Medical devices increasingly combine mechanical design, electronics, and software — Craige Thompson's engineering background means he can capture all three in claims built to survive the scrutiny that comes with high-value medical IP.
A medical device patent protects the structure and function of a device used to diagnose, monitor, or treat a patient — how it's built and how it achieves its therapeutic or diagnostic effect. We regularly handle:
A medical device patent is a separate process from FDA clearance — the patent protects your right to exclude others from making or selling the invention, while the FDA process governs whether you can market it. The two run on different timelines, and we help clients plan for both.
Many modern medical devices combine a mechanical structure with embedded sensors and control electronics — a therapy mask that regulates temperature, a diagnostic tool that processes a signal, a monitor that transmits data. Craige Thompson's background as a licensed electrical engineer (PE) means he can evaluate and claim the electronics and control systems inside a device accurately, not just the mechanical housing around them — which matters when a competitor's design-around attempt targets exactly that boundary.
Tell us about your invention in a free patent assessment. We'll tell you honestly whether it's patentable, what it would take to protect it, and what it would cost.
Get a Free Patent AssessmentUtility patents protect how a device works — its function and mechanism. Design patents protect how it looks. Most medical devices benefit from a utility patent; some also pursue a design patent for a distinctive housing or form factor. We can help you decide which (or both) fits your invention.
They're independent and can run in parallel. Filing a patent application doesn't require FDA clearance, and clearance doesn't require an issued patent — but many companies file the patent application before submitting to the FDA, since the invention typically needs to be finalized for both.
It depends heavily on complexity — a device with mechanical, electrical, and software elements costs more to draft thoroughly than a purely mechanical one. We provide a specific estimate after reviewing your invention in a free assessment, rather than a generic number that doesn't reflect your actual device.
No. You need to describe the device and how it achieves its therapeutic or diagnostic effect in enough detail for someone skilled in the field to build and use it. Clinical data isn't a filing requirement, though it can support certain claims later.
Yes, provided the improvement is specific and not obvious — a new mechanism, a novel sensor integration, or a meaningfully different way of achieving the therapeutic effect.
