with patent-protected medical technology

Medical technology improves the quality of life, indeed it often saves lives. By the time a product is ready for the market, however, medical technology companies have not only incurred high development costs, they have invested their ideas and innovative strength. If the resulting new innovation is not carefully protected by patents, these investments rarely pay off. Other market players can readily profit from the invention - legally and without any investment or innovation on their part.

Technical protection rights, such as patents, can help you to prevent this. With careful formulation of the scope of protection afforded by a medical technology patent, you may also gain protection and cover for future iterations and applications of your invention that you may not have considered, nor even conceived, at the time of innovation. For example, the new lattice structure of a cerebral stent may also work with a corona stent. If your granted patent provides protection covering more than one application - all the better.

Patents for cross-technology medical devices 

Medical technology is a complex, often multi-disciplinary, field, generally characterized by inventions in disparate technical fields. A common example is the combination of computer technology and mechanical engineering: patent protection is possible not only for the device or machine, but also for the software that controls and regulates the hardware product. In this case, it is a good idea to present the patent application in the field of computer technology and mechanical engineering at the same time, or in other cases to include detailed aspects of electrical engineering, physics or chemistry.

Just as engineers and technical staff from different disciplines work together in product and concept development teams, we have patent attorneys with different technical and scientific backgrounds taking care to provide you with a patent application and expert prosecution that best protects your medical technology innovation.
 

Medical technology patents also work internationally

Securing a technical edge against international, even global, competition is becoming increasingly difficult. Medical technology companies have long since offered their products across the global market, even in the face of these difficulties. Patent protection, especially for innovative core medical technology products, must therefore not stop at the borders of the original market. Rather, it is important to territorially extend patent protection for medical technology patents in such a way that it offers security and rights wherever it is needed, whilst at the same time keeping costs within budget.

Not every medical technology patent need necessarily be enforced abroad. The deterrent effect of medical technology patents outside of the core market should, however, not be underestimated, especially in highly competitive market segments.
 

No patent protection for medical procedures

Surgical and therapeutic procedures are generally excluded from patent protection. This is also a correct limitation. If it were otherwise, it would be unreasonably difficult for doctors to employ a medical procedure in the treatment of their patients. Medical technology products are expressly not subject to this restriction. They can readily be protected by corresponding patents - an option that you should consider for your product portfolio in medical technology.

If you are unsure about the extent to which your development in the field of medical technology is eligible for protection, please feel free to contact us at any time.  You will find the contact details of our patent attorneys specialized in medical technology on this page.