Women Whose Inventions Changed Life
Rachel Zimmerman- Blissymbol Printer (1984)
At the age of 12, Zimmerman invented the Blissymbol Printer, which helps people with physical disabilities communicate via symbols that get translated into written language. What began as a project for a school science fair ended up competing at the World Exhibition of Achievement of Young Inventors. Zimmerman now works at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she develops innovations combining space technology and assistive intelligence.
Olga D. Gonzalez-Sanabria - Long Cycle-Life Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries (1987)
Director of the Systems Management Office and the highest ranking Hispanic at NASA Glenn Research Center, Gonzalez-Sanabria played a critical role in the development of the"Long Cycle-Life Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries" which help enable the International Space Station power system. She has since won the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.
Ann Tsukamoto- Stem Cell Isolation (1991)
Tsukamoto and her colleagues were the first scientists to identify and separate blood-forming stem cells. Patented in 1991— the first of 12 patents related to her research Tsukamoto has furthered her research and thanks to her, bone marrow transplants(骨髓移植) have saved the thousands of people battling blood cancer.
Donna Strickland- Chirped Pulse Amplification (2018)
The third woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, Strickland, along with Dr. Gerard Mourou of France, has significantly advanced the science of lasers (激光). They developed a technology for creating short, powerful laser pulses. The technique, called Chirped Pulse Amplification, has been used in corrective eye surgeries.