A61B 1/227
Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes
Official title: for ears, i.e. otoscopes
A61B1/227 (Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes) appears on 525 US grants and 683 published applications in this corpus.
Search patents in A61B- Granted patents
- 525
- Published applications
- 683
- Assignees
- 270
- Inventors
- 1,163
- Latest grant
- 22 Sep 2026
Filings by year
| Year | Granted patents | Published applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 3 | 0 |
| 1977 | 5 | 0 |
| 1978 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | 2 | 0 |
| 1983 | 3 | 0 |
| 1984 | 3 | 0 |
| 1985 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | 2 | 0 |
| 1987 | 4 | 0 |
| 1988 | 2 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | 2 | 0 |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 |
| 1994 | 3 | 0 |
| 1995 | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 | 4 | 0 |
| 1999 | 12 | 0 |
| 2000 | 10 | 0 |
| 2001 | 9 | 2 |
| 2002 | 7 | 6 |
| 2003 | 6 | 7 |
| 2004 | 2 | 13 |
| 2005 | 3 | 13 |
| 2006 | 4 | 3 |
| 2007 | 4 | 11 |
| 2008 | 6 | 15 |
| 2009 | 4 | 12 |
| 2010 | 4 | 23 |
| 2011 | 8 | 18 |
| 2012 | 20 | 23 |
| 2013 | 14 | 39 |
| 2014 | 21 | 26 |
| 2015 | 20 | 33 |
| 2016 | 21 | 29 |
| 2017 | 25 | 34 |
| 2018 | 23 | 32 |
| 2019 | 31 | 43 |
| 2020 | 28 | 44 |
| 2021 | 35 | 51 |
| 2022 | 26 | 56 |
| 2023 | 36 | 28 |
| 2024 | 30 | 52 |
| 2025 | 36 | 44 |
| 2026 | 33 | 26 |
By publication year. Applications have been published since 2001. 2026 runs to 8 Oct.
Subgroups
Granted patents
Recent patents
- Visual tweezers and driving mechanism thereof22 Sep 2026US 12,740,695 B1Shenzhen Sulang Technology Co., Ltd
- Visually linear and discrete dimming for ophthalmoscopes and otoscopes and other medical examination or diagnostic instruments15 Sep 2026US 12,733,794 B2Welch Allyn, Inc.
- Infrared otoscope for characterization of effusion15 Sep 2026US 12,733,814 B2OtoNexus Medical Technologies, Inc.
- System for accessing a cochlear implant lead insertion site8 Sep 2026US 12,728,245 B2Spiral Therapeutics Inc.
- Imaging speculum for otology11 Aug 2026US 12,702,284 B2Infinity Research Inc.
- Otoscope suction adapter for removing foreign objects and debris from the ear canal and nasal passage1 Oct 2026US 2026/0294212 A1
- Image capture for optical viewing devices1 Oct 2026US 2026/0294216 A1
- Dual-mode mobile wi-fi otoscope system and methods1 Oct 2026US 2026/0301975 A1Remmie, Inc.
- An ear probe for ear examination24 Sep 2026US 2026/0283457 A1Otos Health Oy
- Ear imaging system10 Sep 2026US 2026/0262940 A1Audioptics Medical Incorporated
Most cited
By later US patents
- Medical diagnostic instrument1,251US 7,029,439 B2Welch Allyn, Inc. · 2006
- Motion sensitive and capacitor powered handheld device1,026US 9,153,994 B2Welch Allyn, Inc. · 2015
- Illumination devices using natural light LEDs1,018US 8,992,042 B2Halma Holdings, Inc. · 2015
- Hand-held portable endoscopic camera273US 5,879,289 AUniversal Technologies International, Inc. · 1999
- Compact imaging instrument system253US 6,106,457 AWelch Allyn, Inc. · 2000