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IPC Main Group
A61F 11/00

Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand

Introduced: September 1968

Last revised: January 2022

Classification Context

Section:
HUMAN NECESSITIES
Class:
MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
Subclass:
FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS

Filing statistics

IPC A61F 11/00 belongs to the parent subclass A61F, which recorded 447,357 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 30,362 in 2013 to 39,227 in 2023 (+29%), peaking at 56,342 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class A61 are PHILIPS ELECTRONICS (18,523 applications), NOVARTIS (14,253 applications) and COVIDIEN (13,953 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Additional Content

Glossary

auditory perception the ability to detect and interpret sounds. hearing sense the ability to perceive sounds by detecting vibrations or changes in the pressure of the surrounding medium through time using the auditory parts of the sensory system.

Limiting references

Implantable prostheses that substitute or replace internal ear parts, e.g. ear drums Headwear, e.g. caps or helmets, with means for protecting the ears , Methods or devices to cause a change in the state of auditory consciousness Electrotherapy applying electrical stimulation of the auditory system, or circuits therefor Radiotherapy using optical stimulation of the auditory system Electro-acoustic hearing aids

Related Keywords

(deaf aids)DEAF aidsmedical treatment of EAR(S)modifying SOUND(S) for ears

4 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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  • A61F 11/04 Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense, e.g. through the touch sense
  • A61F 11/2 Ear surgery
  • A61F 11/3 Non-electric hearing aids, e.g. ear trumpets, sound amplifiers or ear-shells

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class A61, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

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