Patent classes

Only in the case of chlordiazepoxide can one speak in terms of goal-directed development here the intention was to find tranquillizing compounds in a new and patentable class of substances. In no case, however, was there a biochemical hypothesis concerning the illness or symptoms to be treated that would have led to the rational synthesis and development of appropriate pharmaceuticals. 

Searching patents is an art in itself and cannot be discussed in detail here. Appropriate patent classes are usually searched at the Patent Office in Washington. Chemical Abstracts covers some patents. Searchers may consult the Uniterm Index of Chemical Patents and other aids. They will have difficulty with the Annual Patent Index of the Official Gazette of the 17. S. Patent Office, because the entries are listed by title and inventors. As titles do not correspond to subjects, this index is not very useful. 

Patents are included in most of the reviews and abstract journals. However, if one wishes to make a thorough search, the patent classes may be checked. The main class is 260-648 and specific products or processes are considered from this number through to 260-664. 

A few of the most important U. S. patent classes and subclasses for obtaining information on sulfur compounds obtainable from petroleum are listed below. All those patent subclasses which would yield references to desulfurization have been omitted in view of the excellent coverage of patent abstracts on this subject given in Rakoff s bibliography (201). References to the sulfur compounds themselves may be found by searching many of the patent classes such as 196 for mineral oils, 202 for distillation processes, 183 for gas separations, 210 for liquid separations, and 260 for organic carbon compounds. In this last class are hsted the most important references to the sulfur compounds and for that reason there is included below a selected list of those subclasses which may contain pertinent information on sulfur compounds. 

Patent classes and the images included in a patent are key elements in the device patent search. The images are critical in evaluating a patent, as they illustrate, along with the written description, the mechanics involved in the device. The image alone may determine the significance of the patent in question. 

Patent classifications divide the entire set of U.S. and international patents into searchable collections based on the technology claimed in that patent. The primary U.S. patent groupings, called Classes, are divided into more specific Subclasses, which in some cases are further subdivided in Subsubclasses. On the other hand, the International Patent Classes (IPC) specifies the Class, Subclass, Group, and Subgroup. The EPO s European Patent Classification (ECLA) is assuming greater importance, since it further subdivides the IPC. 

It is often appropriate to look at all the patents assigned to a specific class/subclass. However, it is important to use keywords to search the titles, abtracts, and claims, and sometimes even the full text of patents within a broader range of patent classes in order to capture all patents of interest. 

The l,3,4,5-tetrahydrobenzo[c][l,6]- and -l,7-naphthyridin-6-ones are presented as a patent class of PARp-1 inhibitors (2003MI13). 

However, certain evidence might entitle your application to an allowable claim if it covers a salt with surprisingly and unexpectedly good activity. This evidence would support a so-called selection invention. Such an invention arises when a subclass of compounds chosen from a patented class possesses a demonstrable advantage. The advantage must be one that the other compounds lack. In this case, a claim to the subclass is allowable in a patent. 

Singh, H., Mishra, S. L., Mallavarapu, A., Ravishankar, V., Girivalkar, A., Kotekar, M. K., and Mukherjee, T. K. 2003. Process for recovery of high purity uranium from fertilizer grade weak phosphoric acid. Patent Class 423008000 (U.S.Patent and Trademark... 

We measured corporate inventive activities with by means of patent applications. In order to get data about patent applications in the field of water benign process technologies we selected the patent class C02F and used keywords. 

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is located in Crystal City, VA, and more importantly on the Internet as USPTO.com. It offers an extensive database, which can be accessed easily. One can search by inventors, assignees, titles, keywords, patent classes, etc. It is updated every Tuesday. 

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