After training as a mechanical engineer at MIT, Aykanian worked as an industrial designer, craftsman, and inventor, ultimately realizing more than forty patents. His disposable spoon straw, most widely associated with 7-Eleven's trademark Slurpees, offers the utility of two utensils in one. Aykanian also designed a special tool for the cryosurgical treatment of skin cancer.
Gallery label from From the Collection: 1960-69, March 26, 2016 - March 12, 2017.