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CPC Class Not Allocatable
A61

MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE

Description

A61 encompasses inventions and technologies in medical and veterinary diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and hygiene. This broad class includes medical devices, surgical instruments, therapeutic methods, prosthetics, dental equipment, and hygiene products for both human and animal healthcare. Related inventions in pharmaceutical formulations (A61K), physical therapy and rehabilitation (A61H), and medical diagnostic apparatus (A61B) are classified within this section, while chemical compositions themselves are typically handled in section C.

Filing statistics

CPC A61 recorded 5,633,089 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 13 subclasses. Annual filings grew from 385,984 in 2013 to 432,123 in 2023 (+12%), peaking at 610,670 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class A61 are PHILIPS ELECTRONICS (20,621 applications), NOVARTIS (15,792 applications) and ROCHE (14,303 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

13 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filings, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NL 20,621
  2. NOVARTIS CH 15,792
  3. ROCHE CH 14,303
  4. COVIDIEN US 13,862
  5. HARVARD UNIVERSITY US 13,454
  6. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA US 12,798
  7. P&G (PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY) US 12,140
  8. L'OREAL FR 11,800
  9. OLYMPUS CORPORATION JP 9,894
  10. BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED US 9,513