I read an NPR article about Raymond Wang, who recently won the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for the device that he designed to control spread of airborne diseases on airlines.
Two things strike me about his video. First, the device is clever. Second, he speaks well and convincingly promotes his product. This sounds funny, but often the person who is most capable of promoting a product is simply not the person who created it.
As I understand it, the basic idea behind the invention is a device that channels air in such a way as to create a barrier of air blowing down between each passenger from the ceiling vents on a plane. That way each passenger has has an air compartment around her. When the air conditioning is on, if a person sneezes or coughs, the airborne germs are blocked from passing the air barrier and are redirected by the airflow streams before contacting the person sitting nearby.
I have no idea if that is patentable or not, but it doesn't strike me as something I have seen before. The device appears to be a plastic air handler that is designed to redirect air in specific directions, but to rely on air provided from an existing plane air vent system. Here are Mr Wang's models of the before and after cabin:
So what IP does Mr. Wang have?
- Potential patentability of device for directing airflow on a plane
- Potential patentability of a method of directing airflow using the device.
- Potential patentability of a kit for retrofitting the air handler on a plane.
- Trademark in RayCorp.
- Copyright in the videos above.
You can learn more about his Company at the RayCorp website.
Have you considered what intellectual property you have?
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
