Prior Art search
To complete a thorough patent search you will need to identify the "state-of-the-art" in regard to your invention. the European Patent Office site describes prior art as: "...any evidence that your invention is already known. Prior art does not need to exist physically or be commercially available. It is enough that someone, somewhere, sometime previously has described or shown or made something that contains a use of technology that is very similar to your invention."
The following are resources you may consult in regard to your prior art search: