DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR

Introduced: September 1968

Description

A61M encompasses medical devices for administering therapeutic agents, fluids, or gases into or onto the body via injection, infusion, inhalation, or topical application. It includes devices for extracting, monitoring, or transducing biological media such as blood, body fluids, or gases, as well as instruments for anesthesia delivery and sleep induction or termination. The subclass covers syringes, infusion pumps, nebulizers, catheters, dialysis equipment, and respiratory support devices, but excludes diagnostic imaging systems and pharmaceutical formulations themselves.

Title

Titles differ between systems:

IPC: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR

CPC: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR

Full Title

Full titles differ between systems:

IPC:

DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR

CPC:

DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR

Additional Content IPC

Glossary

Media Solid, liquid, or gaseous substances or devices (e.g., medicine, food, in vivo testing material, catheters) which are either used by or within human bodies for medical or physical purposes, components of or substances naturally within human bodies (e.g., artificial heart, blood, insulin), or bodily discharge or waste created by human bodies or medical processes taking place within human bodies (e.g., urine).

Limiting references

Applications or methods that use specific materials, compositions, or single compounds for the preservation of human bodies or for the preservation of living parts of human bodies Devices or methods for handling cosmetic or toilet substances Surgical introduction or removal of body parts or their substitutes Devices specially adapted for taking blood samples Devices specially adapted for vivisection or autopsy Devices or methods for introducing solid, liquid, or gaseous remedies or other materials into or onto the bodies of animals Prostheses implantable into a human body Medicinal preparations characterised by special physical form Chemical aspects of bandages, dressings, absorbent pads, or other surgical articles placed upon into human body Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents

Application references

Prostheses implantable into human blood vessels Means for inserting tampons Means for withdrawing tampons Absorbent pads having means integral therewith for supplying media to the absorbent material Devices for orally administering food or medication Containers for collecting, storing or administering blood, plasma or medical fluids

Of 29 combined children, 19 exist in both systems.

9 codes are CPC-only extensions, 1 exist only in IPC.

Note: 9 CPC extensions are marked as secondary classification only.

13 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.

Child Classifications

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A61M 1/00 Suction or pumping devices for medical purposes; Devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body-liquids; Drainage systems (catheters A61M25/00; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; devices for taking samples of blood A61B5/15; filters implantable into blood vessels A61F2/01) +11 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 11/00 Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes (in general B05B; ) +3 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 13/00 Insufflators for therapeutic or disinfectant purposes +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 15/00 Inhalators +7 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. ventilators (iron lungs A61H31/02); Tracheal tubes +9 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 19/00 Local anaesthesia (syringes therefor A61M5/00); Hypothermia (A61M5/42 takes precedence; cooling blood in a bypass of the arterial system A61M1/36) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 2202/00 Special media to be introduced, removed or treated 2nd only +23 CPC CPC only CPC only
A61M 2205/00 General characteristics of the apparatus 2nd only +32 CPC CPC only CPC only
A61M 2206/00 Characteristics of a physical parameter; associated device therefor 2nd only +1 CPC CPC only CPC only
A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production 2nd only +1 CPC CPC only CPC only
A61M 2209/00 Ancillary equipment 2nd only +6 CPC CPC only CPC only
A61M 2210/00 Anatomical parts of the body 2nd only +9 CPC CPC only CPC only
A61M 2230/00 Measuring parameters of the user 2nd only +12 CPC CPC only CPC only
A61M 2240/00 Specially adapted for neonatal use 2nd only CPC only CPC only
A61M 2250/00 Specially adapted for animals 2nd only CPC only CPC only
A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes (dilators A61M29/00; ; for measuring or testing A61B; ) +14 CPC −2 IPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 27/00 Drainage appliance for wounds or the like ( implements for holding wound open A61B17/02 ) +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 29/00 Dilators with or without means for introducing media, e.g. remedies IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A61M 3/00 Medical syringes, e.g. enemata; Irrigators (A61M5/00 takes precedence; pistons A61M5/315) +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC

Top Applicants

Top Applicants (IPC)

Class A61,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NL 18,523
NOVARTIS CH 14,253
COVIDIEN US 13,953
ROCHE CH 12,005
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 11,955
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA US 11,692
HARVARD UNIVERSITY US 11,596
L'OREAL FR 11,593
P&G (PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY) US 11,297
OLYMPUS CORPORATION JP 9,594

Top Applicants (CPC)

Class A61,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

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