G01N INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
Introduced: September 1968
Description
G01N encompasses methods and apparatus for determining chemical and physical properties of materials through various analytical techniques. This subclass covers a broad range of measurement and testing technologies, including spectroscopy, chromatography, thermal analysis, microscopy, and electrochemical analysis. Applications span materials characterization, quality control, environmental monitoring, clinical diagnostics, and industrial process control across diverse materials including solids, liquids, gases, and biological samples. Adjacent classes handle more specialized domains such as G01R (electrical/magnetic measurements) and G01M (mechanical property testing), while G01N focuses on compositional and structural analysis rather than dimensional or mechanical measurements.
Title
Titles differ between systems:
IPC: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
CPC: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
Full Title
Full titles differ between systems:
INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
Additional Content IPC
Glossary
investigating testing or determining material materials solid, or liquid or gaseous medium, e.g. the atmosphere sample samples material separated from a bulk material or an assembly of items for the purpose of investigating its properties
Limiting references
apparatus for enzymology or microbiology measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms, other than immunoassay (which is covered by )
Application references
measuring for medical or veterinary diagnosis on the human or animal body, e.g. measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, radiation diagnosis, or acoustic examination of body cavities or body tracts , investigation, e.g. sampling, of foundation soil or ground water in-situ monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus measuring, investigating or testing electric or magnetic properties of materials (see also IPC definition for subgroup ) determining sensitivity, graininess, or density of photographic materials testing component parts of nuclear reactors
CPC subdivides this area 2x more granularly than IPC with 28 additional codes.
28 codes are CPC-only extensions.
Note: 28 CPC extensions are marked as secondary classification only.
16 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.
Child Classifications
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- G01N 11/00 Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties +4 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 13/00 Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface, boundary, or diffusion effects (scanning-probe techniques or apparatus G01Q) +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 15/00 Investigating characteristics of particles; Investigating permeability, pore-volume or surface-area of porous materials +9 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 17/00 Investigating resistance of materials to the weather, to corrosion, or to light +4 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 19/00 Investigating materials by mechanical methods (G01N3/00 - G01N17/00 take precedence) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 21/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light (G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 22/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or more (G01N3/00 - G01N17/00, G01N24/00 take precedence) since 1980 +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 2203/00 Investigating strength properties of solid materials by application of mechanical stress 2nd only +6 CPC CPC only CPC only
- G01N 2223/00 Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation 2nd only +11 CPC CPC only CPC only
- G01N 23/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00 +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 2333/00 Assays involving biological materials from specific organisms or of a specific nature 2nd only +13 CPC CPC only CPC only
- G01N 24/00 Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance or other spin effects since 1980 +4 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- G01N 2400/00 Assays, e.g. immunoassays or enzyme assays, involving carbohydrates 2nd only +2 CPC CPC only CPC only
- G01N 2405/00 Assays, e.g. immunoassays or enzyme assays, involving lipids 2nd only +3 CPC CPC only CPC only
- G01N 2407/00 Assays, e.g. immunoassays or enzyme assays, involving terpenes 2nd only +1 CPC CPC only CPC only
- G01N 2410/00 Assays, e.g. immunoassays or enzyme assays, involving peptides of less than 20 animo acids 2nd only +5 CPC CPC only CPC only
- G01N 2415/00 Assays, e.g. immunoassays or enzyme assays, involving penicillins or cephalosporins 2nd only CPC only CPC only
Top Applicants
Top Applicants (IPC)
Class G01,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 41,447
- CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 32,952
- ROBERT BOSCH DE 16,470
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 10,052
- SINOPEC (CHINA PETROCHEMICAL CORPORATION) 9,573
- ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY 9,529
- GUANGDONG POWER GRID CORPORATION 8,615
- TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY 7,805
- HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES GROUP US 7,796
- QUALCOMM US 7,171
Top Applicants (CPC)
Class G01,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 21,460
- ROBERT BOSCH DE 17,801
- SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 17,347
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 13,192
- QUALCOMM US 9,900
- HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES GROUP US 9,742
- PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NL 7,249
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION JP 6,503
- ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY 6,414
- DENSO CORPORATION JP 6,382