▲
■ Top 10 US patent recipients, 2017.