From Research to Clinic and Beyond-NRC Experience in Commercialization/Technology Transfer.

Medical imaging technologists operate some of the most advanced health care equipment on the market and understand the constant evolution of new hardware, new techniques, and new applications that various manufacturers introduce each year. Before appearing as a new product offering, there is usually a long history beginning with identifying a clinical need, coming up with an idea to solve the clinical problem, preliminary studies, applications for grant funding, scientific review, research ethics board reviews, years of research, intellectual property protection, journal publications, beta testing, regulatory approvals, small-scale trials, larger clinical trials, negotiations with manufacturers, and finally the push to develop a product. This article explores the path from idea to product, providing an appreciation for the amount of work behind a product that appears in the newest software/hardware release seen by a technologist.