Munchkin: 59 Patents

North HIlls, CA-based Munchkin develops "innovative products that excite and delight parents, children and pets."

The company was founded in 1991, and sits atop 59 U.S. patents and patent applications.

Straw Drinking Cup from inventor Justin McDonough from 4/14/2009 got our attention:

A straw drinking cup includes a container and a flexible straw having a first, drinking, end and a second and that is disposed within the container. Advantageously, the cup includes a straw positioning mechanism that ensures that the first, drinking end of the flexible straw will remain upwardly oriented to minimize the possibility of leakage, regardless of whether the straw positioning mechanism is in the open position, the closed position, or in transit between the two positions. The straw drinking cup further includes an advantageous venting mechanism that includes a flexible membrane that permits air to flow into the container only when a sufficient pressure differential is developed across the membrane, such as will occur when a consumer is sucking on the flexible straw. The venting mechanism further operates so as to prevent leakage from the container, as sufficient pressure will not exist to draw any liquid across the flexible membrane.

Early this year, Munchkin announced a partnership with Arm & Hammer to develop a line of deodorizing products for the nursery.

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Keraderm: Nail-Healing Light

Blacksburg, VA-based Keraderm just raised $2.5 million in an "A" round. The company has invented a device that looks like this that uses phototherapy to fight nail infections.

The firm's President, Bill Cumbie, has two patents:

7,494,502 Alteration of the skin and nail for the prevention and treatment of skin and nail infections

The method of prevention and treatment of microbial infections that occur on, or just below, the skin and nails of a person consisting of applying a means to inactivate the microbes thus rendering them harmless. The treatment consists of applying a means which alters the skin or nail so that the skin or nail will either no longer serve as a food source, will be inhibitory to the organism, will be toxic to the organism, or will be altered in a manner that makes it more responsive to treatment of infections.

7,306,620 Prevention and treatment of skin and nail infections using germicidal light

A method of prevention and treatment of microbial infections that occur on, or just below, the skin and nails of a person consisting of electromagnetic radiation to inactivate the microbes thus rendering them harmless. The treatment consists of irradiating an area of the skin and nails for a period of time long enough to inactivate the organisms. Some additional features which are not integral to the treatment but increase the safety of the treatment include shielding of non-infected areas from irradiation and a cover to prevent damage to sight which may result from viewing the electromagnetic radiation.

The treatment eliminates the potential serious side effects of current medications and has shown encouraging results in preclinical and early clinical testing. The firm believes that the ability to safely and effectively treat nail infections, the low cost, and the shortened treatment time of the Keraderm light-based solution potentially will transform what is a billion-dollar-plus market.

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On Twitter, we're inventionsofman. And check out our University Patent Portfolios here.