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Michael worked with Elekta, now the leading innovator of precision radiation therapy solutions, for over 20 years, from the point at which they acquired the radiotherapy division of Phillips Electronics in 1997. The new company, with a site in Crawley, UK and a site in Stockholm, Sweden, had two distinct portfolios of products - in radiosurgery and in radiotherapy. [ref 1]
The first three applications
Michael’s first engagement with the company was to help them to submit patent applications for three ideas they had. He spent time with them at the site in Crawley, learning about radiotherapy technology in order to be able to write the documentation required.
Regularly consulted on new patent applications
After this first batch of ideas, Elekta regularly asked him to provide assistance with submitting their patent applications. These ideas included an X-ray source which enabled the user to control the pulse pattern (and thus the intensity of the beam) using a mathematical algorithm. Michael spent a week studying the maths principles involved to understand how the algorithm worked with the technology, so that he could structure the application appropriately. Once the European Patent Office finally understood the application they agreed immediately that the idea was new and inventive. It took them a while to get their heads round it, as they had never seen an algorithm of this type being used in this way.
Teamwork and tricky cases
The company grew steadily and later employed an in-house patent manager, who had previously been a patent examiner in Sweden and the EPO, and later qualified as a patent attorney. Michael was able to work very effectively in this way due to his longstanding knowledge of the company and its technologies, which meant that he got to work on their tricky cases.
Complex new technology
In more recent years Elekta moved into a new area, combining CT and MRI scanning technologies. The development of the new equipment involved significant input from both the mechanical engineering and software departments and required Michael to spend a day with them to figure out all the patents that would be needed. As well as needing to understand the complex technology involved for this new equipment, Michael also had to advise on which countries to file the patent applications in, a decision which requires a delicate balance between the costs involved versus the level of protection required.
In the 20 years that Michael worked with Elekta, he estimates that he worked on over 150 patent applications for them. The technology involved has improved gradually over time, becoming more and more precise, with an accuracy now measured in millimetres, compared to in centimetres in 1997.
1 https://www.elekta.com/company/about-us/story/important-turns/
