美国国家公共电台 NPR Brush Yourself Off And Try Again: An Invention Story

Brush Yourself Off And Try Again: An Invention Story

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Two inventors wanted to change the world of dental hygiene 1 with a new kind of toothbrush. Everything was going great up until the moment their dream was about to become a reality. NPR science correspondent Joe Palca brings us this story as part of his summer series on inventing.

JOE PALCA, BYLINE 2: Dental hygienist and toothbrush inventor Mike Davidson says when you brush your teeth properly, you know it.

MIKE DAVIDSON: And that's what this brush is designed to do. It's designed to show you what good brushing feels like.

PALCA: This brush is the MD Brush. The brush has a clever handle. When you pick it up, the handle positions the bristles 3 at a 45 degree angle to the gumline, an angle many experts say is ideal for effective brushing. It took seven years to go from the idea for a new toothbrush to an actual product - seven years of designs, redesigns, re-redesigns, manufacturing obstacles.

But finally, in late 2014, Davidson was ready. A hundred thousand MD Brushes arrived at the Port of Long Beach in California. Then the problems started. There was a strike at the port and the brushes were trapped. Then, Davidson says, the credit card processing system went haywire.

DAVIDSON: This really is not the way you want to start a business.

PALCA: And then they ran smack 4 into the dental industrial complex. Davidson's partner, Mike Smith, says one of the big toothbrush manufacturers filed suit against them, accusing them of patent infringement 5.

MIKE SMITH: When that came in, when we were served, I don't know if we were overwhelmed by it. But, I mean, it was definitely a - you know, a gut 6 check for both of us.

DAVIDSON: We could have fought them. And we were confident we would have won. But to get it in front of a judge to make a ruling on it would have cost us upwards 7 of half a million dollars to do it.

PALCA: Davidson says they agreed to a settlement and threw away 65,000 unsold toothbrushes. He says it hurt. And the experience completed his transition from idealistic inventor to hardened businessman.

DAVIDSON: I'll put it to you this way, is that any time - if you've got an innovative 8 product that's going to impinge upon a larger company's market share, get ready because they're going to come after you. And that's what happened with us.

PALCA: Davidson says he and Smith have now regrouped. They've redesigned the brush again to avoid the patent problem, and the first manufacturing run is complete.

DAVIDSON: We're ordering 10,000 this time instead of the 100,000.

PALCA: When I spoke 9 with Davidson and Smith three years ago, I asked them whether they'd take the money if a big toothbrush manufacturer offered to buy them out as a way of eliminating them as a competitor.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

SMITH: I think we've already talked about it. No. No. I mean, we've taken it this far. We're going to - we're going to continue to take it all the way.

DAVIDSON: It's not about money. It's about winning. And it's about beating these guys at their own game and showing them we can do something better.

PALCA: That was three years ago. I asked if they'd take the money now.

SMITH: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

SMITH: I didn't even have to blink at that question. If it was an eye-popping amount of money then yes, most definitely. Yes.

DAVIDSON: If it was a huge, eye-popping number, absolutely. Yeah.

PALCA: But then Davidson qualified 10 that answer.

DAVIDSON: It would have to be a pretty substantial amount.

PALCA: Clearly he's still got some fight in him. The toothbrush wars aren't over yet. Joe Palca, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF STEPHANE WREMBEL'S "BIG BROTHER")