ANN ARBOR, MI – A professor of radiology and Ann Arbor physician has spent a year developing his first consumer product, Poka Snack.
Poka Snack is a patent-pending reusable kitchen tool designed to make chocolate-covered frozen bananas and other frozen fruit treats easier to prepare and enjoy.
Their website can be found here.
Richard K.J. Brown, Poka Snack’s founder, says that the idea grew from personal experience and a desire to innovate a kitchen tool to make his life easier.
“The idea grew from my own experience making frozen bananas with my grandchildren and wondering whether there was a better alternative to traditional wooden sticks,” said Brown.
Poka Snack launched its kitchen tool on Kickstarter on Aug. 4 after a multi-year development period that included several patent filings.
The company filed a U.S. utility patent application in 2025 to protect the product’s functional design and methods of use.
In July 2026, officials submitted a U.S. design patent application covering the tool’s appearance.
Both applications are pending.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a Notice of Allowance for the Poka Snack trademark in May 2026, indicating the application passed examination and its publication period without opposition.
The trademark remains pending while the company completes final registration steps.
Company officials are finalizing the product’s packaging ahead of production. The packaging design aims to communicate the tool’s simplicity and versatility.
The company plans to cross-merchandise the tool in produce sections at grocery stores.
Original source: us