International Patent Database Research Articles

Thermochromic Polymers in Food Packaging: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Patent Landscape Analysis

This study addresses the gap in research on the application of thermochromic polymers (TPs) in food packaging and their potential for real-time temperature monitoring, aiding in the assessment of food quality and shelf-life. TPs exhibit a visible color change in response to temperature variations. A comprehensive systematic review (SR) across multiple engineering peer-review databases using predefined terms was conducted. Additionally, international patent databases were investigated using the same predefined terms. Independent experts reviewed the methodology to identify and address potential biases. A total of 288 eligible articles and 922 patents were identified. After a duplicate selection and extraction process according to the inclusion criteria, four related full-text publications were selected from the initial 288 articles, and five relevant patents were selected from the 922 patents. The qualitative review suggests that TPs hold significant promise as food packaging materials due to their unique physical properties. The study concludes that TPs offer valuable properties for the food packaging industry, meriting further investigation to exploit their benefits fully.

Innovative advances for neglected tropical disease (NTD): A global perspective from intellectual property

This study examines innovative advances related to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which have severe health, social, and economic consequences that affect more than one billion people worldwide. It addresses the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals in tackling some of the “Grand Challenges,” such as dengue fever (DF), one of the primary and re-emerging diseases that have advanced worldwide in recent years. One of the challenges is the requirement that high investments in innovation can be rationalized by the potential returns sustained by the intellectual property protection system. This study answers the question: “How have dengue-related innovations been approached globally from an intellectual property perspective?” Seeking to shed light on innovative advances in NTD, this exploratory study adopted a (i) longitudinal approach, assessing the global impact of DF, and (ii) historical analysis from the intellectual property perspective, seeking the effectiveness of commercially viable solutions against the disease. An extensive search was conducted in international patent databases using Questel® Orbit Intelligence software to address the proposed objective. This study selected 2307 invention patent families (FamPat) from 1993 to 2023, of which nearly half have expired or been revoked. China is the largest jurisdiction, with 415 FamPat filings. However, many regions with a high global burden of DF lack intellectual protection for DF-related innovations. Although the number of Fampat is relatively high for DF, and the interaction between universities, government, and private companies shows the potential development of an innovation ecosystem, few technological solutions are available. This study concludes that the capacity to absorb knowledge influences the effectiveness of making a technology available as a commercial product.

Antifungal agents incorporated in denture base materials: ascoping review of the current evidence and technology prospecting.

The aim of this study was to summarize existing data and perform technological prospecting on the effect of incorporating antifungal agents into denture base materials in inhibiting Candida spp., as well as to explore the antimicrobial properties of these materials. A comprehensive electronic search was carried out in six major bibliographic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Lilacs) until February 2024. In addition, international patent databases were also examined. The search process, study and patent selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment were carried out independently by researchers. The collected data underwent qualitative analysis. A total of 10 718 articles were identified in the searched databases, of which 40 documents were included for qualitative data analysis (articles: 31; patents: 9). The majority of the studies focused on investigating tissue conditioners (n = 14) and acrylic resins (n = 14). The primary antifungal agents studied were nystatin (n = 15) and fluconazole (n = 13). The most commonly utilized microbiological evaluation methodology was the agar diffusion test (n = 16), followed by the microdilution (n = 7) and biofilm formation assays (n = 7). All of the studies investigated the inhibitory effect of these materials against Candida species. The incorporation of antifungal agents into denture base materials has been extensively studied and has shown a significant inhibitory response against Candida spp. across various methodological assays.

PROBLEM OF OPTIMAL SELECTION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PATENT SEARCH OF METALLURGICAL MATTERS

The continuous digitization of patent information sources and the emergence of new world leaders in metallurgical science and production necessitate the correction of traditional approaches to international patent searches, which are carried out by specialists of science & technology libraries for users-inventors. The authors have compiled an exhaustive register of existing national and international electronic patent databases (EPDB), which includes 49 titles and covers the patent offices of countries, whose joint share in steel production, as of 2022, reaches 99% of the world total. Thus, the widest possible breadth of international patent search in the metallurgical field was determined. In order to spare the working time of library specialists and save resources while performing this type of search, the task of its optimization was formulated and subsequently solved. The study developed three possible scenarios of patent search, which include 11, 5 and 1 recommended electronic databases. The authors have carried out a comparative analysis of the three largest multinational free-access EBDBs: Patentscope, Espacenet and Depatisnet. It is determined that Espacenet contains the most complete and up-to-date collection of metallurgical patents and, therefore, is best suited for this type of search. In general, the research has a pronounced practical orientation and is intended to give the specialists of science & technology libraries tools and guidance for performing international patent searches in modern conditions and, thus, to improve the quality of user service. In addition, the obtained work results made it possible to determine promising directions for replenishment of library funds.

Patent "Evergreening" of Medicine-Device Combination Products: A Global Perspective.

Patenting medicine-delivery devices (inhalers and pens) is controversial when it extends market protections beyond that of the underlying therapeutic agent. We evaluated how common device patenting is, internationally. Using a product sample (n = 88) and an international patent database, we assessed the issue's scope. When comparing the 88 patent portfolios for each product in each country, Canada was found to be among the most impacted, with 90% of the portfolios containing at least one device patent and 35% of the portfolios containing device patents exclusively. Patenting of delivery devices impacts major pharmaceutical manufacturing centres worldwide. International consensus among stakeholders (regulators and payors) is needed on which device modifications represent meaningful clinical value.

582 The Patent Landscape Analysis of Skin Bioinks for 3D Bioprinting

Three-dimensional (3D) skin bioprinting is an emerging technology that can deposit customised biomaterials with or without desired cell types (i.e. bioinks) in 3D constructs, mimicking the skin. This study aimed to analyse the granted patents for skin bioinks intended for 3D skin bioprinting from 2017 to 2022. The patents were searched in international patent databases [WIPO, Google Patent, European Patent Office] using keywords [‘Skin Bioink’, ‘Artificial Skin’, ‘3D Printing’, ‘3D Skin Bioprinting’, ‘Biological Ink’] and then were filtered by an application date between 2017 and 2022.

Identifying Trends and Quantifying Growth for Technological Innovation in Knee Arthroplasty: An Analysis of a Patent Database (1990 to 2020).

Technological innovation is the key for surgical progress in knee arthroplasty and improvement in patient outcomes. Exploring patented technologies can help elucidate trends and growth for numerous innovative technologies. However, patent databases, which contain millions of patents, remain underused in arthroplasty research. Therefore, the present study aimed to: (1) quantify patent activity; (2) group patents related to similar technologies into well-defined clusters; and (3) compare growth between technologies in the field of knee arthroplasty over a 30-year period. An open-source international patent database was queried from January 1990 to January 2020 for all patents related to knee arthroplasty A search strategy identified 70,154 patents, of which 24,425 were unique and included analysis. Patents were grouped into 14 independent technology clusters using Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) codes. Patent activity was normalized via a validated formula adjusting for exponential growth. Compound annual growth rates (CAGR) were calculated (5-year, 10-year, and 30-year CAGR) and compared for each cluster. Overall yearly patent activity increased by 2,023%, from 104 patents in 1990 to 2,208 patents in 2020. The largest technology clusters were "drugs" (n = 5,347; 23.8%), "components" (n = 4,343; 19.0%), "instruments" (n = 3,130; 13.7%), and "materials" (n = 2,378; 10.4%). The fastest growing technologies with their 5-year CAGR were: "user interfaces for surgical systems" (58.1%); "robotics" (28.6%); "modularity" (21.1%); "navigation" (15.7%); and "computer modeling" (12.5%). Since 1990, overall patent growth rate has been greatest for "computer modeling" (8.4%), "robotics" (8.0%), "navigation" (7.9%), and "patient-specific instrumentation" (6.4%). Most patents in knee arthroplasty for the last 30 years have focused on drugs, components, instruments, and materials. Recent exponential growth was mainly observed for user interfaces for surgical systems, robotics, modularity, navigation, and computer-assisted technologies. Innovation theory would suggest that these rapidly growing technologies are experiencing high innovation output, increased resource investments, growing adoption by providers, and significant clinical impact. Periodic monitoring of technological innovation via patent databases can be useful to establish trends and future directions in the field of knee arthroplasty.

Prospects of world scientific and technological directions of research on sustainable development of cities and communities

There is a tendency towards urbanization in the world. This means that cities are getting bigger and their population is constantly growing. In such circumstances, it is important to properly plan the structure of the city to ensure security, comfort for residents, as well as to take care of the city’s impact on climate change and economic inequality. Extreme poverty is often concentrated in urban areas, and it is difficult for national and urban authorities to accommodate a growing population in such areas. Achieving security and sustainable urban development means providing safe and affordable housing, as well as modernizing the slums. It also involves investing in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and governance in a way that is inclusive and universally equal. The article presents the results of the author’s research on promising and priority scientific and technological areas for Ukraine to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 11 “Sustainable Development of Cities and Communities” (hereinafter — SDG 11) through the implementation of national objectives. Scientific and analytical research was conducted using the Web of Science platform: scientometric research — based on the international database Web of Science Core Collection (hereinafter — WoS database); patent research — based on the international patent database Derwent Innovation.

International patent applications and innovation in South Africa

Background: Experts recommend support to patents for stimulating innovation. Also, the South African government supports patents, in particular, international patents. In this paper it is examined how this strategy can be designed to successfully trigger economic progress.Aim: The present South African activities in patents are investigated in this paper and areas identified where an intensification of patenting looks promising for economic progress.Setting: The patent activities since 1985 are analysed and compared to the annual export–import balance from 2009 to 2018, in order to identify starting points for improving economic structures. The data are linked to current suggestions to the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) for future technologies.Methods: The analysis of patents is performed, using the international patent database PATSTAT, as well as the analysis of the export–import balance at the WITS database of the World Bank.Results: The patent analysis reveals a low level of South African domestic patents, with a focus on less complex goods and a stagnation period of 35 years. The data on the export – import balance show negative figures for consumer goods and even more so for capital goods.Conclusion: Economic progress can be accelerated by stimulating patent and economic activities to produce more complex consumer and capital goods. However, it may be necessary to focus on certain areas at the beginning in order to achieve a sufficient critical mass of competence and international competitiveness. In any case, the support of patents is only successful when it is closely linked to a strategy regarding technology.

Technological prospection of anti-inflammatory vanilic acid activity, with emphasis on its semisynthetic derivative Isopropyl Vanilate

Inflammation is the body's response to harmful stimuli such as infections, trauma, or injury. The inflammatory cascade can lead to the development of numerous diseases, and the current drug-therapeutic intervention consists of the use of corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, the use of these is associated with several serious side effects, so it is necessary to search for new alternatives that can minimize this effect. In this prospecting, the objective was to conduct a study on biological activities already described for vanillic acid, with special emphasis on its semi-synthetic derivative of isopropyl vanylate as an anti-inflammatory agent. For this, information was obtained on patent documents based on the INPI, USPTO and EPO databases, using the keywords: vanillic acid, anti-inflammatory agents, isopropyl vanylate, always used in the search field related to the summary of works. As results obtained in the present technological prospection study, it was found that in the international patent databases the documents related to the theme were very scarce and some had a higher number of patents, on vanillic acid, few refer to its anti- inflammatory, and no documents were found on the use of isopropyl vanillate as an anti-inflammatory agent, reinforcing the innovative character of research involving its use in this technology.

Technological prospecting of the use of vegetables in the development of gluten-free foods

The growing demand for gluten-free foods, by people seeking more healthiness or who have dietary restrictions, has led to the acquisition of gluten-free foods. However, the development of gluten-free foods is a challenge due to the reduced nutritional value, requiring enrichment from other plant sources. A technological prospection study was carried out on the use of vegetables in the development of gluten-free food products, from October 10 to 18, 2020, by surveying technological information available in national and international patent databases, INPI and ESPACENET, respectively. Search strategies were defined using the association of keywords and international codes relevant to the topic. The results obtained in the international patent base differed by 490% in the period from 2001 to 2020, when compared with the national database. China stands out as a technology-dominated country, followed by the United States, Canada and Japan. Prospecting based on the number of patent filings revealed a 298% growth trend for gluten-free products, from 2001 to 2020, according to the international patent base, which emerges as an innovative alternative to meet the trends of the food market for the coming years.

Technological prospection of Diminazene Aceturate, an Angiotensin II Converting Enzyme activator, in front of diarrheic disorders

Diarrhea, which is a gastrointestinal disease, has as its main characteristic the rapid passage of gastric contents through the intestine, which leads to the loss of water and electrolytes and consequent dehydration. The most common fluid replacement is the use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) together with the use of the drug loperamide. However, the use of this medication can cause severe bacteremia followed by sepsis and even death. Currently, there is no effective pharmacological treatment for diarrhea, therefore, it is noted the importance of seeking new therapeutic targets for the treatment of this disease. Thus, the aim of the present study was to conduct a research on the biological activities already described for Diminazene Aceturate with a special focus on antidiarrheal agents. For this, a survey was carried out, through patent filing searches, in the USPTO, EPO, WIPO and INPI databases, using keywords and Boolean operators. Thus, it was found in the international patent databases the number of documents referring to the use of Diminazene Aceturate in several areas, mainly in the pharmaceutical industry, but with a relatively low number of documents regarding the description of possible antidiarrheal action of the compound under study , which reinforces the innovative character of research involving the use of Diminazene Aceturate as an antidiarrheal agent.

International Patent Survey of Products and Processes Concerning Homeopathy.

Homeopathy is a complementary medicine characterized by the use of diluted and potentized medicines. Innovations in this area are constantly being proposed in the relevant literature, such as scientific articles and patents. The objective of this study was to carry out a patent survey of homeopathic products and processes. A free and international patent database, Espacenet, was used. The search was carried out using the keyword homeop*, with two approaches: (1) no date restrictions for the search and (2) a date limit for the publication years 2008 to 2018. The patents from the limited period were organized as depositor countries, ownerships and groups, including homeopathic formulations, equipment, packaging, production procedures, and analytical methods. Without date restriction, 601 patents were identified in the survey. Of these, 174 were related to homeopathy and published in the period 2008 to 2018. Technologies come mainly from the following countries: United States (55 patents), Russia (24), Germany (15), France (13), India (12), Ukraine (11), Brazil (6), and China (6). Among the ownerships, 69% of patent applications were by independent depositors, 23% by companies, 7.5% by universities, and 0.5% by company/university partnerships. New formulations represented 75.9% of technologies, whilst the others comprised 14.3% for equipment, 3.8% for drugs packaging, 3.8% for production procedures, and 2.2% for analytical methods. The present review helps visualize the homeopathy-related patents published in recent years, as well as the main countries and researchers investing in the field of homeopathy.

Bioenergy Waste Recycling: Modelling of Developmental Trends

Purpose. Modelling environmentally safe bioenergy trends based on national and international patent databases and scientific databases. Methods. Bibliometric method of analysis using the Scopus database and patent databases, modeling methods using a special visualization software package. Results. An analytical diagram based on the review of patent databases was developed, as well as a model for visualization of interrelationships between clusters of bioenergy development trends as a complex solution for environmental protection. Thus, 4 clusters were formed based on data from the Scopus database using VOSviewer software: 1) cluster (red) reveals the environmental problems of changing the direction of implementation of stationary energy sources with the development of bioenergy potential, and the creation of strategies for this development at the level of regions; 2) cluster (yellow) covers the process of restoration of ecological systems, in particular forests and reduction of CO2 emissions from bioenergy; 3) cluster (green) covers the production and use of different types of fuel and energy produced by the introduction and improvement of bioenergy technologies; 4) cluster (blue) covers the impact of bioenergy technologies on environmental restoration and purification and reduction of damage from anthropogenic impact. Conclusions. The analysis of patent databases with cluster visualization based on a bibliometric approach allowed to identify the most promising areas of research in the field of bioenergy solutions development. Further research will be focused on the development of a lab bench for biogenic gas production with the possibility of complex processing of secondary raw materials and obtaining environmentally safe digestates.

Monitoring оf Changes in the Condition and Tendencies of Development of Maglev Transportation Systems

The results of monitoring of changes in development trends of maglev transportation systems are presented. The study was conducted on the basis of contextual search for relevant documents in open global abstract and citation databases of scientific publications (Scopus, Web of Science), international patent databases (Google Patent, WIPO).
 Statistical estimates of the rate and intensity of generating new technical and technological solutions were obtained. These estimates are proposed to be used as a tool for forecasting promising areas of research and development of new types of transport systems.

Patent Classification as Stimulus for Inspiring New Applications of Existing Knowledge

AbstractThis paper aims to provide suggestions for the identification of potential new applications for the existing knowledge. A method is presented for extracting information about a product or technology, processing the international patent database (IPD) and extracting useful hints for potential new applications. The approach uses the Cooperative Patent Classification as stimulus for inspiring new potential fields towards which export existing product or technologies. Although some limits inevitably affect the approach, relevant directions for future developments have been inferred for a more comprehensive exploitation of both the firm internal knowledge and the suggestions provided by the international patent database. The achieved results can support firms in expanding market opportunities for their products or technologies.

Stimulating idea generation for new product applications

PurposeThis paper aims to provide suggestions for the identification of potential new applications for the existing products and/or technologies.Design/methodology/approachA nine-step method has been developed for extracting information about a product or technology, processing the international patent database (IPD) and extracting useful hints for potential new applications. An academic case study has been used to perform the first application of the proposal.FindingsA novel approach for processing IPD aimed at supporting the identification of new opportunities for exploiting existing products/technologies. The case study application shows that the proposal allows to extract potentially useful and non-obvious suggestions for new product applications.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough some limits inevitably affect this preliminary version of the proposal, important hints for future developments have been inferred for a more comprehensive exploitation of both the firm internal knowledge and the suggestions provided by the international patent database.Practical implicationsThe achieved results can support firms in expanding market opportunities for their products or technologies.Originality/valueThe proposed approach offers a new structured path for stimulating idea generation for new product applications, by exploiting product information and the cooperative patent classification.

In which developing countries are patents on essential medicines being filed?

BackgroundThis article is based upon data gathered during a study conducted in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization on the patent status of products appearing on the World Health Organization’s 2013 Model List of Essential Medicines (MLEM). It is a statistical analysis aimed at answering: in which developing countries are patents on essential medicines being filed?MethodsPatent data were collected by linking those listed in the United States and Canada’s medicine patent registers to corresponding patents in developing countries using two international patent databases (INPADOC and Derwent) via a commerical-grade patent search platform (Thomson Innovation). The respective supplier companies were then contacted to correct and verify our data. We next tallied the number of MLEM patents per developing country. Spearman correlations were done to assess bivariate relationships between variables, and a multivariate regression model was developed to explain the number of MLEM patents in each country using SPSS 23.0.ResultsA subset of 20 of the 375 (5%) products on the 2013 MLEM fit our inclusion criteria. The patent estate reports (i.e., the global list of patents for a given drug) varied greatly in their number with a median of 48 patents (interquartile range [IQR]: 26-76). Their geographic reach had a median of 15% of the developing countries sampled (IQR: 8-28%). The number of developing countries covered appeared to increase with the age of the patent estate (r = .433, p = 0.028). The number of MLEM patents per country was significantly positively associated with human development index (HDI), gross domestic income (GDI) per capita, total healthcare expenditure per capita, population size, the Rule of Law Index, and average education level. Population size, GDI per capita, and healthcare expenditure (in % of national expenditure) were predictors of the number of MLEM patents in countries (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.009, respectively). Population size was the most important predictor (β = 0.59), followed by income (GDI per capita) (β = 0.32), and healthcare expenditure (β = 0.15). Holding the other factors constant, (i) 14.3 million more people, (ii) $833.33 more per capita (GDI), or (iii) 0.88% more of national spending on healthcare resulted in 1 additional essential medicine patent.ConclusionPopulation was a powerful predictor of the number of patent filings in developing countries along with GDI and healthcare expenditure. The age and historical context of the patent estate may make a difference in the number of patents and countries covered. Broad surveillance and benchmarking of the global medicine patent landscape is valuable for detecting significant shifts that may occur over time. With improved international medicine patent transparency by companies and data available through third parties, such studies will be increasingly feasible.

Inovação tecnológica na indústria farmacêutica: diferenças entre a Europa, os EUA e os países farmaemergentes

Resumo Historicamente, o cenário farmacêutico mundial tem sido dominado por grandes multinacionais (Big Pharma), majoritariamente de origem europeia e norte-americana. Contudo, é consenso na literatura a importância crescente dos mercados farmacêuticos emergentes (países farmaemergentes), especialmente China e Brasil, que são vistos como os maiores responsáveis pelo crescimento sustentável do segmento farmacêutico. Esse artigo teve como objetivo realizar um mapeamento tecnológico e industrial do setor farmacêutico, a partir de informações de bancos de dados patentários internacionais (WIPO e Derwent), entre 1996 até o último ano de registro (2013). Utilizando-se o Método dos Mínimos Quadrados e implementação de um algoritmo no MATLAB, desenvolveram-se previsões para o período 2014-2018. Os resultados obtidos atestaram a liderança da Europa e dos EUA no setor, destacando-se o índice de inovação da Hoffmann-La Roche; a participação expressiva da China; e a pouca contribuição do Brasil no âmbito mundial. Todavia, estimou-se uma tendência de crescimento acentuado no número de proteções concedidas ao Brasil (41%) e à China (27%), apontando um alcance, até 2036, dos índices de patenteamento chineses aos números dos atuais líderes mundiais, trazendo a esperança da difusão tecnológica e científica e do aumento da competitividade no segmento farmacêutico.

Time to entry of generic medicines in Malaysia: implications for pharmaceutical cost containment

Objectives Generic medicine availability is crucial for maintaining the Malaysian heavily subsidised public healthcare system, and for reducing rising national pharmaceutical expenditure. This paper analyses the time to entry of generic medicines following patent expiration on innovator drug products in Malaysia. Methods This study utilised a robustly constructed dataset of 12 best-selling single-entity prescription drug products that experienced loss of patent protection and subsequent generic entry between January 2001 and December 2009. Time to entry was measured as the time lag between expiration dates of basic patent of the innovator active drug substances and marketing approval dates of the first generic equivalents. Patent data of the drug substances were sourced from Malaysian and international patent databases. Marketing approval data of both the innovator and generic drug products were sourced from the product registration databases of the Malaysian drug regulatory authority. Key findings A total of 154 (mean (M) = 12.83, standard deviation (SD) = 9.61) generic entries occurred during the data period for the entire 12 active drug substances. The mean time to entry (in days) following basic patent expiration was 396.92 (SD = 507.49). A significant difference was found between the hypothesised time to entry and the study mean time to entry. Conclusions Time to generic entry in Malaysia is significantly delayed beyond the day following basic patent expiration of innovator product, thereby delaying the onset of generic competition with potential negative implications on pharmaceutical expenditure.