Lunar New Year 2024 - Celebrating the year of the Dragon

The last three Dragon years in the lunar calendar occurred in 1988, 2000, 2012.

1988 - Year of the Earth Dragon

In 1988, Dr. Patricia Bath patented the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment, marking a major breakthrough in ophthalmology. The way we interacted with images transformed with the debut of Adobe Photoshop. Also in 1988, Chuck Hull was granted the patent for stereolithography, a type of 3D printing technology, forming the basis for the development of 3D printing.

2000 - Year of the Metal Dragon

In 2000, Dean Kamen introduced the Segway, a revolutionary human transporter. This self-balancing, electric-powered device utilised dynamic stabilisation, tilt sensors, gyroscopes, and a built-in computer to navigate effortlessly. The same year also saw the advent of the USB flash drive, replacing the once-ubiquitous floppy disk drives, signally a new era in data storage. Interestingly, the floppy disk's legacy persists, as evidenced by its continued use as the save icon in Microsoft applications. Additionally, the early 2000s experienced exponential growth in internet usage and digital media, evidenced by the rising popularity of blogs, wikis, and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.

2012 - Year of the Water Dragon

In 2012, Nissan unveiled the NSC-2015, a prototype electric driverless car that could park itself and understand road markings, and DARPA successfully tested technology enabling drones to conduct aerial refuelling autonomously. Moreover, 2012 saw a significant leap forward in cardiac care with the introduction of the Edwards Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve, designed for both inoperable and high-risk patients and replacing a patient’s diseased native aortic valve without traditional open-chest surgery and while the heart continues to beat.

2024 - Year of the Wood Dragon

We’re eagerly anticipating the innovations 2024, another Year of the Dragon, will bring. Known for being a symbol of strength and vitality, it's exciting to imagine what this year will unfold. Our team is dedicated to protecting your innovations. Get in touch with us for more information.