The time it takes a discovery to move from the filing to approval stage ranges from two to seven years. A stepbystep overview of a patent application and maintenance process.The five stages of a patent process. This guide will help you navigate the resources we provide at The Ohio State University Libraries as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC). Portal hypertension is high blood pressure in the portal vein that runs through your liver. The program strives to match inventors with volunteer attorneys who donate their services to help file patent applications. This tutorial will focus on patents and the process for securing a patent in the U.S. First, let's consider why we have a patent system? Typical University Developed Intellectual Property. ▫ Patents – protect ideas, exclude others from making, using, selling.