The "Perfect Mate" dolls are an obvious nod to RealDoll, though there are some differences: RealDoll dolls retail at $4,000+ for females ($6,000+ for males) and are somewhat customizable. However, their Elementary counterpart (which retails for $15,000 as stated on the show) also contain an artificial intelligence while RealDolls are just silicone sex dolls.
Ian Hart (Professor Baynes) has also portrayed Dr. Watson on two occasions. The first in The Hound of the Baskervilles (2002) alongside Richard Roxburgh as Sherlock Holmes and the second in Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking (2004) alongside Rupert Everett as Sherlock Holmes. Additionally, in Finding Neverland (2004) he played Sherlock Holmes's creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The episode title "Uncanny Valley of the Dolls" is a combination of two phrases, "Uncanny Valley" and "Valley of the Dolls (1967)". The former phrase refers to the "eerie feeling" when one encounters an inanimate object that has a striking resemblance to a human being. The latter refers to a novel by Jacqueline Susann which was eventually turned to a film about the travails of three woman in show business.
The Invention Secrecy Act does in fact exist. It was enacted in 1951 and codified US Government policy that had been used during both WWi and WWII. It does not work exactly as the General stated, however. The patents for inventions the government deems secret are not seized, as suggested. Instead, the act prevents the issuance of the patent in question, classifies the application, restricts the filing of foreign patents, and requires the patent application and any research to be kept secret. The hold must be reviewed on a yearly basis. The inventor may continue their work if they choose, just without any patent protection.