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National Inventors Hall of Fame Inducts 2006 Class

Posted by J Matthew Buchanan at May 10, 2006 12:52 PM

National Inventors Hall of Fame Inducts 2006 Class
USPTO’s Jon Dudas Joins Celebration

The National Inventors Hall of Fame held its 34th annual induction ceremony last Saturday in Akron, Ohio. Speaking at the ceremony, Under Secretary of Commerce Jon Dudas hailed the new inductees for, “all you have given to the world. In some cases you have saved our lives or the lives of our relatives. Or you have cured our illnesses, improved our ability to enjoy life or helped us to achieve a higher standard of living.” The Under Secretary joined in presenting medals to eight inventors.

This year’s inductees were: Willard Boyle and George Smith for information storage devices that led to the development of the hand-held video camera and is the vital component in digital cameras, scanners and fax machines. Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn, the “fathers of the Internet”, who designed a system that allows supercomputers and desktop PC’s to share the Internet. Robert Gore, the inventor of a process for producing porous products that are extremely durable and strong. The materials produced by the process are best-known by the GORE-TEX brand name. Ali Javan invented the gas optical maser, which is the most widely used laser and is an important tool in research labs, industry and telecommunications. Robert Langer was inducted for the invention of the technology that allows controlled drug delivery. He is one of the most prolific living inventors and holds over 300 U.S. and foreign patents. Julio Palmaz is the inventor of the first commercially successful intravascular stent. The Palmaz Stent has revolutionized cardiac care and over one million people every year undergo coronary stenting to repair clogged arteries.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame was co-founded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1973. Since that time 313 inventors have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

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