Opinions Sought...
So, I invented several years ago, as many of you know, a medical device that triggers the dive reflex to treat trauma and disease. This device, ironically enough, saved my life when I had my GI bleed back in October. The device is cheap, easy to apply, and has a multitude of applications.
One of the most important applications is drastically increasing the survivability of blood loss in the field. This is does especially well when the outside temp is hot and when the patient is young, making it ideal for use for soldiers in Iraq.
We have pursued patent status on the device, but, as is very common, the initial round was rejected.
So here is the question:
I could continue to go after the patent and, eventually (1 to 2 years) actually receive the patent. A year after that, it would probably be licensed and I would make an amazing amount of money. The draw back of this approach is that the device would not make it to market for 4 to 5 years, during which time literally thousands and possibly tens of thousands of people, many of them children or soldiers, who could have been saved by it, will have died.
Or, I could donate it to the defense Advance Research Products Agency, who has an entire department dealing with blood loss survival, with the stipulations that A) my name is credited as the inventor, and B) the device is to be immediately public domain.
With the second option, I will not make any money at all, but I will get the medical credibility that I do not currently have due to the fact that I have never gone to medical school. I will also end up with some pretty serious contacts in the military, which I can put to good use.
Any thoughts?
One of the most important applications is drastically increasing the survivability of blood loss in the field. This is does especially well when the outside temp is hot and when the patient is young, making it ideal for use for soldiers in Iraq.
We have pursued patent status on the device, but, as is very common, the initial round was rejected.
So here is the question:
I could continue to go after the patent and, eventually (1 to 2 years) actually receive the patent. A year after that, it would probably be licensed and I would make an amazing amount of money. The draw back of this approach is that the device would not make it to market for 4 to 5 years, during which time literally thousands and possibly tens of thousands of people, many of them children or soldiers, who could have been saved by it, will have died.
Or, I could donate it to the defense Advance Research Products Agency, who has an entire department dealing with blood loss survival, with the stipulations that A) my name is credited as the inventor, and B) the device is to be immediately public domain.
With the second option, I will not make any money at all, but I will get the medical credibility that I do not currently have due to the fact that I have never gone to medical school. I will also end up with some pretty serious contacts in the military, which I can put to good use.
Any thoughts?