Devices, materials and equipment
In the era of the new normal, many everyday items have been adapted and/or optimised to help prevent infection. Some of these items are integral to our daily lives (e.g. telephone equipment, computer terminals, clothing) whereas others are more specialized (e.g. respirators) and by adapting them in ways that reduce the spread of the virus they can be useful tools to save lives in the current pandemic.
The materials from which buildings or rooms are made can combat viruses and bacteria.
- Prefabricated building panels mainly of plastic having viral/bacterial resistance (coating)
- Building partitions removable or of thin form having viral/bacterial resistance (coating)
- Partitions for clean rooms
This search concept covers sanitary doorknobs and handles which prevent spreading of infections.
The design of an aircraft's interior, as well as onboard ventilation and hygiene, can all help to reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria.
- Seating arrangements and overhead luggage bins
- Food preparation and distribution, galleys, rest rooms and onboard water systems
- Environmental control systems and air conditioning
Remote-controlled aircraft, quadcopters and drones, can be useful in a variety of ways, e.g. to spray disinfectant or pesticides to suppress the spread of disease.
The design and construction of the interiors of other vehicles can be just as important to reduce the spread of disease between passengers.
- Arrangements in trains, covering seats, beds, toilets and other interior
- Arrangements in tramways, funiculars, cable cars or ski lifts
- Passenger arrangements in road vehicles, in particular seats and other interior
- Panels between front seats in road vehicles
Our telephones are another potential source of infection - any contamination on them will quickly be on our hands and/or faces.
The design and construction of isolation rooms in hospitals or isolation boxes in laboratories can be especially important for handling infectious materials.
- Gloveboxes used for cell culture, viruses and treatment/isolation of patients
- Robots dealing with response to viruses
- Clean rooms and clean room management systems
Respirators have proven to be essential for the seriously sick, and this technical field has seen a surge in innovation in recent months.
- Respirators operated by electric means
- Masks, for use with respirators
- Tracheal tubes
- Preparation of respiratory gases (in general)
- Preparation of respiratory gases (features of the filters used)
- Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment in general
Components for face masks and respirators produced by additive manufacturing (i.e. by 3D-printing)
- Face masks: Concept that is based on the combination of the patent classes relevant for face masks and additive manufacturing
- Face masks: Concept that is based on the combination of the patent classes relevant for face masks and that identifies documents which mention various additive manufacturing technologies in the text of the document
- Respiratory masks: Concept that is based on the combination of the patent classes relevant for respiratory masks and additive manufacturing
- Respiratory masks: Concept that is based on the combination of the patent classes relevant for respiratory masks and that identifies documents which mention various additive manufacturing technologies in the text of the document
- Valves for respiratory devices
Clinical personnel need a variety of gowns, masks and gloves to stay safe when treating infected patients. There are many inventions related to personal protective equipment ("PPE")
- Medical clothing for surgeons and patients; overalls
- Outerwear materials in general
- Face masks of any shape with viral properties
- Rubber gloves of any shape with anti-viral properties
- Masks for virus
- Helmet for virus
- Masks with air curtain
- Masks with filter elements for virus
- Face masks with disinfected air input
This section concerns a variety of furniture for the workplace, in business premises and in the home.
- Partitions for desks
- Removable antiviral covers for chairs, seats, sofas, mattresses, cushions and beds
- Sterilizing/hygienic features related to hairdressers' chairs
- Sterilizing/hygienic features related to dressing tables/diaper changing supports
Material science has given us a wide variety of compositions and coatings, textiles and fibres that can have anti-viral, disinfecting or repellent properties.
- Polymeric compositions providing an inactivating or repelling effect against coronaviruses including SARS and MERS
- Polymeric composition providing an inactivating or repelling effect against viruses
- Coating composition providing an inactivating or repelling effect against coronaviruses including SARS and MERS to the surface on which they are applied
- Coating composition providing an inactivating or repelling effect against viruses in general to the surface on which they are applied
- Treated textile materials with compositions or compounds having an activity against coronaviruses, including SARS and MERS (i.e. by killing, avoiding development or protecting from coronaviruses)
- Fibres comprising an agent having activity against coronaviruses, including SARS and MERS (i.e. by killing, avoiding development or protecting from coronaviruses)
The following concepts provide an overview of different types of manipulators or robots suitable for executing tasks in contact with pathogenic agents and especially with SARS-CoV-2. This includes the treatment of infected patient by robot nurses or doctors and the manipulation of infected samples for analysis or research purposes.
- Any kind of manipulator specifically used in relation with SARS-CoV2
- Robot nurses or doctors adapted to treat infected patients
- Manipulators provided with special protection means when working in contact with pathogenic agents
- Manipulation means in contact with a virus and placed in a chamber (e.g. a glove box) to prevent diffusion of the virus
- Robotic systems for performing a throat or nasal swab sampling
Patent analytics gives a deeper dive into the patent landscape. Our patent analysts have created a spreadsheet containing all the search strategies, datasets for devices, materials and equipment patents and additional statistics in one place for you to download. You can also run the search strategies on your own platform or analyse the datasets yourself. If you are not familiar with how to write or adapt search strategies, our Espacenet pocket guide will help.
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