Medical Syringe to Kevlar: 7 Lesser-known Women Inventors & their Pathbreaking Inventions

Letitia Geer- Medical Syringe (One-Handed)

1852-Born, Letitia Mumford Geer is known for her invention of one-handed syringe. She transformed the health industry with her innovating and problem-solving concept. In 1899, she patented her design after being unsettled by the traditional syringes’ ineffectiveness, facilitating more hygienic and single-handed utilization. The syringe was shaped in a cylindrical barrel with a rubber plunger and a U-shaped handle which offered higher fidelity and patient autonomy.

In addition, she also founded the Geer Manufacturing Company in 1904 with an intent to produce innovative medical tools out of her vision. Besides her medical inventions, she was also a women’s rights advocate. Her left-behind legacy still remains a part of medical practices, continuing to be foundational.