More than 100 inventions have been disclosed since the inception of APL's Office of Technology Transfer in July 1999 - more than doubling the Lab's average annual rate. An independent panel of judges, comprised of representatives from business and industry, technical and business consultants, technology transfer professionals, and intellectual property attorneys will select the top three APL inventions for 1999 based on their creativity, novelty, and potential benefit to society.

Each of APL's top three developments will be awarded an Invention of the Year plaque and cash award. The winning inventions will be announced during the June 27 awards ceremony, which begins at 4:30 p.m. The event is open to invited guests and the media. Interested members of the press should contact Kristi Marren for more information.

The Applied Physics Laboratory is a not-for-profit laboratory and division of The Johns Hopkins University. APL conducts research and development primarily for national security and for nondefense projects of national and global significance. APL is located midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., in Laurel, Md.