Nominations Sought for ASME Edison Patent Award

Nominations Sought for ASME Edison Patent Award Nominations Sought for ASME Edison Patent Award Nominations Sought for the ASME Edison Patent Award The ASME Center for Research and Technology is currently seeking nominations for the ASME Thomas A. Edison Patent Award, the prestigious Society award that recognizes the work of a distinguished inventor. Established in 1997, the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award honors eminent creative achievement in the form of a patented invention, which is broadly recognized as significantly enhancing some aspect of the practice of mechanical engineering or having a significant impact on at least one industrial or commercial sector. These impacts may include creating a new business or industry; substantially improving the efficiency or productivity of an existing machine or process; dramatically reducing the size, weight or resource (e.g., energy or water) requirements in an existing machine or device; improving the quality of life; or financially impacting an existing business or industry. The nomination should focus on a single patent rather than the inventor's entire body of work. Previous recipients include Moshe Shoham for the invention of a miniature surgical robot that is affixed to the patient's bone, thereby enabling accurate treatment, and for founding Mazor Robotics to manufacture the robot; Vipin Kumar for his work with polymeric foams, which led to the creation of a new business with a wide range of applications; Jyotirmoy Mazumber for the development of the first closed loop Direct Metal Deposition technology, where functional engineering components can be made in near net shape directly from computer-aided design; and Alex J. Severinsky for the invention of the hyper-drive system, using high voltage power electronics and a turbo charged internal combustion engine, to create a commercially viable hybrid car. The award, which is presented at the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, consists of a certificate, a bronze plaque, a $1,000 honorarium and a travel supplement to attend the Congress. The deadline submitting nomination materials for the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award is Feb. 10. For more information, please visit the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award page on ASME.org. Questions may be addressed to Norma Johnston, ASME Center for Research and Technology, at johnstonn@asme.org, or to the Edison Patent Award Committee chair, Richard Jacobsen, at jacorich@isu.edu.