适合各种地形的轮椅的发明者、抗疟化合物供应商以及安全坐便器分销商之间有什么共同之处？

他们都是2015年人道主义专利（2015 Patents for Humanity）竞赛的获奖者。

4月20日，白宫科学顾问（White House Science Adviser）约翰·霍尔德伦（John Holdren）在竞赛颁奖仪式上说：“人道主义专利的核心目标是奖励具有前瞻性思维及社会意识的发明创造者，他们已展现出能利用他们的专利技术让世界变得更加美好。”[请观看英文视频]

美国专利商标局（U.S. Patent and Trademark Office）于2012年发起了这项竞赛，专利所有人、专利申请人和专利被许可人都可以参加。他们能通过专利办公室网站开始申请程序。[请见英文网站]

来自世界各地的参赛者参加五个类别的竞赛——医药、卫生、家用能源、营养和生活水平。2015年的获奖名单如下：

• 医药 — Sanofi，为治疗疟疾的努力提供支持；Novartis AG，研发出有可能治疗耐药结核病的新型化合物。

• 卫生 — 美标公司（American Standard），向非洲和东南亚发送了70万个安全坐便器。

• 能源 — 太阳能源公司（SunPower Corp.），向菲律宾地区提供更安全的充电式提灯，以取代煤油灯。

• 营养 — Nutriset， 与全球伙伴合作解决儿童营养不良问题，提供一种获得专利的食品配方和金稻米，以生产有助于预防失明的营养强化大米。

• 生活水平 — 全球科研创新及技术公司（GRIT: Global Research Innovation & Technology），开发出一种适合各种地形的轮椅，使用常见的自行车零部件制造。

霍尔德伦说：“今天的获奖者都是私营部门的领军人物，他们响应了欧巴马总统的号召，发挥科学、技术及创新潜力来帮助解决全球发展难题。”[请见帮助世界——对小科学家投资]

Patents for Humanity honors innovators who improve the world

What do all-terrain wheelchair innovators, anti-malarial compound suppliers and safe toilet distributors share in common?

They are some of the 2015 Patents for Humanity competition awardees.

“At its core, Patents for Humanity aims to reward forward-thinking, socially conscious inventors who have demonstrated uses of their patented technologies to make the world a better place,” said White House Science Adviser John Holdren during the program’s April 20 awards ceremony.

Launched by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2012, the competition is open to patent owners, patent applicants and patent licensees. They can start the application process through the Patent Office website.

Entrants from around the world compete in five categories — medicine, sanitation, household energy, nutrition and living standards. These are the 2015 winners:

• Medicine — Sanofi for supporting anti-malarial treatment efforts and Novartis AG for identifying new compounds for potentially treating drug-resistant tuberculosis.

• Sanitation — American Standard for distributing 700,000 safe toilet latrine pans to Africa and Southeast Asia.

• Energy — SunPower Corp. for providing rechargeable lanterns as a safer alternative to kerosene lanterns in Philippine areas.

• Nutrition — Nutriset for working with global partners to fight child malnutrition with distribution of a patented food formula and Golden Rice for creating enriched rice that helps prevent blindness.

• Living standards — GRIT: Global Research Innovation & Technology for developing an all-terrain wheelchair that uses readily available bicycle parts.

“Today’s awardees are private sector leaders who have answered President Obama’s call tounleash science, technology and innovation to help solve global development challenges,” Holdren said.