New prefab orthoses idea -how do I take this to market.

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All,

I have in my mind an idea for a pre-fabricated foot orthosis system which is unique in the market place (several actually- full of ideas me). Here's my problem, I don't have the money or equipment to take these ideas to market nor really the spare £'s to patent them (rich in mind, not in pocket). What I'd really like is to take these ideas to an existing manufacturer and act as a consultant and me get a royalty. But, how do I protect my interests and not get ripped off? If only I'd been invited to join the "think tank" of a well known manufacturer of prefabricated foot orthoses my ideas could have been realised already. Oh well, looks like I'll either take them to the grave or watch as someone else comes up with the same ideas and makes their fortune from them.

Any ideas/ offers of consultancy work appreciated...

 

Simon

Make sure you both sign up to an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) to start with.
Some companies will take a punt on an idea but not many have spare cash.
The trick is to get a 'champion' within the company who will 'sell' it to the people that matters.
In our company (the Ostomy division) we have done this several times (patients have come up with new ideas and get a royalty for every product sold.).

Speaking from experience of trying to launch my own 'innovative' insole from within our company, the hardest part has been proving the business case - market information on sales is non-existent.

Hope this helps

Phil

 

Simon,

Not sure if this thread is still open or whether you succeeded in getting your product to market. If it is still an unforfilled quest, drop me a line. tmitchell@vasyli.com

Your ideas etc can be fully protected via a NDA which I can provide.

Terry Mitchell
Medical Director
Vasyli International

PS I look after the 'THINK TANK"

 

Simon - see what happens.

You ask and you shalt receive! I have been asking Terry for years if I could be be part of "think tank", it took you all of one post. I am so jealous!!!! I still cannot work out whether Terry won't let me be part of think tank because:

a) I don't really have any good ideas, or;

b) I just really don't have any really good ideas.....

c) I am not good looking enough to have one of those little black and white photos taken of me - click here to see the wall of fame!




Good luck with it all Simon, Terry is an outstanding man to work with.

PS - Terry will you be at DFCON in 2010?

PPS - I have asked Santa for one of those little black and white photos for Christmas! Its all I want!

 

I can just see the magazine advertisement now: Simon holding his chin with one hand, looking seriously at the camera, in black and white, with direct side-lighting to increase the contrast and dramatic nature of the photo.....introducing the new Vasyli-Spooner Orthosis!!!!

Sorry, Simon, they won't let you do the photo shoot with your hair in a mohawk. :drinks

 

DEFCON what? I'm only familiar with 1-5. I'll take that as a recommendation. If it doesn't work out, I'll blame you Paul.

 

Paul, fear not all will come to those who wait! I think you would photograph real well - NO ex passport photographs allowed by the way.....

 

I know Spooner doesn't look like this really but can't help but picture him like this when I talk to him...

 

Simon,

Can you email your email address. tmitchell@vasyli.com

 

Kevin,
You know the "Spooner pose" too well (I can still pull off a mean Nester though). It's that time in my life where I feel I need that photo shoot (and Alison is kicking me toward it). Even Johnny Rotten did "I'm a celebrity... get me out of here". We'll see, Kevin. You know me, "typical but critical... " We'll see where it goes..............

P.S. If I ever get there, I swear I'll do everything in my power to be sporting a mohawk.

 

I see the future.........

Podiatrist : I would like you to try these prefab orthotics....

Patient: the feel great etc

Podiatrist: they are called the Spooner

Patient : Ive just been Spoonered

Maybe if the patient was John Cleese, sometime I amuse myself !!!

 

That's exactly how I look. "Ginger, they're on to us".

 

You are all a bunch of gits, and I love you. :drinks

 

Simon:

I don't know if you will be able to stand it......you will have to be nice sometimes if you start promoting a product.....I don't think your heart can stand that much niceness.....do you?...

Tell Alison, for me, good job!......the women are always right........the husband that listens to his wife is, indeed, a very smart man.

 

Warm hands, cold heart? Dirty pants, clean bottom? Thanks, Kevin. :drinks

P.S. I'm not nice already?

 

Kinda like I am......using niceness PRN......:drinks

 

Keep the Mohawk. You can be the think tank's "keeping it real" guy.

And you are probably very nice. You are what might be called a pineapple person. Spikey on the outside but sweet in the middle .

It is funny how your mental image of someone develops based on their avatar and posts. We should all get those ernest photos done!

I want to be spoonered too!

Regards
Robert

 

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went...
"Wee wee wee" all the way home...

 

Newest Member of the Podiatry Arena Think Tank

Simon Spooner, PhD (I think the mohawk would suit you much better. :drinks

 

What a handsome chap, just a shame he couldn't be bothered to open both eyes.

 

Act F.A.S.T!

 

Alternatively, I may just have been a couple of sheets to the wind and trying my best to attempt "the single Nester"

 

Simon,

As an inventor myself (I hold about 10 patents), I have little faith in an NDA by itself. Unless you have tremendous trust in the party with whom you are dealing, or the legal wherewithall (pronounced money...which you have already acknowledged is an issue) to prosecute an NDA violator, it's not worth the paper it's written on.

In the USA, I would first perform as complete a prior art search as possible using online resources (uspto.gov) and then I'd prepare a provisional patent application. Use an existing patent as a template. A provisional does not cost much to file. As I recall it is about $400 in the USA. Then get the NDA when you deal with a potential licensee. This gives you proof of a date and if the NDA does go south, you can still go ahead and follow through with filing the patent based on it.

Trust no one, and hopefully you won't get screwed. Good luck.

After your provisional is filed...give us a call...we may be interested.

 

Just maybe this deserves it's own thread? Members can post their own interpretation of the think tank poses... Could lead to an amusing build up to Xmas and we could have two awards to give away at the end of the year.... Poser and quote of the year...

Or am I now just getting silly?

 

Hi Simon,

Inundated with offers of help!

In my experience the majority of clinical "inventors" overestimate the commercial potential of their invention. However, if you want to go forward I have to agree with Arjen - start the patent process yourself first. Once the idea is registered in your name you have protection even before the Patent is approved.

I would be very happy to discuss setting up some sort of JV to take things forward.

Adrian Bishop
Managing Director
The Langer Group

 

Yes, I have been actually.

I don't think I'm over-estimating the commercial potential of any of my ideas, I'm not an expert in commerce so I'll leave that aspect to those that are. I do however have a sound understanding of foot and lower extremity biomechanics and of foot orthoses. You may be right regarding the patents, but I would need several and I've already signed up to one NDA and given a broad outline of one idea, I should be interested to see where that leads. Kind of sticking my toe in the water. I have a number of ideas and shall be talking to different people about each of them in the near future; kind of a shot-gun approach. No-one might be interested or everyone might be interested. I might get ripped off by one of them or all of them, but at least I'll know that my ideas are good or bad.

Adrian, if I knew what a JV was I might be happy too. I'm guessing joint venture..... Many thanks for the offer, you too Arjen. But for the moment at least you'll need to join the queue.

You can contact me on skspooner@blueyonder.co.uk

Best wishes,
Simon

 

Dragon's Den?

It would be an episode worth watching for once...

 

There was a strangely familiar apparition at this year's Glastonbury festival - forget mullets or mohawks.....Kid Spoons Rocks!

 

Simon

I am always interested in new Prefab orthotic ideas - we have done similar deals that you mention.

We would always sign a basic confidentiality agreement before you showed us any product concept We tend to appreciate all the commercial facets of a prefab foot orthotic in terms of multiple market pricing and materials and cost base as we have very strong links with multiple factories for EVA, PU, Polyprop, ABS, Polymer and Silicone gels etc

Remember also we own Algeos Australia and will shortly announce Algeos India and we exported to over 50 countries last year so have a very strong distribution base plus a large marketing team which focus on our own brands like Diaped, Podotech, Slimflex, Interpod and Multicast. Or if we feel its a large oppotunity we can build a new brand with you as the figurehead.

Same goes for any other people with product ideas on Podiatry Arena and it doesn't need to be a foot orthotic.

Please get in touch with me at hugh.sheridan@algeos.com or 0151 448 1228.

Regards

Hugh Sheridan