Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents

Introduced: January 1985

Last revised: January 2006

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 2/00 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

Dental prostheses Artificial kidneys Artificial hearts

Related Keywords

ARTIFICIAL body parts in generalartificial LIMBSPROSTHESES

5 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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A61F 2/01 Filters implantable into blood vessels
A61F 2/02 Prostheses implantable into the body
A61F 2/5 Prostheses not implantable in the body
A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor 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