Ideas may not be protected because of intellectual property rights. Copymatic can protect your ideas for brainstorming and for your headhunter concept.

The number of patent filings has increased for healthcare technology, partially due to the lack of IP awareness among innovation-driven start-ups. Start-ups in the medtech field should take the opportunity to secure their patents on their new innovations.

Certain healthcare companies are using investors to fund their rapid innovation programs. There is a risk that IP is not being prioritised early enough, leaving competitors with a chance of copying innovations on route to market while they cannot.

Many businesses may not be aware of the importance of patents, as they are focused on opportunities to collaborate and start new deals. While this is a sign of success, it can lead to the ‘early disclosure’ of an innovation and render them unpatentable. To avoid these consequences, sign a non-disclosure agreement and use inviolable communication.

Whereas many AI-based innovations are not patentable, certain types of patents can be obtained. For example, Medical start-ups developing AI-enabled systems have less risk in patenting as patents cannot be challenged on the basis that they relate to unpatentable subject matter issue.

66% of European patent applications for AI algorithms are primarily based on AI applications outside the field. Also, an increasing number of patent applications are being filled to protect new, novel AI algorithms and approaches to help with the imperfection that comes with patents.

In developing medtech devices, innovators need to invest large sums of funding. Large sums of funding go towards developing and training models, testing their use for specific applications, licensing agreements, and clinical trials. This protects commercial activities through means of patent protections and generates income through licensing agreements.

When businesses are successful, investors are more likely to take an interest. One measure of success is having a large and quality portfolio of patents. In 2014, C the Cancer was able to raise £5 million because it has a functioning AI platform for cancer detection.

Medical technology companies should remember the importance of protecting their intellectual property (IP) early on because it reduces the risk that another company steals the idea. It’s also important to be aware of IP when negotiating agreements with third parties, as you need to agree who owns the IP at the start and what IP they will share. A patent application system can reduce existing IP concerns as well as act as a negotiation tool for a new type of intellectual property (IP).

Seeking professional advice is important when determining the best time to file a patent. An 18-month waiting period means that there is a risk that somebody else might patent something similar.

Medtech start-ups need to protect their IP in order to commercialise their work. Patents may be an integral part of this process for AI-enabled medical technology.