Concept for the future of Kleenex
Ok, so here’s the thing. I have this great idea for an improvement to a commonly used product. Though making it happen myself could probably make me quite a bit of money, I know that I simply don’t have the means to do it. So, I’ve decided to blog the idea in hopes that someone more talented than myself will one day do it for me. So listen up Kleenex, I want to see this on the shelves sometime in 2009.
The idea is simple. The product would be called “Diagnose” (pronounced “diagnose”, but with “nose” highlighted in a different color as a sort of play on words) and would be a color-changing tissue paper that could diagnose your cold for you. Someone who was sick would simply blow their nose into the tissue paper, chemicals in the tissue paper would react to certain germs or bacteria in the persons snot, and 60 seconds later it would change colors. Then the person could compare the tissue paper’s color to the diagram on the side of the box and they’d have an idea of what was ailing them.
Obviously I’m not well knowledged in what it would take to produce something like this, but that’s what we have our scientists for. Right? Now the tissue wouldn’t have to be able to diagnose every single type of sickness. All it would really need to do is be able to tell the person they have “just a runny nose”, “just the common cold”, “something curable with over the counter drugs”, or “please consult your doctor”. What do you think?
posted by Christopher Schnese
View Comments
Yeah that sounds like a cool idea dude!! Though… even with today's technology, when a doctor takes a swab of some nasty infected nose/organ/muscle/bone/etc they send it downstairs to the Pathologists.
From here, these guys then use the good ole fashioned microscope to determine what they are looking at and use the knowledge they picked up from a minimum 9 years of medical training (Med School + Residency) to diagnose the pathogen. In reality it can sometimes be much more complex than simply looking in a microscope too I think.
While we have the technology to do "instant gratification" tests that we see in the crime shows (like gun residue and blood), diagnosing someone with a bacterial or viral infection by Kleenex may not be in our lifetime.
If it did get invented, it would definitely abolish around 20% of emergency room visits and possibly 50-70% of all Family Practice clinic visits…which would be good for everyone!
If I were you, I would see what it takes to get a patent on this. Even if someone else invents it, you could end up getting a hefty payday from the patent.
Yeah I know it's just a dream, but it might be sooner around the corner than you think. I've already seen inventions like milk cartons that 'rot' (change color and design) as the milk begins to go bad and other similar products. It may still be several years out, but I'd like to think we could see it in our life time.
You know, you have a point there. I just might have to do that. I'm not quite sure what would take, but I think even just the act of making this post would at least give me some sort of 'prior-art' type argument in court if I could prove I made it before someone made the actual product in real life. Obviously wouldn't carry the same weight, but still worth something I'm sure.
It would be interesting to see the results if the Kleenex were to be used as toilet paper.
Yeah, I bet you'd get some interesting results. Likely to fall under the “please consult your doctor” category…