Physicians are well-positioned to generate new inventions and
thereby improve the treatment of their patients. As a result,
physicians have historically been some of the best and most active
inventors in the United States. One of the keys to commercial
success for any inventor is a sound intellectual property (IP)
strategy.
Initial considerations for your patent strategy
So, you are a physician and you have an idea. What do you
do next? The following are the key steps and considerations
for developing a strategy to protect your technology.
Disclosing your idea
Confidentiality is key. Don't tell anyone about your
idea because disclosure can create significant problems. If
you were to disclose your invention to a third party without a
confidentiality agreement in place, you would technically have one
year in which to file a patent application in the U.S. In
contrast, any such disclosure prevents you from pursuing patent
protection in most other
