Inventors against coronavirus
The EPO today has published Inventors against coronavirus, a new video series highlighting the inventors working on solutions to various COVID-19 issues. It comprises interviews with experts from several fields including vaccinology, satellite navigation, diagnostics and haematology, and explores the role of each in driving recovery from the pandemic.
The series currently profiles seven inventors - all former finalists and winners of the European Inventor Award - and highlights their efforts in slowing the spread of the disease. Among them is vaccine developer Rino Rappuoli, who provides insight into reverse vaccinology 2.0, a technique enabling vaccines to be produced quicker than ever before. José Ángel Ávila Rodríguez, co-inventor of the radio signals for the Galileo satellite navigation system, delves deeper into contact tracing and discusses the use of satellites in mapping the spread of the virus. Helen Lee's point of care diagnostic device was invented to test for HIV in developing nations. When the novel coronavirus appeared, Lee realised that her device could play a pivotal role as it needs only 90 minutes to deliver accurate SARS‑CoV‑2 results.
Inventors against coronavirus is one of several measures implemented by the Office to disseminate information to keep the public informed with expert viewpoints, and help researchers make informed decisions. Earlier in the year, patent examiners and data analysts compiled datasets to support the important work of clinicians, scientists and engineers. These cartographies are available in the Fighting coronavirus pages of the EPO website. They show recent developments in coronavirus-related technical fields as revealed in patent databases, including which countries and inventors have filed the most patent applications.