INVENTIONS

Audio Razor Clicks: For many men, life’s daily frustrations begin with the morning shave.

No matter how hard they try, they always seem to miss a spot, leaving an island of stubble.

One inventor’s solution: an audio razor. Villa Park chemist Youssef G. Bakhos recently got a patent for a razor that emits a clicking noise until a facial surface is free of whiskers. Bakhos came up with the idea after trying in vain to get a good shave in the shower.

“I didn’t have a mirror in the shower, so I had to rely on the sound of the razor,” said Bakhos, 50. And the sound of the blade shearing the stubble was often drowned out by the shower itself, he said.

The audio razor could also be helpful to those who have physical handicaps that make shaving difficult, he said.

Here’s how it works: As the blade hits the stubble, the razor vibrates, making a faint sound. A speaker like that found in an earpiece for a transistor radio then amplifies the sound. The speaker is operated by battery. The whole device, which looks like a disposable razor, is waterproof.

Bakhos, president of IEM Micro Technology in Villa Park, is seeking a manufacturer for his invention. He hopes that it can go on the market at a price comparable to that of a low-cost calculator or digital watch--about $5.