Top 25 Inventions of 2007 Revealed by The Modern Marvels Invent Now(R) Challenge

NEW YORK, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The History Channel(R) and Invent Now(R) Inc., a subsidiary of the National Inventors Hall of Fame(R) Foundation, today named the top 25 inventions of 2007 through the second annual Modern Marvels Invent Now(R) Challenge, a national competition searching for America's next great invention idea. The Challenge, which is named in part for Modern Marvels(R), The History Channel's signature series that showcases this nation's passion for ingenuity and innovation, tapped a panel of famed inventors, technologists and industry experts to determine the top 25 inventions submitted from nearly 2,500 of the nation's most innovative independent inventors. This spring, the Challenge will ultimately name the invention of one of these 25 Semi-Finalists as the 2007 Modern Marvel of the Year during Modern Marvels: Great Inventions Week on The History Channel May 15 - 17. Check your local listings for times.

The top 25 inventors hail from 17 states across the U.S. and their inventions cover a breadth of categories, ranging from medical advancements to environmental breakthroughs, but all were chosen for being true modern marvels with potential to have universal implications if brought to fruition. The Semi-Finalists range from an engineer who created a protective shield designed to guard windows from the devastating destruction of hurricanes to a mechanic who found a way to force a diesel engine to re-breathe its own exhaust, dramatically reducing the amount of pollution it creates (see "Meet the Semi- Finalists" below for details of all 25 inventions).

"The Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge answers the call of the nation's unrecognized independent inventors whose breakthrough ideas are real-life modern marvels," said Judy Klein-Frimer, Co-Creator of the Challenge for The History Channel. "These 25 Semi-Finalists were chosen because of their tenacity to pursue their ideas in order to make an impact on the way we live, just like the inventors of our past who we profile on Modern Marvels."

Starting March 16th, the top 25 inventions of the year will hit the road to kick-off this year's Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge national traveling exhibition. The exhibition will first visit The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA (March 16 - 28th), then the Saint Louis Science Center in Saint Louis, MO (April 5 - 15th), the Orlando Science Center in Orlando, FL (April 21st - May 3rd) and culminate at the Citigroup Center in New York City (May 10 - 25th), where four Finalists will receive a cash prize and the Grand Prize Winner will be revealed and receive a $25,000 grant. The top five winners will be featured on The History Channel during Modern Marvels: Great Inventions Week. All 25 Semi-Finalists, the brains behind the top 25 inventions of the year, will also be invited to attend a two-day Independent Inventors Conference presented by the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation and the United States Patent and Trademark Office while in New York to help further develop their invention ideas (May 11 - 12th). The exhibition will then travel to the National Inventors Hall of Fame museum in Alexandria, VA where it will be on display in June 2007.

"The National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation strives to provide consistent recognition for our nation's inventors," said Jeffrey Dollinger, President of Invent Now, Inc. division of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. "The unbelievable quality and number of entries to this year's Challenge confirms that there are thousands of inventors in this country quietly creating profound and breakthrough ideas and who are looking for ways to share their stories."

Deborah Meyer, vice president of Marketing of Lexus, which has signed on as this year's presenting sponsor, said "Pioneering product innovation and new technologies remains at the forefront of the Lexus brand, making it a natural connection for us to support a program that uncovers such ground-breaking ideas as these 25 inventions."

This year's Challenge is building upon the successes of the 2005-2006 competition, which proved that America still has a strong hunger for invention with thousands of submissions from all 50 states. After recognizing 100 Honorable Mention recipients, 25 Semi-Finalists and four Finalists, last year's inaugural Challenge ultimately named David R. Ward the 2006 Modern Marvel of the Year for his invention -- the Strawjet, a breakthrough process in creating building material from the renewable material straw.

Viewers can catch the highly successful series, Modern Marvels, on The History Channel Wednesdays, starting at 8pm/7c. Log on to http://www.history.com/invent for more information on the Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge and the top 25 inventions.

               Meet the Semi-Finalists (Alphabetical Order)

  1) Owen Ralph Baser, Retired Building Contractor/Inventor, Sacramento, CA

Baser Door Handle: The Baser Door Handle is a low profile door handle allowing a door to be opened with just one's fingertips, with no need to grab or twist the handle.

  2) Kim W. Bertron, Consultant, Tallahassee, FL
  Co-Inventors: Andy Bertron, Brian J. Boothe, John Wiley Horton

SimpleShot: The SimpleShot is a medical device capable of mixing a drug in powder-form and a diluting solution in a single syringe.

3) Pierre Bierre, Computer Scientist and Smart Product Inventor, Pleasanton, CA

BuildExact: BuildExact is a system that allows for the precise positioning of building materials guided by CAD software and lasers.

4) Shane Chen, Inventor, Camas, WA

AquaSkipper: The AquaSkipper is a user-controlled and user-powered flapping-wing device that allows the rider to fly above the water.

5) Raymond Covit, Mechanic and Auto Shop Management, Los Angeles, CA

Diesel Exhaust Purification System: The Diesel Exhaust Purification System forces diesel engines to re-breathe their own exhaust, reducing the amount of pollution they create.

6) Dan Didrick, Inventor, Naples, FL

X-Finger: The X-Finger is a functional artificial finger designed for finger amputees that enables patients to perform tasks such as typing, working and playing a musical instrument.

  7) Xiangfeng Duan, Principal Scientist, Mountain View, CA
  Co-Inventors: Chunming Niu and Stephen Empedocles

Nanowire Thin-Film Transistor: The Nanowire Thin-Film Transistor consists of nanotechnology enabled high-performance, low-cost flexible electronics that can be used for flexible display, electronic paper, smart clothing or radio frequency identification (RFID, smart labels).

8) Christopher Marshall Goggin, Inventor and Engineer, Wilmington, NC

GSPS: GSPS is a radio wave-powered switch that allows one to control electrical devices.

9) Cameron Gunn, Mechanical Engineer, Miami, FL

ImpactShield(TM): The ImpactShield(TM) is a high-strength fabric that stretches over a window to provide a protective shield in hurricanes.

10) James S. Hacsi, Postal Clerk, Pueblo, CO

DC-AC Soft-Switching Inverter: The DC-AC Soft-Switching Inverter is an electronic circuit that changes direct current into alternating current.

11) Rod Herdman, Inventor and Founder, EZ Change Lock Co. LLC, West Chester, OH

EZ Change Lock(TM): The EZ Change Lock(TM) is a new lock technology that permits keys to be changed simply by pushing a button.

  12) Robert J. Hess, Patent Attorney, Stamford, CT
  Co-Inventor: Scott Sullivan

Machine Readable Code (MRC) Deployment on Medication: Machine Readable Code (MRC)

Deployment on Medication provides a method for applying machine readable codes to medications for use in tracking and authenticating drugs.

13) John R. Hillman, Structural Engineer, Wilmette, IL

Hybrid-Composite Beam: The Hybrid-Composite Beam is a new structural beam for use in the construction of highway and railway bridges.

14) Christine Ingemi, President, Ingemi Corp., Amherst, NH

iHearSafe Earbuds: iHearSafe Earbuds are ear buds that limit the volume of audio devices to prevent noise-induced hearing loss.

15) David W. Jenson, Professor, Mapleton, UT

Continuous Fabrication of Complex Composite IsoTruss(R) Structures: The Continuous Fabrication of Complex Composite IsoTruss(R) Structures is an automated process for continuously manufacturing composite grid structures.

16) Orrin Klitzner, Retired Businessman and Active Inventor, Andover, NJ

Collapsible Power Plug: The Collapsible Power Plug is a collapsible power plug that fits into a 12v accessory receptacle.

17) David T. Krausman, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Principal Investigator and Bio-Medical Engineer, Baltimore, MD

Co-Inventor: Richard P. Allen, Ph.D.

DeSat Counter: The DeSat Counter is a miniature, portable medical instrument that detects sleep apnea by measuring the oxygen level present in the blood.

18) Jesse Leaman, Astronomer, Berkeley, CA

Gryphon Shield: The Gryphon Shield is a modular, upgradeable information technology platform for motorized wheelchairs.

19) Dennis McNeely, Entrepreneur, Gibraltar, MI

Offsprings(TM): Offsprings(TM) is an automobile suspension system designed to improve safety, increase fuel economy and provide better ride and handling for cars and trucks.

20) Anthony J. Newbill, Ornamental Iron Artist and Inventor, Wickenburg, AZ

Tire-Lift: The Tire-Lift is a tire carrier that mechanically raises and lowers a carrier rack that mounts a spare tire, making the changing of a heavy truck tire much easier.

21) Greg Owoc, Small Business Owner, Greenville, SC

MEGAFLEX-121: The MEGAFLEX-121 is a two-jointed ratchet that can auto-lock into 121 different positions by pressing one button.

22) Roy Pellegrin, Inventor, Wailuku, Maui, HI

Aqueous-Froth Air (AFA) Filter: The Aqueous-Froth Air (AFA) Filter is an air filter that cleans contaminated air, trapping particles and gases in bubbles and then cooling the bubbles to form water droplets that wash out the contaminants.

23) Dr. Igor Reizenson, Dentist, Atlanta, GA

ClearSmile: The ClearSmile is a comprehensive oral hygiene device that cleans the teeth and gums. It is intended to effectively replace a tooth brush, tooth paste, floss, mouth rinse and tooth bleaching system.

24) Michael Sykes, Builder, Wake Forest, NC

Enertia(R) Building System: The Enertia Building System is designed to be a fast, economical and green system for building houses. The structural material captures, stores and distributes solar and geothermal energy without the need for fuel or electricity.

25) Dan Williams, Insurance Agent, Inventor and Entrepreneur, Maryville, TN

Co-Inventor: Helmut Siepmann

StayAlive: StayAlive is a marine survival system which uses adjustable panels on a lifejacket to hold numerous water survival tools.

About The History Channel

The History Channel(R) is one of the leading cable television networks featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned six News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 89 million Nielsen subscribers. The website is located at http://www.history.com/.

About the National Inventors Hall of Fame(R) Foundation

The not-for-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation is the premier organization in America dedicated to honoring and fostering creativity and invention. Each year a new class of inventors is inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of their patented inventions that make human, social, and economic progress possible. Founded in 1973 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Council of Intellectual Property Law Associations, the Hall's permanent home is in Akron, Ohio, where the inventors in the Hall are honored and from where the Foundation administers its national programs and subsidiaries, including the Camp Invention(R), Club Invention(R) and the Collegiate Inventors Competition(R) programs and Invent Now(R) Inc., a subsidiary of the Foundation which is dedicated to providing creative, educational and inspirational programs for inventors from all walks of life.

About Lexus

Lexus has become synonymous with luxury since its introduction in 1989. By offering some of the finest quality luxury vehicles and providing benchmark customer service, Lexus has remained the top-selling luxury nameplate in the United States for seven years in a row. Lexus and its 221 dealers have repeatedly achieved high honors for both the products they sell and the customer service they provide.

Additional Partners

The United States Patent and Trademark Office, TIME and The Sharper Image are proud supporters of the Challenge. Additional partners include the American Intellectual Property Law Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, Invention Showcase, Intellectual Property Owners Association, Industrial Research Institute, National Science Teachers Association and Young Inventors International.