Commercialization Assistance

Programs

I had the opportunity to pitch my project to senior biomedical engineering students at the University of Michigan. The students and I are working together, with M-PED support, to develop product specifications and create a functional prototype.

Matt McCord, MD,
Anesthesiologist at St. Joseph Mercy Health System, Ypsilanti, MI

Commercialization Assistance

Do you have an idea? Commercialization assistance is available from the following entities.

For University of Michigan Inventors:

If you are a first-time inventor at the University of Michigan, we recommend that you consult the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) to understand the guidelines and options. University of Michigan commercialization programs work closely with the OTT to guide you on your intellectual property path. However, only the OTT can draft and submit licenses and patent applications for University of Michigan technologies.

Fast Forward Medical Innovation

Fast Forward Medical Innovation (FFMI) is a unit of the University of Michigan Medical School Office of Research, and provides commercialization education, assistance, funding, and other resources to University of Michigan faculty and staff. They specialize in four main areas: medical devices, diagnostics, healthcare IT, and therapeutics for both adult and pediatric applications.

Visit their website for more information and to schedule an idea consultation.

Coulter Translational Research Partnership

The Coulter Translational Research Partnership is a commercialization fund to develop University of Michigan biomedical technologies for spin-out or license. The projects must be a collaboration between faculty in the College of Engineering and a practicing clinician in a University of Michigan clinical department. This program specializes in medical devices, surgical tools, diagnostic assays, and other biomedical tools for both adult and pediatric applications.

Visit their website for more information.

For Non-University of Michigan Inventors:

There are several Pediatric Device Consortia (PDCs) around the United States providing commercialization assistance to inventors developing medical devices (only) for children. They each offer a variety of services, which may include:

A multi-part, commercially-oriented assessment
Risk mitigation for early-stage biomedical technologies and concepts
Project management
Funding Opportunities
Product development guidance related to:

Identifying engineering and clinical collaborators

Developing designs and prototypes (in-house with M-PED's Prototype Lab and in-coordination with external partners)

Determining regulatory and reimbursement pathways

Commercial plan development,

Intellectual property (IP) execution coordination with the UM Office of Technology Transfer

Developing partnership and funding strategies

Please visit the PDC websites below for a list of services and contact information. You do not need to reside in the same state as the PDC to receive advice, services, or funding.