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Patent support for medical device and medtech teams

Schell IP helps medical-device founders and product teams evaluate patent opportunities in instruments, implants, delivery systems, connected devices, and related technical workflows. We connect the details of the device with the development decisions that shape its commercial use.

Surgical instruments arranged in an operating room

Photo: Piron Guillaume / Unsplash

Jeff Schell's published background includes leadership at spinal implant company TranS1 and women's health testing company Proov. That experience informs conversations about how patent work fits product development and commercialization, without predetermining the outcome for a new invention.

Follow the device as the design evolves

Medical-device development can change the geometry, materials, interfaces, or operating steps that initially made a concept attractive. We help teams organize these changes and discuss whether existing disclosures address the version moving toward market.

Patent planning can also account for clinician and engineer contributions, manufacturer involvement, and future product versions. Keep the patent analysis coordinated with other workstreams while recognizing that patent rights and regulatory permission answer different questions.

Focus the review on the product

  • The mechanism, structure, or technical workflow that distinguishes the device.
  • Design changes arising from testing and clinical-use feedback.
  • Contributors, assignments, and development relationships.
  • The relationship between the device, its accessories, and existing patent assets.

Common questions

Does a patent provide regulatory permission to sell a device?

No. Patent rights and regulatory authorization are separate. The device's applicable regulatory requirements need their own assessment.

Can a component or instrument improvement warrant a filing?

Potentially. The technical contribution and prior art matter more than whether the improvement affects the entire device.

Does our patent application resolve third-party patent risk?

No. Obtaining claims and evaluating freedom to operate are separate analyses.

Review the next device milestone

Book a Free Consultation about a medical-device concept, design change, or patent portfolio priority.

Jeff Schell, patent lawyer and founder of Schell IP

Meet patent lawyer Jeff Schell

Jeff Schell is a patent lawyer and entrepreneur who helps people and businesses in the medtech industry obtain and defend patent rights for their product portfolios. He connects patent strategy with product development, commercialization, and business priorities.

Based in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, Jeff is the founder of Schell IP, which is part of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP.

Meet Jeff Schell

Please share only a general description and your timing. Do not submit confidential invention details through this website. A consultation request does not by itself establish an attorney-client relationship.

Book a free patent consultation.

Learn how the entrepreneurial experience and legal expertise of patent lawyer Jeff Schell provides highly unique advantages for our clients.