Nuts and Volts - May/June 2018

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.