Shining a spotlight on innovations and the teams behind them, The Edison Awards™, celebrating 30 years of honoring the best in innovation and excellence in the development of new products and services, announced the 2017 Edison Award Winners on Thursday, April 20.

With more than 500 senior executives and their guests in attendance, the awards were announced at a Gala dinner held at the Capitale in New York City. Nations represented at the event include Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, Malaysia, Nairobi, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, United Kingdom and the United States.

Among the honorees: ECO Balance by GLO Science™, Inc., Throat Scope® by Holland Healthcare Inc. and 3M™ Mobile True Definition Scanner by 3M.

Being recognized with an Edison Award™ is one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business success.The awards are named after Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) whose inventions, new product development methods and innovative achievements that changed the world, garnered him 1,093 U.S. patents and made him a household name around the world.

The Edison Awards honor excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human-centered design and innovation. These Gold, Silver and Bronze Winners were chosen as the “best of the best” by the world’s top senior business executives, academics, and innovation professionals.

GOLD AWARD:

ECO Balance by GLO Science™, Inc.

ECO Balance (ECO) is a clinically tested, unique formula that promotes gum health and fresh breath by oxygenating disease-causing bacteria and raising oral pH. By altering the oral ecosystem, ECO acts to kill bacteria, fight inflammation and freshen breath, while simultaneously whitening teeth.

In the HEALTH AND WELLNESS division, and PATIENT CARE category:

Silver Award:

Throat Scope® by Holland Healthcare Inc.

The unpleasant experience of restraining a toddler whilst a doctor used a wooden tongue depressor and flash light to pry open the toddler’s mouth, gave inventor Jennifer Holland (shown at top, center) her light bulb moment. Throat Scope® provides medical professionals with one free hand, a light source located inside the mouth for a fast, accurate and pleasant oral examination experience.

• BRONZE AWARD:3M™ Mobile True Definition Scanner by 3M

  Fits your hand: First mobile intraoral scanner that operates solely on a tablet. Fits your budget: Cost-effective entry into digital dentistry. Fits your practice: Elevates care by producing a clear, easy-to-understand visual representation of the anatomy to help increase patient acceptance.

“The 2017 Edison Award winners illustrate that innovation never sleeps, and in our 30th year we should be inspired at the level of technology and advancements represented from around the globe.  This year’s winners have designed a superior way to shape the way consumers will live, work and play in the future,” said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards.

The ballot of nominees for the Edison Awards was judged by a panel of more than 3,000 leading business executives including past award winners, academics and leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering, science and medical.

One of the evening’s many highlights was the presentation of the prestigious Edison Achievement Award to Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman, and CEO of GE and Dr. Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at X, Alphabet’s innovation lab. Mr. Immelt has been named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Barron’s, while Dr. Teller has successfully created and grown five companies and holds numerous U.S. patents related to his work in hardware and software technology. The award honors innovation leaders and business executives who have made a significant and lasting contribution to innovation throughout their careers. The Edison Achievement Award serves as an inspiration to future innovators and the world at large.

In addition to the Awards Gala, the annual Edison Awards program encompassed a full-day Meet the Innovators Forum and the Innovators’ Showcase, which offered guests a hands-on experience with many of the winning products including ModoBag, Lucid VR, and Yirego among others.

View the 2017 winning companies, products and services at  https://www.edisonawards.com/winners2017.php

Read interviews with the three winners from the dental world in the Spring issue of Incisal Edge dental lifestyle magazine: https://viewer.zmags.com/publication/cdda97aa#/cdda97aa/48