Professional Invention Assessment: 5 Key Points to Remember Before Hiring an Invention Assessment Firm

ONE of the first key steps in developing an invention is research.  Researching an idea not only provides information on similarly available products and confirmation that the invention is new, it can also provide information on the likely markets in which the invention could be sold.  Basic searches in catalogs, stores, or on the internet can provide information on whether there are similar products already available and if companies (and which ones) would be likely to carry a product such as it. Additionally, preliminary patent searches can be of use in determining if the invention has been patent protected but not developed. While you can conduct the initial, basic intellectual property searches yourself, many experts agree that it is highly beneficial to utilize a professional evaluation firm that provides objective analysis as well. However, no matter how invaluable evaluation of your invention is, there are still a number of points to consider before hiring an invention assessment firm.

1. Criteria for Evaluations – A reputable assessment firm will provide to you, upfront, the criteria used for making evaluations

BEFORE using a service that purports to provide objective evaluation, find out the type of information provided back to you in that evaluation.  It is essential to understand the type of review system and criteria used for the evaluation.   Typical evaluations include analysis of potential market viability, competitive landscape, production feasibility/viability, market stability/growth/diversity, potential for IP protection, existing competition, state of development, challenges posed, and commercialization potential. Additionally it may be of benefit to learn who performs the evaluations and their credentials.  Be wary of companies who do not provide sources for their information on intellectual property protection potential or other pertinent information.

2. Disclosure of Costs Upfront – A reputable assessment firm will provide you with the cost of the evaluation in advance

TYPICAL evaluation services range from $150-500 depending on the service used and the extent of the report. Be wary of companies that offer free preliminary reviews as these are often sales tactics used to get you to buy additional, more in-depth evaluations at much higher costs after their initial review is found to be positive and highly marketable. Be especially cautious of companies that request promotional fees or try to sell invention development assistance or marketing services after initial reviews and do not disclose these fees during your initial contact with them

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3. Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreement – A reputable assessment firm will sign a non-disclosure agreement or provide it as a part of their Terms & Conditions

Non-disclosure agreements are invaluable when you want to discuss an unpatented idea with a third party.  It provides a legal contract between you and the company that any information relating to the invention will remain confidential and not be shared with third parties. Non-disclosure agreements are different from marketing or licensing contracts and it is important read any documentation thoroughly before signing it.

4. Avoid Conflicts of Interest– A reputable firm will provide objective assessments without wanting you to use additional marketing or patent filing services.

Firms that provide both assessments and marketing or patent application services often have conflicts of interest in their assessment since a positive assessment will likely lead to an inventor spending more money with the company for these additional services.  Hiring a company that provides just evaluation services may provide a more honest assessment because they can remain objective and do not have a vested interest in providing positive evaluations with the hopes of up-selling additional services. Hiring different companies at each stage of the process (e.g. patent attorneys for patenting; licensing agents for licensing; evaluation firms for assessment) ensures objectivity and prevents possible conflicts of interest.

5. Promotion & Licensing Contracts – A reputable firm will be upfront that most inventions do not make money and do not ask for upfront fees for licensing the invention.

If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. A reputable licensing agent rarely relies on large upfront fees, but instead makes money from royalties resulting from successfully licensed inventions.  They are highly selective in the technologies they chose to represent and often have high rejection rates, which trustworthy firms often disclose. Additionally, be wary of firms that claim to have special relationships with manufacturers or will promote your invention at trade shows unless they have specific proof of such relationships.

Written by Asta Stojanovski, November 7th, 2013

Research Analyst -Invention Evaluator

contact@inventionevaluator.com

Microbial Improvements in Agriculture

 By Asta Stojanovski

(Image Source)

With the global population growing and increasing urbanization of the population, production of an adequate amount of food is becoming a major agricultural concern.  Increasing food production and productivity of crops is therefore of great importance to the industry. However, it is well known that currently used agricultural methods have a plethora of negative environmental consequences. Therefore one of the major challenges currently facing the industry is enhancing the productivity of food crops while mitigating the environmental impacts.

Scientists think this can be achieved by utilizing microbial communities in place of fertilizers and pesticides.  According to a new report by the American Academy of Microbiology titled “How Microbes Can Help Feed the World” there are plenty of development possibilities that could be capitalized on to use microbe-plant interactions to improve crop yields across the globe.   The report describes the scientific challenges currently faced, failures of biocontrol in the past, and new avenues that are currently being pursued.  It also provides recommendations for translating research into practical applications which is where most developments in the field of plant biotechnology are lost. 

(Rhizobium)

In addition to this report, there have been many other developments that could provide crop improvements by taking advantage of various microbial species. While it has long been known that the rhizobia bacteria inhabit and provide usable nitrogen to legume plants, it was not until recently that the mechanism of nutrient exchange or the precise interaction between microbes and plant were described.  Recent research at the MU Bond Life Sciences Center have elucidated the interaction-response relationship that allows rhizobia to form symbiotic relationships with legume crops but not others and are currently working on transferring the trait to other crop plants, such as corn. 

Rebecca Bell observing tomatoes in FDA lab

Additionally, researchers from the FDA’s “Team Tomato,” recently described characterization of a soil bacterium, Paenibacillus, which is harmless to humans but lethal to Salmonella that could be utilized in place of fumigants to reduce risk of salmonella outbreaks. Currently the FDA and the EPA are working together to develop an organic treatment using paenibacillus.  Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have also been identified as an important microbe for the production of Cassava plants in the tropics. It has been shown by researchers in Columbia that Cassava inoculated in vitro with a mass produced mycorrrhizal fungus, Rhizophagus irregularis, has much higher yields of dry biomass compared to plants treated with traditional phosphate fertilizers.  These discoveries offer clear directions for the manipulation of microbes and soil constituents to crops advantage and will undoubtedly provide improved yields without requiring heavy use of chemicals.

It is important however to remember that these plant-microbe interactions do not occur in an isolated environment and that the whole micro-ecosystem must be taken into consideration to prevent disruptions in its functioning. Improvements in understanding the microbiome will undoubtedly lead to more discoveries with wide implications, for both agriculture and beyond.  Additionally, it can be very difficult to transform scientific discovery and knowledge into a practical application with commercial relevance. This will be one of the key challenges for these developments as time progresses. While there are still a number of hurdles to be overcome before these discoveries are rendered commercially available and implemented on a large scale, the advances in the field hold promise for improved agricultural production without sacrificing environmental health. 

Trends in Innovation for Biotechnology

By Asta Stojanovski

One of the key drivers behind innovation in biotechnology remains to be technological advancements and increases in computer processing power.  As these continue to advance, new developments in biotechnology will follow close behind providing a wider range of applications and improved functionality.  Here we review the top trends in biotechnology innovation in recent years and the future. 

Mobile Healthcare, Remote Monitoring & Point of Care Diagnostics

(Scout Physical Exam Scanner)

The proliferation of mobile devices in the last decade has provided us the opportunities to have our devices with us at all times and stay connected no matter where we are.  This has given rise to the idea of utilizing these devices for health monitoring, health data collection and provision of health services.  A large number of applications have been developed to be used for accessing healthcare or reporting health conditions during monitoring through our mobile devices, whether they are cell phones or personal computers, and these numbers are continuing to grow.  There is however current contention on how these devices should be regulated by the FDA. The continued trend towards miniaturization of devices has allowed for the development of new medical products that can conduct exams and perform monitoring without a visit to the doctor’s office, such as the Scanadu Scout or the Metria Wearable Sensor. This has significant applications for the elderly and disabled.

(LabChip Systems SipperChip)

The miniaturization of technology has also allowed for the development of point of care diagnostics that are can deliver immediate results outside of a laboratory setting.  This improves diagnosis times and allows diagnosis to be performed with minimal specialized infrastructure, at the patient’s home or in their hospital room. Additionally this can be beneficial in places without good laboratory foundation or in emergency situations.  There have also been developments in lab-on-a-chip platforms that allow for one or several laboratory tests or compound screenings to be carried out on a single millimetre-sized chip, such as LabChip Systems by Perkin Elmer or Diagnostic Chips Immunoassay LOC.  It is expected that this systems will become more powerful and able to detect more conditions as the technology advances further.

Bioinformatics, Gene Sequencing & Personalized Medicine

(Source)

As computing power increases and standard computing costs decrease, there will be a shift towards more data availability and subsequent analysis of huge data sets.  The National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) GenBank database has become one of the most important tools for all biological researchers and contains over 150 billion nucleotide bases, which is continuing to grow exponentially, doubling every 10 months. This provides researchers with more information at a higher, population level allowing them to have a more comprehensive picture of normal versus diseased states enabling identification of more genetic or epigenetic based diseases.  A general shift towards having more electronically recorded medical records will also permit easier data sharing among researchers and clinicians providing the opportunity for new discoveries.

Additionally with the price of genomic sequencing falling and the speed at which sequences are being produced increasing, the availability of personal genomic sequence profiling is becoming closer to a reality than ever before. With improved uptake by the population and more sequences being added to databases for analysis, a more detailed and precise a picture of each individual’s state will become possible enabling much more personalized medicine.  Developments in personalized medicine will allow for better diagnosis, improved safety of prescribed drugs and more efficacious treatments. Current research into pharmacogenetics is expected to vastly change the pharmaceutical industry to provide personally tailored medications based on an individual’s genetic profile and reduce harmful side-effects.  While there is still much research to done, the field is growing strongly and there is a high acceptance for more personalized medicine among patients.

Bioremediation, Bioreactors & Biofuels

(Bioreactors)

While it has long been known that microorganisms play a crucial role in degradation of waste material it is only recently that scientists began utilizing them for eliminating contaminants and pollutants from the environment.  This intensification is the result of our improved awareness of the impact that pollutants have on our environment and subsequently our health and the health of the planet.  A variety of microorganisms from bacteria to fungi have been identified that degrade and eliminate effluents from the environment and are being currently being used.  Recent research has also provided insights into the optimal conditions for specific organism’s metabolism of contaminants which will provide improved degradation.  Further research that is currently underway into optimization of conditions, identification of new remediating organisms, and genetic manipulation of existing organisms will provide great improvements in this process in the future.

(Algae Biofuel Production)

Another emerging application for biotechnology involving microorganisms is the creation of biofuels.  The use of algae as a biomass for biofuel generation has gained tremendous momentum in recent years as the realities and difficulties of using plant-based and agricultural by-products as biomass have become apparent.  Algal biofuel production has many advantages over plant-based biomass such as providing high yields in small areas, minimal impact on freshwater sources, and not using land typically used for food agriculture. Additionally, algal-based biofuels have higher returns on energy and release lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional advanced biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol.  This has spurred it into the forefront as the primary biomass for the next generation of biofuels and advancements in this area are expected to drive it into the future.