Study the results of the patent research. You may be out of luck if a previously patented invention is very similar to yours; you may even be an infringer on another’s invention. On the other hand, one or more patents may describe inventions that are intended for the same purpose as yours but are significantly different in various ways. Look these over and decide whether it is worthwhile to proceed. Consult a patent attorney if you have any doubt.

If the features that make your invention different from the prior art provide important advantages, you should discuss the situation with your attorney to determine whether a fair chance exists of obtaining a patent covering these features.

I’ve found from experience that a good patent attorney can often get some claim to issue, albeit not always a strong one. A patent for patent’s sake is usually possible. Whether it will be worth the paper it is printed on is another matter. Do not make this decision lightly, because the patent process is not cheap. The average utility patent costs about $2,500.