European Inventor Award 2016

Episode 2

Alain Charpentier: Implantable Artificial Heart

Legendary surgeon Alain Charpentier has invented the world's first completely artificial heart. First famous for the artificial heart valves he invented, Dr. Charpentier has been working with a unique team to design and construct his medical device, which has worked successfully in several trials.

Episode 3

Cerne/Polenghi: Gluten Substitutes From Corn

Around 1 percent of the population is allergic to gluten. Food technologists Verna Cerne and Ombretta Polenghi are working on a gluten substitute to help those with allergies and celiac disease.

Episode 4

Fortunato/Martins: Paper Transistors

Two scientists have come up with a 21st Century use for one of the oldest substances in use by humans, paper. Their ideas may transform paper into an electronic medium, and the possible uses for paper transistors are seemingly endless.

Episode 5

Hugo Herr: Biomechatronic Leg Joints

While rock climbing as a teen, Hugo Herr was injured. This sparked a life's journey to design truly responsive artificial legs, and he is now developing groundbreaking technology for artificial legs at MIT, combining engineering, medical insights and biological processes.

Episode 6

Robert Langer: Targeted Anti-Cancer Drugs

Robert Langer is a sought-after researcher who has fundamentally changed the way in which medicine is administered. Today his laboratory develops polymers which can accommodate up to nine different medications and deliver them to the areas of the body requiring the medicine.

Episode 7

Helen Lee: Diagnostic Kits For Developing Countries

Helen Lee has developed a machine which can test for and detect a specific unique genetic material of either a virus or bacteria. This straightforward test and the equipment can be deployed in places in which medical facilities are few and far between.

Episode 8

Arogyaswami Paulraj: Faster Wireless Connectivity

Meet the man behind your ability to watch and then share cat videos on your phone. Arogyaswami Paulraj of Stanford is responsible for MIMO, the basis for the rapid wireless phone communications we have today.

Episode 9

Miroslav Sedláček: Rolling Fluid Turbine

Miroslav Sedláček had already seen lots of whirlpools in the river. But he'd never really thought about the physics involved. When he did, he developed a revolutionary water-powered turbine that can be deployed on small waterways to generate power. How does it work?

Episode 10

Anton van Zanten: Electronic Stability Control For Cars

Thank Anton van Zanten for the stability of modern cars. His work first with anti-lock brakes and now with the ESP or Electronic Stability System has assured a safer ride for all drivers.

Episode 11

Daemen/Liardet – Secure Smartcard Encryption

In southern France, at the semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics, experts are working on making smartcards and microprocessors even safer. Pierre-Yvan Liardet and Joan Daemen are among the world's leading data encryption specialists. What are they working on now?

Episode 12

Arminas Ragauskas: Ultrasound To Safely Measure Brain Pressure

Drilling into the skull used to be the only reliable technique for determining intracranial pressure after brain injuries. But now, Arminas Ragauskas has found an entirely different solution, based on a technology that everyone knows: blood pressure measurement.

Episode 13

Gleich/Weizenecker – Magnetic Particle Imaging

With MPI, now in development, images can be generated 1000 times faster than with magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, after injection of the nanoparticles, the machine will scan a specific region in the body where the particles are located, leading to quicker, more accurate diagnoses.

Episode 14

Tore Curstedt: Treatment For Respiratory Issues Of Premature Babies

Tore Curstedt has devoted his life to finding a synthetic surfectant to act as a therapeutic agent against Respiratory Distress Syndrome, which claims the lives of premature babies. Today over 500K children owe their lives to his research and the breakthrough drug he developed.

Episode 15

Johannessen/Quaade: Reducing Air Pollution Inside An Engine

Johannessen and his team have developed a revolutionary system to eliminate pollutants from diesel combustion at the engine site. A key technology that has numerous benefits; a very low nitrogen oxide value in the vehicle exhaust, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.