This paper studies the effects of the USPTO's patent secrecy program in World War II, under which over 11,000 U.S. patent applications were issued secrecy orders which halted examination and prohibited inventors from disclosing their inventions or filing in foreign countries. Secrecy orders were...

Has the increase in female medical researchers led to more medical advances for women? In this paper, we investigate if the gender of inventors shapes their types of inventions. Using data on the universe of US biomedical patents, we find that patents with women inventors are significantly more...

We describe how and why Magnetic Resource Imaging (MRI) came to complement – and partially replace -- computed tomography (CT) imaging of soft tissue. Specifically we chronicle: 1) the development of foundational techniques and prototypes (through the 1970s); 2) initial commercialization and...

We describe how the development of x-ray-based techniques and equipment (“mammography”) lead to widespread screening for breast cancer and enabled “minimally invasive” biopsies of breast tumors. Specifically, we chronicle how: 1) new protocols and equipment catalyzed the first widespread...

We describe how efforts on multiple fronts, including advocacy, training and technological development made ultrasound the second most commonly used diagnostic imaging technology (after X-rays). Specifically, we chronicle: 1) ultrasound's development and introduction in the 1950s and 1960s; 2)...