The main difference between researching and developing new medical instruments as opposed to new drugs is the time and investment dollars needed. RRD of a new medicine can take an average of ten years and US $ 1 billion, but a new medical device can be on the market in only three to five years at a cost of perhaps a couple of million dollars.
不同的是，新藥研發平均要耗時 10 年、投資 10 億美元，而開發醫療器材只需 3 至 5 年、數百萬美元。