To date, technology transfer from academia to industry has been strongest in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector. The medical imaging and medical device industries have traditionally been smaller players and, as a result, some, perhaps many, investigators in radiology are unaware of the potential value of technology transfer and the opportunity to receive sponsorship for research from medical imaging companies. Many investigators are also unaware of opportunities to introduce important academic discoveries into clinical practice through licensing and technology transfer. These untapped opportunities are not only valuable, but also are becoming more and more important in light of the ever-increasing difficulties associated with sustaining and receiving new government funding. The goal of this article is to provide academic scientists in the field of radiology with insights about the key aspects of the technology transfer process, including observations about inventions, intellectual property, and industry-sponsored research.
The number of scientific discoveries patented in recent years has steadily increased. The average annual increase in patent filings between 1996 and 2005 was about 8% ( ). Although most of these patented discoveries continue to be made by scientists from industry, the number of patents filed by academic institutions is growing rapidly; for example in 1995, 157 academic institutions reported 2,715 US patent application filings, whereas in 2004, 192 academic institutions reported 10,517 new patent application filings ( ). The growth in academic filings is also paired with a steady increase in academic license income; for example, in 1995, 157 academic institutions reported a net license income of $414 million, whereas in 2004, 196 academic institutions reported a net license income of $1.385 billion ( ).
A key turning point in the development of technology transfer by academia was the passing of the University and Small Business Patent Procedures Act, often referred to as the Bayh-Dole Act, in 1980. Among its other advantages, the Bayh-Dole Act granted US universities, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations intellectual property control of inventions that resulted from federal government–funded research ( ). Federally funded researchers are required by the Act to seek patents for their inventions to protect their commercial value, without which they are unlikely to ever benefit the public. Before the enactment of the Bayh-Dole Act, the US government had accumulated 30,000 patents, of which only about 5% were commercially licensed. In addition to the passing of the Bayh-Dole Act, the emerging and maturing of research-based industries and the strengthening of patent protection appear to have supported the rapid rise in academic patenting ( ).
Another contributor to the recent increase in patent activity in academia is closer relationships with industry, as reflected by the increasing number of industry-funded research agreements ( ). Such research relationships between academia and industry have grown in large part because of the reasonable cost of conducting research on an academic campus and also the absolute need for access to patients for clinical trials.
Securing National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding is becoming increasingly difficult, and many scientists who were once well-funded by the NIH have faced great difficulty sustaining or receiving new NIH funding. Industry funding, through direct, sponsored research funding and potential payments for intellectual property arising from such funding, is a potential alternative. Other nongovernment funding sources such as philanthropy, as well as funding from government agencies other than the NIH such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Department of Defense, can provide academic institutions with funding, but the scale is less than either NIH or industry funding. The goal of this article is to provide academic scientists in the field of radiology with insights about the key aspects of the technology transfer process, including observations about inventions, intellectual property, and industry-sponsored research.
Technology transfer in academic institutions
Intellectual property (IP) is the term used to refer to the product of the mind or intellect. Many academic institutions, including hospitals, maintain technology transfer offices or programs that manage intellectual property developed during the course of research and facilitate interactions with industry. Technology transfer offices in larger institutions are typically staffed by experienced professionals with diverse backgrounds in licensing, patenting, bench research, business, and law—each a unique and invaluable perspective for successfully evaluating the commercialization potential of developing technologies.
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The nature of inventions in the field of radiology
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Imaging System Hardware
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Imaging System Software
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Data Acquisition Methods
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Image Reconstruction Methods
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Image Processing Methods
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Intellectual property
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When to contact the technology transfer office?
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Industry-sponsored research
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Table 1
Survey Responses
Research Sponsorship Service Quality Number of Publications Delay of Manuscript Submission in Months Government Funding Industry Funding Invention Disclosures Number of Patent Filings Number of Patent Licensed Out Joint Inventions Benefit for other Academics Overall Design Evaluation Clinical Other Equipment Software Money Other Pos Neg ↓ in % = ↑ in % No < 2 >2 ↓ in % = ↑ in % ↓ in % = ↑ in % ↓ in % = ↑in % ↓ in % = ↑ in % ↓ in % = ↑ in % Never Sometimes Always Data Software Hardware Samples Other Pos Neg Institution A X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Institution B X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Institution C X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Institution D X X X X Institution E X X Institution F X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
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Conclusion
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Acknowledgments
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References
1. US Patent and Trademark Office. Available online at: http://www.uspto.gov/ . Accessed August 29, 2007.
2. Association of University Technology Managers. FY 2004 licensing survey. Available online at: http://www.autm.net/events/File/04AUTMSurveySum-USpublic.pdf . Accessed June 25, 2006. Available online at: http://www.autm.net/events/File/04AUTMSurveySum-USpublic.pdf . Accessed June 25, 2006.
3. The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980: Patent rights and inventions made with federal assistance, 35 U.S.C. §200–211 (1980).
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5. Academic research and development: National Science Board. Science and Engineering Indicators 2006, vol 1, NSB 06-01.2006.National Science FoundationArlington, VA:pp. 5-50.
6. World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO patent report: statistics on worldwide patent activity (2006 ed). Available online at: http://www.wipo.int/freepublications/en/ . Accessed March 10, 2007. Available online at: http://www.wipo.int/freepublications/en/ . Accessed March 10, 2007.
7. Togneri M. First-to-invent vs. first-to-file and other patent issues-where do you stand? Available at online at: http://www.todaysengineer.org/2005/Jul/poll.html . Accessed April 9, 2007.