In a series of articles, I’d like to recall and share some of my experiences as a dental product developer since 1987 and some basics about how our own product development process works at Practicon, Inc. Free advice is worth the cost, but maybe something herein will help someone who is equally excited about an idea for a better “mouth” trap.

There are both objective and subjective facts and findings that filter dental product ideas throughout Practicon’s product development process in a series of “go” or “stop” (i.e., kill) decisions. As a product concept moves along towards a hopeful launch, those “filters” become tighter, screening out products we eventually determine that we cannot manufacture or market successfully. Depending on the product, the mass of considerations and decisions that must be undertaken between first understanding an idea and the very first retail sale will be the subject of many more articles and stories to come. Suffice it to say, there are a lot of filters along the way, although no company wants to see an inventor’s idea succeed more than Practicon. Bringing innovative products to market has always been an important part of our mission to Make Dentistry Better.

Even if a new product idea DOES solve a “problem worth solving” according to Practicon’s needs and standards (see Article 4), no two products are the same. There are easy products and complex products. Some come together in weeks and some take years. I wish every idea fit into a 1-2-3 formula and an identical timetable, but I have learned that product development is not that tidy. Some products present us with manufacturing challenges, some present direct marketing challenges, some storage/shipping challenges, some FDA/regulatory challenges, some cost/pricing challenges. Do we have the production contacts, the financial resources, the proper marketing channels, the ability to forecast adequate demand (ROI)? Would the product be sterilizable, have a limited shelf life, create undue liability risk? Is it ahead of its time, right on time, behind the times?

Without rambling any further about subjective product development factors that come into play later, let’s follow up on Article 4 with The Practivations Questionnaire. Here are eight objective questions that I hope will help every inventor prepare a disclosure for Practicon or any other potential development partner. Answers to these questions not only form the basis of an informative disclosure, but they also help the inventor clarify the idea in his/her own mind. This information should accompany any sketches, photographs, videos, or samples you will use to disclose your idea. Answering these questions will also save time and expense if an inventor chooses to pursue a patent. A special thanks goes to Ryan Simmons, our patent attorney at Ward and Smith, PA, for his contributions to this list. Look for contributions from Ryan in future articles on patent specifics.

The Practivations Questionnaire:

1. A brief title and description of your invention: The title of your invention should be a fairly specific description of your product idea (a brief description, not a brand or marketing name). It should provide a snapshot of the invention’s function, purpose, or type. For example, if you had invented the light bulb, the name of your invention might have been “Incandescent filament in a glass vacuum bulb.” My US patent 10,912,632 for our BFC3 Powered Impression Gun has the title “Motor-driven dispensing gun for and method of dispensing fluid/semi-fluid material.”

2. Describe your invention’s objectives. What does it accomplish, or how does it improve what currently exists? This question probably deserves the most thought. Try to stay as objective as possible. Answers to this question may expand on such points as:

• What is the product’s purpose? Remember from Article 1, in my experience the most successful products have a “grand purpose” which benefits humankind in some way, not just yourself.
• What existing products serve a similar purpose, and why is yours better? Do some research. Don’t assume your idea has never been thought of before.
• What are the product’s top 3–4 unique features/benefits?
• How does the product improve productivity, patient care, profitability, and/or professional enjoyment in practice? This question is obviously specific to Practicon.
• Why would someone ELSE purchase this product? Adopt this technique?
• Why do YOU LOVE this idea (again, remember Article 1)?

For example, our BFC3 Powered Impression Gun’s claim to fame is reflected in the marketing name: Better Faster Comfort, Control, and Compatibility when dispensing any dental automix VPS impression material cartridges compared to manual impression guns. It reduces voids, hand fatigue, and procedure time. It is ideal for filling our disposable BFC syringes and for use with our Refill-Ease Cartridge Transfer Connectors. It is the greatest thing to ever happen to analog dental impressions, but I digress ❤️.

3. How does your invention work? Provide a summary of how your invention works. In other words, how does the potential product achieve its objective? For example, a fire alarm achieves its objective by emitting a loud sound when its internal sensor reaches a certain temperature or senses particulates in smoke. The George Foreman Grill achieves its objective using a slanted, ribbed grilling surface and fat receptacle. When food is cooked on the slanted grill, the fat drains down between the ribs into the specifically designed receptacle. Our BFC3 Powered Impression Gun works by driving the plunger rack forward under the power of a motorized, sawtooth-shaped pinion gear.

4. Are there any different ways your invention may be used? Although your invention may have been created to be used a specific way, there are often other ways to use the invention. Describing all the different ways your invention could be used can increase the potential demand, easing the finance/resource justification and broadening the scope of any possible patent protection. For example, although the Weed Eater was primarily designed to trim grass around lawn obstructions, it can also be turned sideways to edge sidewalks. Various attachments can be also incorporated to convert it into a brush cutter and even a powered leaf blower. A baby stroller could be constructed with or without a detachable car seat, with or without storage baskets, and with or without a sun visor. Likewise, our BFC3 Powered Impression Gun is also available in a version modified to dispense rectangular-flange, two-part epoxy for industrial applications.

5. Can your invention be constructed or assembled in a different way to achieve the same objective? There are often alternate ways that an invention can be built or assembled to achieve the same objective. Without going into full engineering-mode, use your own experience to think of various ways your idea could be constructed for the same purpose or application. While seeking the best, most cost-effective method of manufacturing is part of our development process, contributing this information ensures that we do not overlook any additional insights you may have as the inventor. This information can speed development if one manufacturing method or another is more feasible, affordable, or available to Practicon. This information can also broaden the reach of a potential patent. For example, our BFC3 Powered Impression Gun could be designed to have an internal rechargeable battery or a removable battery pack, like cordless power tools.

6. What are the main components or steps for use of your invention? This should include the name of each part or step, and a description of how it works/what each step accomplishes. Descriptions of the main parts or components might include the following:

• The preferred materials used in each component.
• The preferred shape or form of each component.
• Each component’s function in the invention.
• Any other unique aspect of each component.

Additionally, describe how each component interacts with the other components of your invention. For example, on a multi-speed bicycle you would describe how the chain and the sprockets work together to transfer power from the pedals to the wheel via the pairing of progressively sized sprockets. Steps for use should be in order and should include any points at which a step may skip or jump to another.

7. Was this invention created or recorded while you were employed by an educational institution or under contract with a U.S. government agency? Producing an invention while working for a college, university, or government agency may raise issues concerning ownership of the invention, potential patentability, or the ability to manufacture the product under direct license to the specific inventor(s). Practicon would like to know that information up front, so it can be properly handled.

8. Who is/are the inventor(s)? List each person who made a significant contribution to the invention’s conception or construction. What is a significant contribution? A person’s contribution is considered significant if the person’s work is utilized in any way to make the invention unique, or if it is important for the invention’s functionality. For example, the person who added the ability of a fire alarm to detect smoke particulates in addition to rapid changes in temperature would be considered a co-inventor of the fire alarm. The person who simply designed the pre-drilled keyholes for attaching the fire alarm to the ceiling would not be considered a co-inventor.

If you only have a problem that needs solving and not an actual solution to that problem, I hope you will give Practicon the opportunity to solve it with you. While we can only execute NDAs and Product License Agreements (PLAs) with regards to actual product ideas and solutions, it may be that we can develop a practical solution together as co-inventors, thereby creating a situation where we could pay you a royalty. Even if Practicon solves the problem entirely on its own, you will have access to an exciting product that is relevant and useful in everyday practice—or in short, a practical innovation!

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Next up: Practivations Article 6: To Patent or Not to Patent?

Practicon was founded in 1982 with a vision of advancing dental health and increasing practice success through improving patient education. Building on a mission to Make Dentistry Better, we have grown to become a trusted developer and marketer of “Practical Innovations” that provide effective solutions for common problems, sold alongside a growing line of brand-name supplies. Customers describe Practicon’s products as creative, unique, and hard-to-find, many inspired or designed by dental professionals looking to Make Dentistry Better. Our product development mission is to develop exciting products that are relevant and useful in everyday practice—or in short, practical innovations.