The Eighties in America - Salem Press (2009)

as commissioner. Quigg’s invention experience in-
cluded overseeing patents at Phillips Petroleum be-
ginning in 1945. Starting as commissioner in Janu-
ary, 1985, Quigg continued Mossinghoff’s efforts
to expedite the application review process. In the
mid-1980’s, the USPTO typically processed applica-
tions in eighteen months. After Quigg resigned in
October, 1989, President George H. W. Bush nomi-
nated Harry F. Manbeck, Jr., the General Electric
company’s chief patent counsel, as USPTO commis-
sioner.

Innovations The numerous inventions produced
in the 1980’s ranged from simple Post-it™ notes to
complex bioengineered pharmaceuticals. Medical

inventions during the 1980’s included such drugs

as Prozac, genetically engineered insulin, and alpha-

interferon; devices including the Jarvik-7 artificial

heart, improved pacemakers, and polymer wafers

that gradually released drugs into the recipient’s sys-

tem; processes such as the use of lasers to clear arter-

ies; and heavy equipment such as magnetic reso-

nance imaging (MRI) machines.

Fiber optics inventions increased telecommuni

cation capabilities and enhanced long-distance com-

munications when a glass fiber transoceanic cable

was deployed. Inventors introduced machines to

transmit facsimiles of digitized documents and im-

ages domestically and overseas within seconds. Oth-

ers patented ceramic and metal materials that had

The Eighties in America Inventions
523

1980

Genetically engineered alpha interferon

Hepatitis B vaccine

Sony Walkman

1981

IBM personal compuer

MS-DOS

Scanning tunneling microscope

Synthetic human insulin

1982

ACE inhibitor

Heathkit Educational Robot (HERO)

Human growth hormone

Insulated gate bipolar transistor

Jarvik-7 artificial heart

Video keyhole surgery

1983

Apple’s Lisa computer

Cabbage Patch Kids dolls

TCP/IP computer networking protocol

1984

Apple’s Macintosh computer and

operating system

CD-ROM

Clumping cat litter

1985

DNA fingerprinting

Gemini robot

Microsoft Windows operating system

1986

Breadmaker

Disposable camera

High-temperature superconductor

IBM-PC convertible (first laptop computer)

Intel 386 microprocessor

Nicotine patch

1987

Digital light processing

Disposable contact lenses

Statin drugs

3-D video game

1988

Digital cellular phones

Indiglo nightlight

Laser eye surgery

Prozac

WSR-88D (improved version of Doppler radar)

1989

High-definition television

Time Line of Select 1980’s Inventions