Suzanne,
I think you have posted too much onformation here on an open public forum. Your idea is great, you found a big problem and a great solution. I would edit your post and simply ask about inventor friendly medical supply companies. Perhaps Toni can help you!

then again, she now has proof that she did it first lol.

I have seen medical strollers here in Canada. They were just really large strollers, but one just new there was something different about them.

Maybe those I saw were custom made?

Suzanne, if you type in froogle.com and search
medical strollers, NexTag will pop up with 134
different medical strollers and many other
companies that carry medical strollers. What
you want to do is check out each and everyone
of them to see if they carry what you have in
mind. Then after you do a thorough Patent Search
and you find that you still have some additional
add-on products that you think will be helpful
that are not on the medical strollers, I would
check out all the disabled sites. If you then
think you still have an original idea that is
not on any of these strollers, then I would file
a PPA. Hopes this helps.

Suzanne…I have no idea what you have invented but I will tell you this, anything in the medical field is EXTREMELY tough to prove safe and beneficial.

I went through HELL with Handi-Straps trying to get different approvals from Federal, medical, EMS, insurance companies etc.

I never got approvals but I don’t have anyone that wants to stop me and that is something to say for the product. The CDC and NIOSH cheer me on and have even bought one.

The best thing I would say for you to do is try and get a college to help you further the concept. A number of colleges have taken indepth looks at Handi-Straps and have done reports. Colleges will help you.

As far as the idea, if it is a new version of an existing idea but the improvements are “unobvious, novel and useful” then you can patent.

Think of a car, been invented, but there are many patentable improvements.

Don’t know if that helps, just remember it is many times harder to get a medical invention “accepted” than say some idea that ends up on Wal-Mart shelves. Good luck.

We inventors often weigh the value we contribute (coming up with an idea in the first place) versus the value contributed by a licensee, who must develop, refine, and effectively market the finished product. The lion’s share of the work already falls in the laps of the licensee. But when you add medical innovations to the picture, the licensee’s share of workd skyrockets in comparison to the inventor’s. Coming up with the idea is just a small fraction of the regulatory hurdles a medical device marketer must overcome. So whatever medical device you come up with, you had better be 1000% sure that it can be developed into a very profitable, highly marketable finished product. If not, your chances of success have gone from “low” to “you must be joking!”
But that’s not to say it can’t be done. So good luck on your idea!

Thank you everyone, I so appreciate your input!

Rafael…I like what you said. It is reality, that is why I got so involved in all facets of Handi-Straps. I knew that is where the money is, a little deeper than just a licensing deal.

My experience with a medical product ofcoarse was first, what, who and where are your medical tests. What does NOSH and CDC say (Federal health regulators) What does insurance companies say? Last, what will liability lawyers say?

These are the questions I had to face with a medical product by larger companies wanting to use. I have overcome each doubt by proving each of these groups no doubt about Handi-Straps when the concept was waved across their face, but no official “backup” was given to me.

These are not the places of authority for all medical products, but typical. I thought all would just jump into Handi-Straps and go around. Not so easy.

It will always be a battle for me to prove, but the good thing is no one will infringe…they don’t want the risk of a new medical product and it is too hard to get going.

The plus of a new medical product is you can get help researching. I was thrilled with colleges and medical people researching Handi-Straps on their own for free. Very rewarding helping people medically too.

Ron, that sounds great that others found enough interest in your technology to conduct their own research on it. You may be able to use an initial study to apply for government funding of a research study. Medical, military, defense, aerospace. These are all great areas to try for government funding. It’s always hit or miss. But if you hit, you may be able to get quite a large research grant.

suzy, i love to see your passion, especially when your product really helps someone else out in a big way

Often it’s best to team with a university in your area who has a background in Medical product development – if they have a med school, they likely have products in development.

You can do this as a Share Equity deal for development, keeping in mind they are likely to be very good at development of these products, but not very good at actually taking them to market.

Thanks, Mark! I hadn’t thought of this; LSU is only 1 hour from me, I can start there!

Suzanne, Don’t forget your NDA!
Also in your original post you mentioned the “condition” from which your neighbors child suffers, there are associations for these illnesses that also conduct and sponsor research for your type of invention. I would think about contacting one of those organizations as well. Juat a thought.

does anyone here know of any pharmaceutical gadget companies to submit ideas to? It could be one that makes promotional products that work with pharmaceuticals too.
thanks!