Why do patent filings delay my order? | Sales or shipping may wait until filing is complete [OK Prostate Chip]

This page is based on entries from "ok-lab's diary" (https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/), the Japanese development diary written by Mr. Okada, founder of OK Lab, a small company in Japan (Okada Comfortable Life Laboratory). Only the entries about "patent delays before ordering or shipping" are summarized here, in order of publication. Past prices and sizes are as written at the time. Current prices come from the official product list (retrieved September 4, 2026). Quotations are translated from Japanese.

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Note: This page is a personal reading log by someone with no connection to the maker or the seller. It reflects the source entries as of their publication dates and makes no guarantee of accuracy or safety. The product is not a medical device; talk to a doctor about any health decision. Check the official site for current information. This page contains advertising.

In short

• OK Lab sometimes postponed sales or shipments while preparing applications to protect new products.
• Mr. Okada asked customers to wait for filing, further development, or enough information to compare versions.
• The latest entries summarized here describe continued waiting; they do not establish today's release or shipping status.

If you see blood in your urine, even a small amount or for the first time, do not wait and see. See a urologist right away.

If you suddenly cannot urinate, or the device cannot be removed, do not try to fix it yourself. Go to a medical facility, including emergency care, immediately.

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About this product

The OK Prostate Chip is a small device that is placed in the urethra (the urine passage) so that it acts on the prostate; the maker sells it in several shapes, sizes and materials. It is made and sold by OK Lab (Okada Comfortable Life Laboratory), a small company in Japan, through its own online store, and prices are in Japanese yen (JPY). The maker's development diary, "ok-lab's diary", is written in Japanese. This page is an English summary of it, and every quotation is translated. OK Lab ships internationally, so readers outside Japan can order (see "Buying from outside Japan" below). Product names on this page are plain-English descriptions. The official Japanese product name is shown once in the product table so you can find the same item in the store.

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Before you read: key terms

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What happens: patent delays

The OK Prostate Chip is a device placed in the urethra to act around the prostate. The subject here is waiting for the maker to finish paperwork or development before accepting orders, shipping products, or disclosing new designs. Patent applications (paperwork seeking protection for an invention) sometimes triggered these delays. The affected projects included chip assemblies near the prostate, bladder-loop prototypes, and clothing worn outside the body.

A prototype injury report preceded patent delays and promised improvements

In an entry published in June 2018, a tester reported on a sample with a stopper chip (an additional part intended to limit movement). It measured 49 mm long, with a 9 mm prostate-side bulge, a 6 mm narrowing, and a 9 mm rear bulge. The tester reported scraping discomfort and slight bleeding, ending the attempt after about 20 minutes.

The same report described a later trial lasting under 30 minutes, without difficulty taking the device out. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list. Mr. Okada acknowledged the injury risk and promised to consider countermeasures before formal sales began.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published June 2018)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/20180609/1528523953

A separate bleeding report brought improvements and longer patent delays

The entry published in June 2018 also records a different tester's initially favorable response to another stopper-equipped sample. After longer use, that tester reported bleeding and found a burr (a rough projecting edge) on the stopper. Mr. Okada apologized and attributed the defect to carelessness during production.

He described a manufacturing change intended to improve consistency and allow adjustment of the distance between chips. He said these improvements would lengthen the patent paperwork, making July the earliest expected launch.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published June 2018)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/20180609/1528523953

Patent delays pushed another planned launch beyond the end of 2022

In an entry published in November 2022, Mr. Okada said another developing product would be submitted for patent protection. He reported ongoing improvements but said their details would temporarily be withheld. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

His patent attorney (the specialist handling the application) expected filing to be possible before the year's end. Mr. Okada therefore expected sales to begin after the new year, without giving a firm launch date. He invited requests for additional features while development continued.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published November 2022)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/11/26/122622

A shipping delay covered orders already received for the gourd-shaped device

In an entry published in November 2023, Mr. Okada reported orders for a gourd-shaped urethral device together with a retaining accessory. He said a specialist was handling applications to secure rights, and delivery would follow completion of that paperwork. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

The diary does not record whether those particular orders were subsequently delivered. Mr. Okada asked customers to allow extra time before shipment.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published November 2023)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2023/11/11/122638

Patent delays reflected Mr. Okada's concern about selling before filing

In an entry published in April 2024, Mr. Okada reported early orders for the connected chip assembly nicknamed Alien. He said the application plan and drawing requirements were settled, while the drawings themselves were still awaited. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

He explained his refusal to start sales by saying that selling first would remove the invention's newness and invalidate the application. He hoped filing could happen the following week and that the next diary entry could announce sales plans. Mr. Okada asked customers to wait until filing was complete.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published April 2024)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2024/04/06/122941

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The maker's answer to patent delays

The diary ties release decisions to specific filing stages, product readiness, and unresolved terms for each project.

Some patent delays actually involved trademark and design applications

In an entry published in November 2023, Mr. Okada clarified the paperwork for the gourd-shaped device. Trademark registration (a filing concerning its name) had already been applied for. Design registration (a separate application involving drawings) was still being prepared.

He had received draft drawings and hoped to finish that application during the following week. This update described completed filing for the name, rather than completion of every application associated with the device. Mr. Okada said sales would begin once all those applications had been filed.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published November 2023)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2023/11/18/122841

Completed filing ended one sales hold, while another order delay remained

In an entry published in April 2024, Mr. Okada announced that the patent application had been filed. He said sales of chips connected by shape-memory wire (wire with a remembered curve) could begin that day. Earlier requests had been accepted on the condition that shipping would follow filing.

No matching product can be confirmed on the current list. The announcement did not give a confirmed delivery outcome for those requests. For the separate Alien assembly, Mr. Okada still asked customers to wait because its selling price and conditions remained undecided.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published April 2024)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2024/04/20/122856

Possible patent delays depended on advice about the new bladder-loop prototype

In an entry published in August 2025, Mr. Okada described prototypes with nitinol thread (thin wire) forming a loop intended to sit in the bladder. The prototypes combined loops with either two blue screw-shaped chips or a white resin screw-shaped chip, which Mr. Okada hoped would improve stability. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

He planned to consult his patent attorney and temporarily hold sales if protection seemed possible. If the specialist considered the idea unprotectable, he said pricing might be announced the following week instead. Mr. Okada withheld specifications and prices for that week while awaiting advice.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published August 2025)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2025/08/16/122934

If you see blood in your urine, even a small amount or for the first time, do not wait and see. See a urologist right away.

If you suddenly cannot urinate, or the device cannot be removed, do not try to fix it yourself. Go to a medical facility, including emergency care, immediately.

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How patent delays changed over time

The diary does not say what the current state is.

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OK Prostate Chip products related to patent delays

No current product is directly tied to this topic.

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Common worries about patent delays

Customer replies distinguish unavailable prototypes, optional waiting after a quote, and requests that could not be accepted.

"Can I order the silicone underwear before patent delays end?"

In an entry published in October 2022, Mr. Okada said requests for the silicone underwear had already been refused because it was unfinished. He had considered provisional sales the following week, then decided possible patent protection could delay the launch considerably. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

He could not give a filing date because it depended on coordination with his patent attorney. However, he said sales might still begin the following week if that specialist judged the idea unsuitable for a patent. His response to existing requests remained a refusal while the product was unfinished.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published October 2022)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/10/29/122854

"Can I get an Air quote despite patent delays?"

In an entry published in November 2024, a customer asked whether the flexible wire device nicknamed Air could be purchased. Staff could make it and quoted 30-40 cm at ¥5,500, (about $35 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04) plus 3 M screw-shaped chips at ¥9,900 (about $63 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04). An M mesh stopper (a mesh chip) added ¥2,200 (about $14 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04) and handling ¥400 (about $3 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04); the provisional total was ¥18,000 (about $115 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04).

No matching product can be confirmed on the current list. The customer chose to wait for comparison; the diary does not record whether a later order was completed. Mr. Okada advised waiting because filing-related details of a new version intended to stay only around the prostate could not yet be disclosed.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published November 2024)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2024/11/02/122858

"Can patent delays affect requests for two nitinol strands?"

In an entry published in August 2025, a customer requested a bare-wire device, preferably with two nitinol strands to assess a possible future chip configuration. The same customer reported abandoning a previously supplied long stainless-steel chip after bleeding they described as rather severe. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

Staff offered only already announced specifications, deferred answers about possible protected features, and rejected a loop-free two-strand version because none was planned. The reply also questioned 0.2 mm wire's stiffness; the wire supplier mentioned fishing-line uses only for 0.15 mm and 0.1 mm. Staff asked customers to wait for diary updates while further specification changes remained possible.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published August 2025)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2025/08/23/122935

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Buying from outside Japan

OK Lab ships internationally to countries covered by Japan Post's EMS courier service. Overseas orders are paid in advance by PayPal. Each order carries a ¥400 (about $3 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04) handling fee, and EMS shipping is charged on top. These terms come from OK Lab's official sales-terms page (written here as plain text, not a link: ok-lab.net/docs/law), checked on September 7, 2026; confirm them on the official store before you order, because they can change.

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Summary of this article

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Source: ok-lab's diary (Okada Comfortable Life Laboratory). The original entries are in Japanese; quotations on this page are translated. Photos and videos are on the original entries.