If you prefer, you may answer these questions using this downloadable Word document.
Type "individual" if there are no current obligations to assign to an institution or corporation.

Invention Details

Short title to your invention
Please describe the invention briefly. If possible, attach a manuscript, a research proposal, a sketch (with all elements numbered and described herein), a drawing or any other materials that would assist in the understanding of the invention.
Click or drag files to this area to upload. You can upload up to 8 files.
Attach any documentation or figures explaining invention. PDF, Word, JPG, PNG and PowerPoint accepted.
Has the invention been reduced to practice?
Identify and describe the closest technological development, either in the U.S. or abroad, that you are aware of. Such technology may have been described in any patent or publication, or presented at a public talk or trade fair, or be on sale now or in the past or near future.
Do you know if anyone else has invented something similar which is not yet publicly available? If so, please identify and describe it.
Please specify the differences between your invention and the closest prior technology. What advantages does your invention provide over the prior technology? What defect(s) does it overcome? What problem does it solve?
What are all possible uses for the invention?  Please speculate reasonably on any additional uses that your invention may have, either by itself or in combination with other known, or as yet unknown, technology.
What is (or are) the best way (or ways) of carrying out your invention? (Include in the description any peculiar, necessary or unusual properties, characteristics or functions of such parts of the invention and any other special conditions, such as temperature, pressure, dimensions, proportions and the like, which are important to the operativeness of the attainment of the purpose of the invention. Include any chemical formula or electrical computation necessary to an understanding of the invention. Attach hereto all original and preliminary written descriptions of this invention.) If a product (chemical or otherwise), what are the optimum materials and proportions? If a process, what are the optimum conditions and parameters?
Are there any disadvantages or problems with your invention?  Can they be overcome?  How?
Have you or any of your collaborators described this invention or a similar invention in whole or part in manuscripts, reports, grant applications, theses, abstracts, oral presentations, demonstrations, or sales catalogues? If so, describe each event with dates and authors.
Have any patent applications been filed on closely related inventions? Identify them, if possible.
Prior disclosures or sales are critical and strongly affect what patent rights are available.
Are you planning any disclosure of the invention in the future? Is there any imminent publication, or oral presentation, or showing or offer of sampling or sale of the invention?
Would the invention have market potential in countries other than the U.S.? Which countries?
I believe in good faith that the foregoing information is true and accurate
=