Margaret Crane, the unknown designer of the first ever at-home pregnancy test, is recently getting the recognition she deserves. A pregnancy test was a test that required making an appointment and seeing a physician. With this newly created pregnancy program, women can find out on their own if they are going to have a baby without seeing a physician.
The first at home pregnancy test was invented by Margaret Crane at 26 years old and consisted of all the necessary contents packed into a stylish plastic box. It is said to have looked like a toy chemical set with its dropper, vial, rack, and mirror. This early device was named the Predictor. With this discovery did not come enthusiasm, quite the opposite. If everybody tested themselves at home, lab business would be lost!
Margaret Crane then paired up with an ad man named Ira Sturtevant. The two started their own design company called Ponzi and Weill. It took a while to get approval in the United States, but eventually the at home pregnancy test was approved in 1976. Crane’s name was surely enough on the patent for the device, yet she had not received a single penny for her design. She had to sign off her rights for a dollar but was never given that dollar. Despite this, Crane was happy to have the business for the marketing campaign and to have met her partner.
It was not until 2012 that New York Times Magazine made a short article on the first at home pregnancy test. Crane’s niece urged her to make her story well known. This device has since found its home in the Smithsonian institute, and Margaret Crane is thrilled to be receiving the recognition she deserves.
As a Women-Owned Business, RepuCare supports innovative, creative entrepreneur ideas like Margaret’s to bring new ideas and make a difference in our world.