Important Innovations Collection

3D Printed Alternative to Needles                                                                 Source:  UNC-Chapel Hill New Tech That's a Breakthru for Vaccines Researchers at Stanford University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill have developed a 3D printed plastic patch as an alternative to COVID-19 vaccinations by needles.  The patch contains an array of microneedles that directly deliver the vaccine into the skin.  The researchers say the microneedle patch is ten times more effective in producing an immune response than a needle and it is painless. Microneedle patches have been under development for decades.  But the breakthrough on this revolutionary new patch came from 3D printing the microneedles on a polymer patch just long enough to reach the skin and del...

US Scientists Enable Jellyfish to Swim 3-times Faster Source:  Caltech New Invention with Big Potential to Monitor Health of Oceans Scientists at Stanford University and Caltech have created a pacemaker-like device that enables natural jellyfish to swim three times their normal speed.  The microelectronic, pulsing, tiny, prosthetic device generates electric jolts that make the fish triple their speed while using just twice as much energy.  The scientists and engineers involved in the project says the device causes no additional stress to the sea creatures.  They say the potential for this system is as vast as the ocean itself. Network of Live Ocean Monitors The scientific team says the combination of speed and energy efficiency from this device opens the possibility of using jellyfish to gather data from across the world's oceans. They envision equipping the jellyfish with sensors to track ocean temperatures, salinity and oxygen levels.  They say th...

New, Transformative Device to Generate Power from Night Sky Source:   UCLA Renewable and Complements Solar Power This new, inexpensive thermoelectric device may be transformative in energy generation.  It harvests the coldness of space during the night to generate electricity - enough right now to power a LED light at nighttime, but the inventors say it's very scalable.  The device is a significant new innovation from engineers at UCLA and Stanford University.  The gadget works at night when solar systems don't.  The inventors say it's a new approach to power generation when power at night is needed.  It complements solar power that doesn't work at night, giving a 24/7 approach to green, renewable energy. Phenomenon Like Frost Formation The device takes advantage of radiative cooling, the process by which frost forms on grass during above freezing temperatures at night.  The sky facing surface of the technology passes heat to th...