Laser is first used in corrective eye surgery
In 1987, ophthalmologist, Steven Trokel performed the first laser surgery on a patient’s eyes, and later patented the…
Procyte Corp. was founded
In 1986, Procyte Corp. was founded as a Kirkland, Washington-based medical skin care company that developed and marketed…
The Hatch-Waxman Act was passed to encourage development of generic prescription drugs
On Sept. 24, 1984 the Hatch-Waxman Act (Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act) was passed to…
Amgen scientists isolated the gene that created erythropoietin (EPO)
In 1983, Amgen scientists, led by by Fu-Kuen Lin, isolated the gene that creates EPO and filed a…
Pat Mooney’s Law of the Seed was released
In 1983, Pat Mooney’s Law of the Seed was released, published by the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, which is…
U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Diamond v Chakrabarty
On Jun. 16, 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld five-to-four the patentability of genetically altered organisms, opening the…
The Diamond v Chakrabarty case argued before U.S. Supreme Court
On Mar. 17, 1980, Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty filed a patent application assigned to the General Electric Co. for…
U.S. congressional hearings on proposed amendments to expand the 1970 Plant Variety Protection Act passed
In 1980, U.S. Congressional hearings on proposed amendments to expand the 1970 Plant Variety Protection Act turn into…
Congress enacted the Plant Variety Protection Act
On Dec. 24, 1970, Congress enacted the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) to extend patent protection to plant…
Institutional Patent Agreement signed between the UW-Madison and Department of Health, Education and Welfare
In 1968, an Institutional Patent Agreement was signed between the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) and Department of Health,…
Medtronic purchased the patents related to implantable pacemakers from Drs. Greatbatch and Chardack
In 1966, Medtronic purchased the patents related to implantable pacemakers from Drs. Wilson Greatbatch and William Chardack. Building…
Warfarin was introduced as a pesticide against rats and mice
In 1948, Warfarin was introduced as a pesticide against rats and mice. Warfarin (a.k.a. Coumadin) is an anticoagulant…
Actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr co-patented a technology called ‘frequency hopping,’ a precursor to wireless communications
On Aug. 11, 1942, Hedy Lamarr, a renown actress and George Antheil , a composer and pianist, co-patented…
CD Land & BW Hammer introduced a commercial process to make Maytag blue cheese dressing
On Oct. 11, 1941, the first wheels of Maytag Blue Cheese were formed when production of the cheese…
The University of Iowa researcher WD “Shorty” Paul developed the concept for buffered aspirin
In 1939, University of Iowa researcher W.D. “Shorty” Paul developed the concept for buffered aspirin. In 1917, the…
Robert Gross performed the first successful corrective heart surgery for children
On Aug. 26, 1938, Robert Gross then Chief Resident in Surgery at Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, performed…
U.S. Congress passed the Plant Patent Act
In 1930, the U.S. Congress passed the Plant Patent Act, recognizing for the first time that plant breeders’…
George Washington Carver invented a process for producing paints and stains from soybeans, and was issued three patents for his work
In 1927, George Washington Carver invented a process for producing paints and stains from soybeans, and was issued…
University of Wisconsin Board of Regents filed charter for Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
On Nov. 14, 1925, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents filed the charter for the Wisconsin Alumni…
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation was officially established
On Jun. 22, 1925, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents officially established the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation…
The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy secretly produced bootleg aspirin
In 1917, the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy secretly produced bootleg aspirin after the war in Europe…
First ‘mechanical lung’, developed by Charles Morgan Hammond, MD, passed clinical test
In 1914, the first ‘mechanical lung’, developed by Charles Morgan Hammond, M.D., passed its first clinical test at…
Garrett Augustus Morgan invented the first gas mask
In 1914, Garrett Augustus Morgan, a prolific inventor, submitted a patent for the first gas mask. Morgan’s first…
Bayer introduced new pain relief product under the trademark Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)
On Mar. 6, 1899, Bayer, based in Germany, introduced a newly patented pain relief product under the trademark…
George Washington Carver graduated from Iowa Agricultural College
In 1894, George Washington Carver, educator, scientist, business leader, and renown agriculturist received a B.S. from the Iowa…
The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy was established
In 1885, the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy opened in the basement of the Medical Building, the…
Biotechnology | Life Science History | Medical Device | Nanotechnology | Pharmaceutical | Therapeutics
Trademark registration was added to the functions of the The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
In 1881, a trademark registration was added to the functions of the The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office…
The first centrifuge was patented by Gustaf de Laval
In 1878, Gustaf de Laval patented the centrifugal cream separator in 1878 and a great number of other…
The ‘Hanger Limb’ received a U.S. patent
On Feb. 4, 1871, the ‘Hanger Limb’ received a U.S. patent. James Edward Hanger was the first amputee…
Dr. William Thornton was appointed as first clerk at the Department of State, giving him sole responsibility over patents
On Jun. 1, 1802, the U.S. Secretary of State appointed Dr. William Thornton as first clerk at the…