Course Overview
Needs and Markets
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Worksheet
Regulatory and Reimbursement
Company Formation
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Summary
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This worksheet is meant to help you complete a patent
search in the area around your idea. As discussed in the video course
materials, an initial patent search is useful in order to define
the extent of prior art in the field of your invention and to help
you understand the patentable aspects of your solution.
Make sure to look at the example
materials in this section of the CD for real-world examples
of initial patent searches.
- Search the USPTO full-text
patent database using a broad range of keywords in your technology
area as well as your clinical area. Make a note of any patents
that describe aspects of your invention.
- Perform a similar search of PCT (world) patent applications
at the intellectual
property digital library.
- From the list of similar patents that you have compiled, select
the two or three most relevant. Read these documents thoroughly.
Do the claims in these patents effectively block you from practicing
(selling) your invention? Is your invention anticipated in the
patent text, but not specified in the claims? Who is the assignee
of these patents? Could you potentially license these patents
from the patentholders?
- Once you understand the most relevant prior art, form a patenting
strategy for your own innovation. Document as thoroughly as possible
all of the aspects of your invention that you believe are not
covered in the prior art, and have your documentation signed and
dated by someone else.
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