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Advance Your Research

For Researchers

Research and development at Seattle Children’s can lead to new technologies, which constitute different forms of intellectual property.  Seattle Children’s Intellectual Property Core commercializes such technologies through invention disclosure management and protection, corporate engagement, licensing, and new venture creation.

Intellectual Property Core Graph

Here’s what you need to know about working with Seattle Children’s Intellectual Property Core:

Commercialization Process

Disclose

  • Research performed by Seattle Children’s workforce members can lead to new intellectual property with commercial value. Commercialization allows scientific discoveries to move out of the lab and improve lives of patients and their families.
  • Submitting a completed invention disclosure form to the Intellectual Property Core is the first step of the commercialization process. This needs to be done before any public disclosures such as posters, publications or presentations to audiences outside of Seattle Children’s. To request an intellectual property disclosure form, email the Intellectual Property Core.

Protect

  • The Intellectual Property Core will review the disclosure to understand the invention, assess patentability, identify the market, and other relevant issues affecting commercialization efforts.
  • Based on the results of the invention disclosure assessment, the Intellectual Property Core may decide to pursue intellectual property protection including patent and copyright protection.

Commercialize

  • The Intellectual Property Core will identify companies and utilize various marketing materials to assess companies’ interest in licensing an invention.
  • A license is the means by which the Intellectual Property Core transfers intellectual property from Seattle Children’s to a company for commercial development.
  • In addition to out-licensing, the Intellectual Property Core is also supportive of faculty-led startup formation.

Impact

  • Licensing brings revenue that can be reinvested into research and education.
  • Licensing also fosters reinvestment in research via other engagements. Companies are often interested in continuing scientific relationships with inventors (through sponsored research agreements, collaboration agreements or other partnerships) and/or in establishing new engagements with Seattle Children’s.
  • This contributes to Seattle Children’s mission to improve outcomes for pediatric patients and their families.
Submit an Invention Disclosure
  • To request an intellectual property disclosure form, email the Intellectual Property Core.
  • The Intellectual Property Core will review the submitted form to ensure that relevant information is not missing. If details are missing or incomplete, you will receive an email to update and resubmit the invention disclosure form.
  • Once the form is complete, you will receive a DocuSign link to sign the invention disclosure form and inventor assignment form.
  • Once all inventors have completed signatures via DocuSign, the disclosure process is complete and the invention disclosure will be assigned to a case manager.
  • The case manager will prepare an invention disclosure assessment within 90 days and will contact you regarding next steps in the commercialization process.
Invention Disclosure Resources

Why commercialize your discoveries?

Commercialization is the process of moving discoveries from the lab to the marketplace.  In many cases, this is the most efficient way to ensure that your research will have impact and improve lives of patients and their families.  It also provides funding for the inventor and for Seattle Children’s, allowing for further research discoveries.

Why submit an invention disclosure?

Submitting an invention disclosure is the official way to notify the Intellectual Property Core about new technologies developed at Seattle Children’s. It is the first step of the commercialization process. We recommend that workforce members disclose early and often, even if you are unsure if your invention is novel.

When to submit an invention disclosure?

An invention disclosure should be submitted before publicly presenting or publishing an invention. Public disclosures include manuscripts, abstracts sent to conferences, posters, oral presentations and non-Seattle Children’s seminars and talks.  In order to secure appropriate intellectual property protection, we recommend that inventors disclose discoveries early and often so that the Intellectual Property Core can take action to protect rights to any inventions and evaluate their commercial value.

How to submit an invention disclosure?

To request an intellectual property disclosure form, email the Intellectual Property Core.

What happens after submission of an invention disclosure?

The Intellectual Property Core will review the disclosure for completeness. If critical information is missing, the Intellectual Property Core will notify you via email to update the form and resubmit. Once the disclosure form is verified as complete, you will receive a DocuSign link to sign the invention disclosure. Each contributor listed on the disclosure will receive an inventor assignment agreement for signature. After the Intellectual Property Core receives signed inventor assignment agreements, the disclosure will be assigned to a case manager. The case manager will evaluate the commercial potential of the technology and develop a commercialization plan that will be detailed in an invention disclosure assessment (IDA) document.  It can take up to 90 days to prepare an IDA. The case manager will contact you about discussing the IDA and follow up with next steps, which may include filing a patent application.

Is the goal of submitting an invention disclosure to be an inventor on a patent?

No, not every invention meets patentability requirements, and not every invention has commercial potential. Obtaining a patent excludes others from using, making, or selling an invention, but the invention must have commercial potential in order to be valuable.

Once a patent application is filed, then what?

Filing a patent application initially secures potential patent rights to an invention, but the goal is to find a commercial partner to make, sell, use and/or further develop the invention. The Intellectual Property Core, in collaboration with Seattle Children’s Office for Science-Industry Partnerships, will look for commercial partners for further development and licensing of those patent rights.

Should I start a company around my technology or should my technology be licensed to an existing company?

The answer to this question depends on a number of factors.

These include:

  • the type of technology.
  • the existing landscape for the area of commercial opportunities.
  • the interest received from commercial partners.

Some technologies are better suited to out-licensing to an existing company that may have an existing program that could benefit from the technology. Other technologies might be suitable for a startup company, for example, in the case of a platform technology.

Contact Us

Intellectual Property Core

For questions or inquiries, email IPC@seattlechildrens.org