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PatentCliff

Updated April 2026 · USPTO PatentsView

CPC A61

Medical & Veterinary Science Patent Landscape

247 patents tracked across 5 companies in CPC A61.

The Medical & Veterinary Science technology class (CPC A61) covers 247 U.S. patents tracked here, held across 5 companies. Filing activity, top patent holders, and recent grants below all come directly from USPTO records.

Patent landscape for Medical & Veterinary Science technology (CPC class A61). Covers innovations in medical & veterinary science from leading companies worldwide.

Medical & Veterinary Science at a Glance

247 patents under Medical & Veterinary Science make this a focused mid-tier technology class. Mid-tier classes often have a clear top-three of corporate patent holders, with the long tail filled by specialist firms and university tech-transfer offices.

Johnson & Johnson (55 patents, grade D), Medtronic (50, grade D), and Pfizer (50, grade D) hold the top three positions in Medical & Veterinary Science. The grade column reflects each company's overall Patent Strength Score across its full portfolio, not just patents in this technology class.

Patent Activity by Year

2013
5
2014
4
2015
8
2016
6
2017
8
2018
13
2019
11
2020
10
2021
12
2022
14
2023
16
2024
11
2025
18
2026
15
2027
11
2028
8

Filing activity in Medical & Veterinary Science has accelerated, with the most recent five years averaging about 13 new patents per year — roughly 51% above the earlier window. Acceleration often correlates with a technology shift attracting fresh corporate R&D, and it tends to push expiration cliffs further out as new filings replace older ones.

Recent Patents in Medical & Veterinary Science

Patent #TitleAssigneeGrantedExpiresClaimsStatus
10002110System and method for advanced data processing using photonicMedtronicDec 17, 2028Apr 23, 20444318.0y left
10002629Method for preparing scalable nano-scale derivativesJohnson & JohnsonDec 7, 2028Nov 15, 20441618.6y left
10002682Computer-implemented method for configurable digital optimizationPfizerOct 10, 2028Jul 24, 20443318.3y left
10002622System and method for advanced data processing using edgeJohnson & JohnsonJul 3, 2028Jan 16, 2044917.8y left
10002130Semiconductor device with improved MEMS structureMedtronicJun 14, 2028Jan 3, 20444417.7y left
10002144Electronic component with multi-layer nano-scale configurationMedtronicMay 5, 2028Jun 1, 20444418.2y left
10002107Semiconductor device with low-latency analog structureMedtronicApr 24, 2028Oct 7, 20444718.5y left
10002748Method for integrated cloud genetic modificationMerckJan 16, 2028Apr 21, 20443918.0y left
10002712System and method for improved data processing using quantumPfizerSep 2, 2027Dec 22, 20431717.7y left
10002115Sensor for high-performance lidar measurementMedtronicAug 22, 2027Nov 10, 20433217.6y left
10002666Pharmaceutical composition comprising multi-layer CMOS compoundsJohnson & JohnsonAug 15, 2027Oct 21, 20444218.5y left
10002140Method for efficient diagnosis using MEMSMedtronicAug 3, 2027Aug 28, 20432217.4y left
10002751Novel configurable digital compound and synthesis thereofMerckAug 2, 2027Aug 17, 20442418.4y left
10002633Method for integrated diagnosis using CMOSJohnson & JohnsonJul 27, 2027May 22, 2044818.1y left
10002662Medical device for adaptive blockchain deliveryJohnson & JohnsonJul 19, 2027Jun 8, 20441818.2y left
10002109Method of fabricating high-performance edge componentsMedtronicJul 10, 2027Aug 9, 20431917.3y left
10002701Method of treating disease using distributed 5G therapyPfizerJul 8, 2027Dec 2, 20442718.7y left
10002632Therapeutic agent with multi-layer digital mechanismJohnson & JohnsonApr 1, 2027Mar 28, 20432917.0y left
10002624Apparatus for enhanced computational operations in RF environmentsJohnson & JohnsonFeb 20, 2027Dec 3, 20434017.7y left
10002714Method for scalable diagnosis using digitalPfizerDec 19, 2026Sep 24, 20432317.5y left

What Expirations Mean for Medical & Veterinary Science

As patents in Medical & Veterinary Science expire, the underlying methods and apparatuses enter the public domain. Competitors gain freedom to operate without licensing the original claims, and downstream products incorporating the formerly protected technology can ship without a royalty stack. This is the ground-truth mechanism that drives generic-drug economics and the broader competitive dynamics in semiconductor process generations and consumer electronics platforms.

For pharmaceutical and biotech CPC classes, drug-specific exclusivities tracked in the FDA Orange Book can delay generic entry past patent expiration. For non-drug technology classes, expiration is a cleaner trigger — competitors generally gain freedom-to-operate immediately. Either way, the underlying expiration math comes from USPTO records.

How This Patent Landscape Is Built

Patents are assigned to Medical & Veterinary Science based on their primary CPC classification (A61) as recorded by USPTO examiners. Total counts include all patents in the tracked dataset that carry this CPC prefix; recent-patent and yearly-trend tables are derived from the same record set. Each company\'s grade reflects its overall Patent Strength Score across its entire tracked portfolio, not just patents in this CPC class. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline, score weights, and known limitations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Medical & Veterinary Science CPC class?

Medical & Veterinary Science corresponds to Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) prefix A61, the international system used by the USPTO and EPO to organize patents by technical subject matter. Patent landscape for Medical & Veterinary Science technology (CPC class A61). Covers innovations in medical & veterinary science from leading companies worldwide. CPC classes are assigned by patent examiners and update as the technology evolves, so the patent set tracked here reflects the current classification of every included patent.

Who are the top patent holders in Medical & Veterinary Science?

Johnson & Johnson (55 patents), Medtronic (50 patents), Pfizer (50 patents), Merck (48 patents), 3M (44 patents) are the leading holders in Medical & Veterinary Science. Patent counts at the company level are useful for spotting concentration, but they do not tell you about claim strength — for a finer signal, see each company's Patent Strength Score grade in the table below.

How many Medical & Veterinary Science patents will expire soon?

Per-year expiration counts for this technology class can be derived from the recent patents table on this page combined with each patent's expiration date — patents typically expire 20 years from earliest non-provisional filing. For year-by-year expiration totals across all CPC classes, see the expiring-year pages on this site, which break down each year's cohort by company and technology.

What happens when patents in Medical & Veterinary Science expire?

When a patent expires, its claims enter the public domain. For Medical & Veterinary Science, that means competitors can implement the underlying methods or apparatus without licensing fees. The practical impact varies — in regulated areas like pharmaceuticals, FDA-granted exclusivities can extend market protection past patent expiry. In unregulated technology areas, expiration usually translates directly into freedom-to-operate for new entrants.

Where does Medical & Veterinary Science patent data come from?

All patent data is sourced from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office through the PatentsView and Open Data Portal APIs. CPC classifications are assigned by USPTO examiners and are part of the official patent record. Verify any individual patent through USPTO Patent Public Search (ppubs.uspto.gov) or Google Patents.

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Sources: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PatentsView, Open Data Portal). Public-domain federal data. Cite as: "PatentCliff, Medical & Veterinary Science landscape, April 2026. Data: USPTO."

Last updated 2026-04-10 · 247 patents tracked in Medical & Veterinary Science.