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Applying for a patent is done through the United States Patent Office. I highly recommend that you enlist the services of a registered patent attorney. Get references and make sure you meet with the attorney before snagging them.

Market research can be obtained through online surveys, focus groups, and plenty of traditional research online and in libraries. You can also hire research firms to conduct some of this for you. A cost effective option is to talk with the local college or University. Many have entrepreneur programs and will work with outside clients.

The prototype question was addressed in post #29, sourcing question is in post #22

Finding a good patent attorney should be through word of mouth, but you can also get a complete list of registered patent attorneys at http://www.uspto.gov/

Commercializing your product is what makes the investment worthwhile. You need to identify who the customer is and the most appropriate channels of distribution to be effective. There are sales organizations out there, but BEWARE of the invention promotion forms that love your product and want money upfront to commercialize it.

Bottom line...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.