--- ---  # Here's How the Newly Patented Sneeze Catcher Works—And a Drawing by [Improbable Research](https://time.com/author/improbable-research/) ## Improbable Research Mar 23, 2015 7:55 PM UTC  A man just before or after a sneeze A man just before or after a sneezeGetty Images by [Improbable Research](https://time.com/author/improbable-research/) ## Improbable Research Mar 23, 2015 7:55 PM UTC It’s a given that all manner of unwelcome microbial and viral particles can be exhaled by a person during a sneeze or a cough. Prompting inventor Joseph Apisa of Colts Neck, NJ, US, to create a [‘Sneeze catching method and apparatus’](http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8910312.pdf) It’s just received a US patent (Dec. 16, 2014). It can be, and indeed is, described in one sentence:  Joseph S. Apisa --- > “” --- _This_ [_article_](http://www.improbable.com/2015/03/23/sneeze-catcher-new-patent) _originally appeared on_ [_Improbable Research_](http://www.improbable.com/)_._ How the Newly Patented Sneeze Catcher Works ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3754774/sneeze-catcher/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3754774/sneeze-catcher/"},"headline":"Here's How the Newly Patented Sneeze Catcher Works—And a Drawing","datePublished":"2015-03-23T19:55:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:04:54.993Z","description":"The invention is formally named ‘sneeze catching method and apparatus’","url":"https://time.com/3754774/sneeze-catcher/","keywords":["Science topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b7c75e28ea8f83e/698784d63c1639596b452637/159358784-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Improbable Research","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/improbable-research/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b7c75e28ea8f83e/698784d63c1639596b452637/159358784-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"man-sneezing","caption":"man-sneezing","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3754774/sneeze-catcher/","name":"Here's How the Newly Patented Sneeze Catcher Works—And a Drawing"}}]}] ```