A61G TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- HUMAN NECESSITIES
- Class:
- MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- Subclass:
- TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
Description
This subclass covers medical and assistive equipment designed for safe transport, mobility, and positioning of patients, disabled persons, and deceased individuals. It encompasses stretchers, gurneys, wheelchairs, patient lifts, operating tables, dental chairs, examination couches, and related mechanical or structural devices that facilitate medical procedures or improve accessibility. The classification includes both manual and powered conveyances, positioning mechanisms, and safety features integral to patient handling and accommodation in healthcare and domestic settings. Funeral equipment such as caskets and cremation devices are also included within this broad scope.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass A61G recorded 221,545 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 8,966 in 2013 to 24,039 in 2023 (+168%), peaking at 36,407 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
In class comparison
A61G ranks 9th of 13 subclasses with filings in A61, with 221,545 applications between 2013 and 2023, 3.3% of the class. Annual filings grew 168% from 2013 to 2023, above the class as a whole (+32%).
| Rank | Subclass | Title | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A61K, Preparations for Medical, Dental or Toiletry Purposes | Preparations for Medical, Dental or Toiletry Purposes | 1,792,627 | 26.5% |
| 2 | A61B, Diagnosis; Surgery; Identification | Diagnosis; Surgery; Identification | 1,204,106 | 17.8% |
| 3 | A61P, Specific Therapeutic Activity of Chemical Compounds or Medicinal Preparations | Specific Therapeutic Activity of Chemical Compounds or Medicinal Preparations | 1,178,026 | 17.4% |
| 4 | A61M, 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 | 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 | 625,206 | 9.2% |
| 5 | A61F, 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 | 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 | 447,357 | 6.6% |
| 6 | A61L, Methods or Apparatus for Sterilising Materials or Objects in General; Disinfection, Sterilisation or Deodorisation of Air; Chemical Aspects of Bandages, Dressings, Absorbent Pads or Surgical Articles; Materials for Bandages, Dressings, Absorbent Pads or Surgical Articles | Methods or Apparatus for Sterilising Materials or Objects in General; Disinfection, Sterilisation or Deodorisation of Air; Chemical Aspects of Bandages, Dressings, Absorbent Pads or Surgical Articles; Materials for Bandages, Dressings, Absorbent Pads or Surgical Articles | 373,304 | 5.5% |
| 7 | A61H, Physical Therapy Apparatus, e.g. Devices for Locating or Stimulating Reflex Points in the Body; Artificial Respiration; Massage; Bathing Devices for Special Therapeutic or Hygienic Purposes or Specific Parts of the Body | Physical Therapy Apparatus, e.g. Devices for Locating or Stimulating Reflex Points in the Body; Artificial Respiration; Massage; Bathing Devices for Special Therapeutic or Hygienic Purposes or Specific Parts of the Body | 247,277 | 3.7% |
| 8 | A61Q, Specific Use of Cosmetics or Similar Toiletry Preparations | Specific Use of Cosmetics or Similar Toiletry Preparations | 221,780 | 3.3% |
| 9 | A61G | Transport, Personal Conveyances or Accommodation Specially Adapted for Patients or Disabled Persons; Operating Tables or Chairs; Chairs for Dentistry; Funeral Devices | 221,545 | 3.3% |
| 10 | A61N, Electrotherapy; Magnetotherapy; Radiation Therapy; Ultrasound Therapy | Electrotherapy; Magnetotherapy; Radiation Therapy; Ultrasound Therapy | 197,020 | 2.9% |
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Additional Content
Glossary
Disabled person disabled persons a human being that is unable to do a basic physical task (e.g., walking) due to a physical or mental impairment/condition. Funeral device Funeral devices apparatus associated with (e.g., coffin) or for performing (e.g., casket lowering device) activities connected with the burial, cremation, entombment, or other methods of honoring or disposing of (e.g., freeze drying) the remains of the body of a deceased individual. Patient patients a human being awaiting or undergoing any form of (a) medical care (e.g., testing) or treatment by medical staff (e.g., doctors, dentists, midwifes, chiropractors) or (b) physical tending (e.g., feeding) by caretakers (e.g., hospice or nursing home staff) due to impairment. Personal conveyance Personal conveyances a vehicle-like device (e.g., wheelchairs) that is: not specifically adapted for traveling significant distances (e.g., between cities) along thoroughfares (e.g., railways, roads, sidewalks) with normal traffic (e.g., trucks), explicitly designed (i.e., not merely adaptations of a standard production vehicle) for carrying, and intended to be limited to use by, a single patient or disabled person at any given time, and potentially capable of having either its movement controlled or powered by the patient or disabled person carried by it.
Limiting references
Devices per se for enabling disabled persons to operate an apparatus or device not forming part of the body Restraining devices for the body or for body parts and restraining shirts that are used for non-surgical treatment of patients' bones or joints Equipment for beds, treatment tables, floor frames or the like for extending or stretching Appliances for aiding invalids to walk about Bathing devices for special therapeutic or hygienic purposes For bicycles specially adapted for disabled riders Inclined lifts associated with stairways for transporting disabled persons or wheelchairs Illumination of operating tables , ,
Related Keywords
14 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- A61G 1/00 Stretchers
- A61G 10/00 Treatment rooms for medical purposes
- A61G 11/00 Baby-incubators; Couveuses
- A61G 12/00 Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups , e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food; Prescription lists
- A61G 13/00 Operating tables; Auxiliary appliances therefor
- A61G 15/00 Operating chairs; Dental chairs; Accessories specially adapted therefor, e.g. work stands
- A61G 17/00 Coffins; Funeral wrappings; Funeral urns
- A61G 19/00 Hoisting or lowering devices for coffins
- A61G 21/00 Funeral aspects of hearses or like vehicles
- A61G 3/00 Ambulance aspects of vehicles; Vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances, e.g. for facilitating access of, or for loading, wheelchairs
- A61G 5/00 Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
- A61G 7/00 Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons
- A61G 9/00 Bed-pans, urinals or other sanitary devices for bed-ridden persons; Cleaning devices therefor, e.g. combined with toilet-urinals
- A61G 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
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