Prizes Awarded at the InventHelp-INPEX Inventor's Corner at the Home & Housewares Show Learn More >>
COMPANIES THAT HAVE ATTENDED INPEX®
Black History Month: Celebrating Contemporary African-American Inventors
February is Black History Month. The contributions of Black Americans can be found in all facets of our nation's past, including the field of inventing. Many schoolchildren are familiar with famous 19th- and early 20th-century African-American inventors like George Washington Carver and Elijah McCoy. However, most people are unaware of significant contributions by African-Americans in our country's more recent past. InventHelp® is pleased to report on three contemporary African-American innovators who have played a role in the development of our society over the last half-century.
Read more articles
from the January 2006 issue of InventHelp's free newsletter for inventors |
James Edward West
Nearly all microphones used today are derived from the technology pioneered by James Edward West, an African-American inventor born in 1931 in Prince Edwards County, Virginia. If you've ever talked on the telephone, you've probably used his invention.
Dr. West and his colleague, Gerhard Sessler, developed the "Electroacoustic Transducer Electret Microphone" while working at Bell Laboratories, and they received a patent for it in 1962. The acoustical technologies employed became widely used for many reasons including high performance, acoustical accuracy and reliability. It is also small, lightweight and cost-effective.
West
started at Bell labs as an intern and joined them full-time in
1957 after graduating from Temple University. For his role as
co-inventor of the microphone, he has received numerous awards
and honors including a Fellow of IEEE, Industrial Research Institute's
1998 Achievement Award, 1995 Inventor of the Year from the State
of New Jersey and induction in the Inventors Hall of Fame in 1999.
James Edward West holds 47 U.S. patents and more than 200 foreign
patents from his 40-year career with Bell Laboratories.
During his career, West also involved himself with programs designed to encourage minorities to take more of a role in the sciences. In the 1970's, he was a member of the Association of Black Laboratories Employees (ABLE) at Bell Labs that influenced management to fund the Summer Research Program (SRP) and Cooperate Research Fellowship Program (CRFP) – programs that helped more than 500 non-white students graduate with degrees in science, engineering and mathematics. James Edward West now works with Johns Hopkins University as a research professor.
Dr. Mark E. Dean
As a child, Mark Dean excelled in math. In elementary school, he took advanced level math courses and, in high school, Dean even built his own computer, radio and amplifier. Dean continued his interests and went on to obtain a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, a masters degree in electrical engineering from Florida Atlantic University and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford. He is one of the most prominent black inventors in the field of computers.
Dr.
Mark Dean started working at IBM in 1980 and was instrumental
in the development of the "Personal Computer" (PC).
He holds three of IBM's original nine PC patents and currently
holds more than 20 patents overall. The prolific computer whiz
never thought the work he was doing would end up being so useful
to the world, but he has helped IBM make instrumental changes
in areas ranging from the research and application of systems
technology circuits to operating environments. One of his most
recent projects was leading the team that produced the 1-Gigahertz
chip, which contains one million transistors and has nearly limitless potential.
Dr. Patricia Bath
Imagine living in a world ranging from hazy, clouded vision to that of total darkness for 30 years. Before 1985, that was the plight of those with cataracts who did not want to risk surgery with a mechanical grinder. Now imagine sitting in a doctor's office without being able to see her as she explains that it may be possible to restore your vision. You can't tell by studying body language whether to trust this person or if they're pulling your leg. All you have to go by is the sound of the voice assuring you that this procedure is safe, more accurate and more comfortable than traditional cataract surgery.
As a
noted Opthamologist, Dr.
Patricia Bath has dedicated her life to the treatment and
prevention of visual impairments. Her personal belief that everyone
has the "Right to Sight" led to her invention in 1985
of a specialized tool and procedure for the removal of cataracts.
With the Laserphaco Probe and procedure, Dr. Bath increased the
accuracy and results of cataract surgery, which had previously
been performed manually with a mechanical grinder.
The difference between the old method and Dr. Bath's new procedure was the difference between the use of highly accurate laser technology and the somewhat subjective accuracy of a mechanical device. The Laserphaco Probe combined an optical laser, irrigation system and suction tubes. In use, the laser is inserted into a tiny incision on the eye; the laser then vaporizes the cataract and lens material, which is removed via the suction tubes. A replacement lens is then inserted on the eye.
With the development of the Laserphaco Probe and accompanying procedure for its use, Dr. Bath helped restore the sight of several people who had been blinded by cataracts for up to 30 years. Imagine the joy they felt when they opened their eyes to see Dr. Patricia Bath's smiling face for the first time.
"The Invent Help People" hope you enjoyed this introduction to three of the many African-American inventors who have made important breakthroughs over the last 50 years. We at InventHelp® join our fellow Americans in February to honor the people of African and Carribean descent who have contributed to making the world a better place.
For additional resources on this subject, visit our African-American Inventors and Inventions links page.
Back to Articles for Inventors | Back to January 2006 Newsletter
|
|
home | about InventHelp | services | resources | contact | offices | site map | InventHelp Store | InventHelp's Invention & Technology News | InventHelp Blog | Avoiding Invention Scams