Someday is Today!

By Ron F. Richard

Like the title says, Someday is Today, this book is for those who work directly with patients to get an up-close and personal glimpse into their unique challenges. so let's get those ideas and inventions out of the coffee cup and into action and see how many patients and clinicians we can help by improving outcomes and care.

In this world where we now are faced with many changes in life and how we practice medicine, it's imperative we – the inventors in the medical world—create new solutions to meet the growing challenges before us. The pandemic associated with COVID-19 will and has made a global impact on our economy and the medical world. In fact, it has become more visible to the world just how essential clinics, ventilators, testing, and, most important, clinicians are to the future of this planet.

 

This book can hopefully assist all of you who are seeking to improve healthcare outcomes while providing you with additional income and an outlet to use different parts of your brain. This book will prevent or reduce trial and error, thus streamlining the process of inventing a product and bringing it to market. Why wait? There is someone out there today who can benefit from your idea.

 

Stop overthinking and start taking action. Get your ideas out of your "coffee cup." Let this book serve as your guide, providing you with the key points to plan, fund, and market it. Within these chapters, you will also learn how to create an effective elevator speech that will attract investors and the host of resources that will facilitate your product and its inception with minimal delays and costs.

 

There's a popular Chinese proverb that says: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now." Someday is today. Reading this book is the first step in making your dream a reality. Let's get started.

 

Ron F. Richard

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ron F. Richad
• Release date: Feb 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393299370

Book preview

SOMEDAY IS TODAY

Get Your Ideas Out of Your Coffee Cup and On the Market

Ron F. Richard Copyright © 2020 Ron F. Richard

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN 978-0-578-79226-2

Although the publisher and the author have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time and while this publication is designed to provide accurate information in regard to the subject matter covered, the publisher and the author assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any other inconsistencies herein and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

The publisher, author, and contributors do not make any guarantee or other promise as to any results that may be obtained from using the content of this book. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the publisher, author, and contributors disclaim any and all liability in the event any information, commentary,

analysis, opinions, advice and/or recommendations contained in this book prove to be inaccurate, incomplete or unreliable, or result in any investment or other losses. This book includes external links that are subject to change, as well as government and organization guidelines, requirements, and regulations that are subject to revision.

Interior coffee cup graphic licensed by Creative Commons, with full rights to print and distribute.

Printed in the United States of America

Acknowledgements and Kudos

I would like to thank all the people who contributed their time, energy, thoughts, and insights to this project. Many are longtime friends and business associates.

A special thanks goes to my daughter, Brenn, who has always been an inspiration and provided ideas for several of my projects over the years. She has worked with me at a few of the medical companies I have been at over the years, doing marketing projects and assisting with a wide range of her talents. She and I have the same passion for gardening and cooking.

Thanks to my son, Luke, who created the website for this book. Over the years, he and I have enjoyed playing soccer together, going fishing, and working on home projects. In his own right, he is also a musician and has played gigs on stage live. He played guitar on my one of my records titled Pretty Girl, which is available on iTunes. I might also mention, Luke has followed in my footsteps as cook in the kitchen but has surpassed me in many ways, especially with his seafood cioppino – yummy!

A shout out to David Corbin who has been my Sherpa on this project, guiding and giving me insight on the writing process. David and I have enjoyed many years of friendship and he is a

surprisingly good percussionist and drummer to boot. Rock on, David, and keep on illuminating.

Many years ago, I met Jeff Chimenti through my business partner, John Debenedetti. Jeff contacted me to discuss his invention, which was a nasal gel pad he initially developed to help his mother. Our first meeting, which was on a golf course, turned into a long-time friendship that has connected us in the medical world but also allowed us to perform some gigs together and enjoy the good vibes.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention my dear wife, Marla. We were married just about a year ago, and I have found in her a new love and energy which has translated in my creating and accomplishing mutual and individual goals. She is an inspiration to me as she is a physician and cares for many patients’ needs each week, while balancing her own life and goals outside of medicine. Marla has helped me as well with this book, and she is a refreshing ray of light in my life as my wife and partner. She will launch her new podcast series in 2021, called On the Couch with Dr. Marla. Stay tuned, it should be enlightening and contain some information that can help you on your journey in life.

A special thanks to my friend and fellow musician from The Budrows, Jason Farthing, who created the cover and artwork for the book. He has helped me with various marketing projects, as well, and is a great songwriter and guitar player. Check out his website www.thebudrows.com and the project he and Macarena Rivera have created over the years. After having played hundreds of shows and writing numerous songs, it is a joy to find a band that fit my background and talents so well. So, I have to pinch

myself sometimes because I feel so blessed and have enjoyed touring and performing with them over the years. Maybe after COVID-19 you will hear and see the power of The Budrows live again in 2021.

Again, many thanks to everyone for their contributions. Looking back on 2020, it was a difficult year for many of us. But somehow, I saw firsthand how this pandemic created new ways for us to thrive and move forward in life, despite the challenges. Inventors experience many obstacles over the course of developing and launching new products, but some special innate qualities drive them both physically and mentally past those hurdles in order to achieve their goals. This year, with my tours being cancelled with The Budrows and other medical projects put on hold for various reasons, gave me the chance to write this book and get my ideas out of my coffee cup. I look forward, as many of us do, to what is in store in 2021. I wish you the best in your journey to create new and innovative products.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my father, who was an engineer and inventor, and to all the people who have great ideas and want to share them with the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Dear Reader,

What goes through your mind when a friend asks you to write a foreword to a book they have written? For me, it was a mixture of realizing it is an honor to be asked, followed by the immediate dread. What is the deadline, I asked? Soon was the answer I did not want to hear. Procrastination is the most immediate defense for these mixed feelings. But in this book, Ron teaches us how procrastination is the last thing we should be doing if we want to get an invention to the market. My experience with Ron is that he will get things done. I have known him many years. I have personally watched him get products into the healthcare market, which is especially challenging. Ron not only shares his knowledge of doing this but also how to have fun while doing it.

In this book, he discusses how to research an idea and get a patent for it. Also discussed are the harsh realities of dealing with competitors and legal pitfalls of patent infringements. This book reviews the process of developing a successful invention, including the engineering, regulatory, manufacturing, sales and

marketing skills needed. He recounts his experiences with these products to help the reader understand how an apparent daunting task can be accomplished. Thankfully, he has provided a blueprint on how to go from an initial idea while sipping coffee to a fully developed product on shelves.

Ron shares his own real-world experiences, as well as those from his professional colleagues who have also succeeded in bringing inventions to life to help others. The reader may find just being able to understand the invention process from a patent attorney’s perspective may be very rewarding for the time invested in reading this book. Learning about the regulatory process, including Ron’s experience working with the FDA, is clearly presented to help avoid pitfalls.

If you have ever had an idea that could be developed into a product that would be valuable to other people, the information Ron Richard shares in this book may help you finally get it done. There is no need to procrastinate any longer.

Rafael Pelayo, MD

Introduction

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My career in the healthcare industry began in 1973. As a respiratory therapist and paramedic, I was dedicated to helping improve the quality of life for people during

times of distress and illness. Naturally, I treated patients who were suffering from asthma, COPD and other breathing conditions and disorders, whether they were the result of illness or accident.

Those who work directly with patients get an up close and personal glimpse into their unique challenges. I was not an exception. While taking care of patients, primarily those with respiratory conditions and who needed assistance or intervention with ventilation, I witnessed firsthand the frustration and anxiety they experienced as a result. In particular, I observed many patients who were on ventilators, which rendered them unable to talk. Witnessing the distress that stemmed from the loss of communication, which most people take for granted, gave birth to my desire to help them overcome this deficit ... and my first invention.

The first invention I developed was a communication board used to support patients who have been intubated, and, therefore, rendered unable to speak. It was a simple aid that was utilized by nursing personnel, medical staff, patients, and their family that gave them the ability to communicate their basic needs. After consulting with respiratory patients and staff members,