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Tags: Abbott Labs, Chicago, Chicago Innovation Awards, CTA, innovation, Lextech Labs, Master Lock, MJSI Inc, Molex Incorporated, Smart Medical Technology, SoCore Energy, USG Corporation, Design
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By Rachel Arndt | 11-09-2010 | 2:59 PM
Crowdspring
Abbott Labs: Architect HIV Ag/Ab Combination Test
Smart Medical Technology, Inc: Liftaem Patient Transfer System
Master Lock: Speed Dial
SoCore Energy: Solar Rental Service and the SunLock
MJSI, Inc.: HydroRight
USG Corporation: Sheetrock Brand UltraLight Panels
Lextech Labs: iRa C3
Molex Incorporated: Circular MT Expanded Beam Interconnect
From rapidfire HIV tests to combination locks you can open without looking, here's a look at the best of the recent Chicago Innovation Awards, which highlight whiz-bang products and services in the Windy City.
Crowdspring connects companies looking for creative work with web designers, artists, marketers, and writers who can fill their needs. The company, which launched in 2007, now touts 75,000 members, and bills itself as the “world’s largest marketplace for creative services.”
Abbott’s Architect is the first U.S. HIV test that can simultaneously detect HIV antigen and HIV antibodies, enabling it to produce results faster than any of its competitors.
File under "ouch": Roughly 12 percent of nurses change professions because of back injuries. Smart Medical Technology aims to bring that number down with its Liftaem Patient Transfer System, which places an inflatable mat between the patient and bed to make lifting smoother and less back-breaking.
Master Lock’s Speed Dial replaces a series of numbers with a customizable sequence of up-down and left-right movements (like a video-game cheat). The made with "universal design" in mind, meaning it can be opened with one hand and without looking.
Solar energy is great once it’s up and running, but setting it up can be a hassle. SoCore tries to fix that with SunLock, rentable pre-fab solar panels that are easy to install. And there’s no need to tack on a DC-to-AC energy converter since all panels are embedded with their own micro-inverter.
It takes just ten minutes to turn your toilet eco-friendly, according to MJSI, Inc. But you’ll have to make a choice every time you flush: The HydroRight converter has two buttons for two kinds of flushes—one wimpy and one forceful.
USG’s light-weight drywall is good for contractors (it makes their work easier and faster), and it’s even better for the environment: 95% of the panel is recycled content, and each panel is about 20 pounds less than a regular one, which saves 20% in transportation costs.
Security guards watching old TV monitors from small offices will soon be a relic of a less-connected age if Lextech Labs has its way: The company’s iRA C3 software lets a user control and watch multiple live video feeds via the internet, smartphones, and iPads. The company predicts a 400% uptick in revenue this year.
It may look like a simple connector cable, but Molex’s "interconnect"--which is more durable than any other--is giving doctors high enough bandwidths to see diagnostic video feeds and control instruments with greater precision.
Chicago Innovation AwardscrowdSPRINGAbbott LabsSmart Medical Technology, IncMaster LockSoCore EnergyMJSI, Inc.USG CorporationLextech LabsMolex Incorporated
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