What shall I do with my idea?
BMJ 2002; 325 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0209320 (Published 01 September 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;325:0209320
- Andy Goldberg, specialist registrar in orthopaedics1
- 1North Thames Rotation and founder of Medical Futures, London
We all come up with good ideas. In fact, many of us come up with the same good ideas! No matter how original you think your idea is, it doesn't mean that someone else before you hasn't thought of it too.
Thomas Fogarty probably wasn't the first person to think up the idea of blowing up a balloon inside a body cavity. But he was the first person to patent his idea back in the 1960s. This is why millions of his patented devices are used every year in hospitals world over--the term “Fogarty catheter” is now as commonplace among the medical fraternity as a bottle of Guinness is to a publican.
Whatever your idea, there are usually three questions that you need to ask:
Is my idea original?
Does the idea belong to me?
How can I get it developed?
Is my idea patentable?
How do you know if your idea is truly original? This is sometimes very difficult. Initially, you should do a bit of research on your own, usually by looking up in journals and on the internet. The next step is to document your idea thoroughly and then seek expert help from a patent attorney specialising in the particular technical field. He or she will be able to advise on the requirements for “patentability” and work with you fully to describe and claim your invention. The patent attorney can also carry out searches to determine if your invention is new or involves an inventive step or both. Although you can do this yourself, the analogy is fixing your car. Some people do it themselves, although most prefer to have …
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