Hello History Lovers,
We have all, at one time or another, had to go to the doctor and give the dreaded urine sample. Remember what that was like? Wet toilet seat...possibly even wet fingers?
Well, today's Interviewee has invented something to make those "hit-or-miss" urine samples a thing of the past. Her name is Jacqueline Fountain, and her invention is called URO-GRIP TECHNOLOGY.
LEGEND:
JF = Jacqueline Fountain
BHC = The Black History Channel
Want to contact Jacqueline or learn more about her invention? Follow these links:
STATS:
Inventor Name: Jacqueline Fountain
Email: Urogriptechnology@gmail.com
Website: www.Urogriptechnology.com
Facebook: Uro-Grip Technology, Inc.
BHC: Good morning Jacqueline. Thanks for taking the time to talk to The Black History Channel. Tell us a little about yourself.
JF: I'm a mother of four with an accounting degree,and for the last 9 years I've been working at a paperboard packaging company in the accounting and finance department. I enjoy making people happy in whatever way I can, whether it's being of service to them or providing a product. My goal is to see that the Uro-Grip device is made available all around the world.
BHC: So tell us, what exactly is Uro-Grip?
JF: Uro-Grip is a disposable plastic device with a wide surface area and a handle to give it easier access. It attaches by screwing it onto the urine specimen cup, and it can be discarded after use. It was originally designed with females in mind, but anyone can use it. And we believe that the process of reading urine samples will be more accurate when our device is used.
BHC: Wow, now that's clever...and right on time. How did you come up with it?
JF: Well, one day back in 2013 I had a doctor’s appointment. The nurse called for a urine sample (something I despise having to do), so I went to the bathroom. Like always, the sample cup was so small and so hard to position correctly that I ended up getting liquid on my hands and even my legs. So I had to wobble to the sink and use my elbow to wash my hands and screw the top back on. When I got back to the lab, I told my friend and co-inventor Raymond Hunter that we had to invent something to make this necessary part of the doctor's visit easier and better because... it’s just gross. A couple of weeks later, Raymond and I sat down and I told him what I wanted and how I wanted it to be shaped. He drew up what I described and that’s how we got started.
BHC: [Laughing] The image of you wobbling back to the sink is funny. I think we've all had that sort of experience at one time or another. So tell us, is your invention patented? And if it is, how long did the process take?
JF: It’s patent pending. It’s been in the patent pending process for about two years now. We completed the patent application and mailed it in a couple of years ago, and it’s been in the process ever since then.
BHC: For those readers who don't know, "patent pending" means that a patent application has been filed and the results of that filing are pending until the US Patent Office gives its final ruling. So when you see labels like "Pat. pending" or "patent applied for," this indicates that an inventor/creator has filed a patent application.
Now that we're done with that lesson, here's our next question for you, Jacqueline: Where did the name "Uro-Grip Technology" come from?
JF: As Raymond and I worked on the invention, we threw out different names. Since this product pertains to urology and you have to grip the device to use it, we decided on the name Uro-Grip. The full name is Uro-Grip Technology.
BHC: That makes sense, and it's easy to remember!
