Within our company a project we started last year needed a good amount of information before we introduced the idea for a formal project. First off we had an R&D phase for the product in which we tested it’s effectiveness and after about 5-6 months of testing against various conditions we developed an animal trial. During the time of R&D we also did research on similar products and literature research on if the material was able to be patented. The animal trials took another 2-3 months of development and implementation as there were many regulations we needed to adhere to in order to conduct the trial. At the end of all this we received a provisional patent on the material and put together a presentation on why this product would be useful to the company and the monetary benefits. All in all the process took a little over a year before we were even able to properly present it. Overall my opinion is that it is an extensive process and rightfully so since medical devices have many risks associated with them for both patients and the companies creating them, therefore all this research and due diligence should be done prior to taking the step towards a formal project because if not done properly there can be a lot of sunk cost for the company. Moreover, if the proper R&D is not done it can affect the consumer as well, if the project makes it to market and a defect is discovered afterwards.