Intellectual property: A primer for radiologists

While innovation and new product development is traditionally thought of as the exclusive domain of industry and academia, a large number of innovations in medicine and information technology have come from independent inventors, which account for almost 30% of new patents issued in the U.S. today. A large number of economic, political, and legal challenges exist within the current marketplace that serves as relative impediments to independent invention. This article explores the existing challenges facing the independent inventor and offers a number of recommendations and resources to facilitate independent inventors in their quest for innovation and entrepreneurship. The concept of “outsourcing innovation” is discussed as an alternative to the existing model of industry sponsored research and development (R&D), with the goal of combining the unique attributes and strengths of independent inventors and industry sponsors.

To date, technology transfer from academia to industry has been strongest in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector. The medical imaging and medical device industries have traditionally been smaller players and, as a result, some, perhaps many, investigators in radiology are unaware of the potential value of technology transfer and the opportunity to receive sponsorship for research from medical imaging companies. Many investigators are also unaware of opportunities to introduce important academic discoveries into clinical practice through licensing and technology transfer. These untapped opportunities are not only valuable, but also are becoming more and more important in light of the ever-increasing difficulties associated with sustaining and receiving new government funding. The goal of this article is to provide academic scientists in the field of radiology with insights about the key aspects of the technology transfer process, including observations about inventions, intellectual property, and industry-sponsored research.