A61B 17/32
Surgical cutting instruments
Official title: Surgical cutting instruments ({A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467;} implements for ligaturing and cutting {A61B17/122, A61B17/12; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133})
A61B17/32 (Surgical cutting instruments) appears on 18,914 US grants and 22,011 published applications in this corpus.
Search patents in A61B- Granted patents
- 18,914
- Published applications
- 22,011
- Assignees
- 3,930
- Inventors
- 20,182
- Latest grant
- 6 Oct 2026
Filings by year
| Year | Granted patents | Published applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 27 | 0 |
| 1977 | 29 | 0 |
| 1978 | 19 | 0 |
| 1979 | 19 | 0 |
| 1980 | 26 | 0 |
| 1981 | 27 | 0 |
| 1982 | 21 | 0 |
| 1983 | 20 | 0 |
| 1984 | 37 | 0 |
| 1985 | 37 | 0 |
| 1986 | 49 | 0 |
| 1987 | 84 | 0 |
| 1988 | 86 | 0 |
| 1989 | 94 | 0 |
| 1990 | 90 | 0 |
| 1991 | 113 | 0 |
| 1992 | 143 | 0 |
| 1993 | 168 | 0 |
| 1994 | 238 | 0 |
| 1995 | 202 | 0 |
| 1996 | 233 | 0 |
| 1997 | 262 | 0 |
| 1998 | 331 | 0 |
| 1999 | 378 | 0 |
| 2000 | 313 | 0 |
| 2001 | 274 | 111 |
| 2002 | 258 | 399 |
| 2003 | 329 | 462 |
| 2004 | 247 | 554 |
| 2005 | 175 | 606 |
| 2006 | 218 | 607 |
| 2007 | 219 | 622 |
| 2008 | 189 | 711 |
| 2009 | 239 | 613 |
| 2010 | 400 | 747 |
| 2011 | 458 | 723 |
| 2012 | 585 | 904 |
| 2013 | 695 | 986 |
| 2014 | 737 | 1154 |
| 2015 | 810 | 1125 |
| 2016 | 842 | 1137 |
| 2017 | 901 | 1296 |
| 2018 | 808 | 1090 |
| 2019 | 1109 | 1356 |
| 2020 | 1055 | 1231 |
| 2021 | 987 | 1145 |
| 2022 | 949 | 1052 |
| 2023 | 953 | 924 |
| 2024 | 985 | 977 |
| 2025 | 943 | 898 |
| 2026 | 503 | 581 |
By publication year. Applications have been published since 2001. 2026 runs to 8 Oct.
Subgroups
Granted patents
- A61B 17/3205Excision instruments6,416
- A61B 17/320016Endoscopic cutting instruments5,305
- A61B 17/320068Using mechanical vibrations3,975
- A61B 17/3209Incision instruments2,090
- A61B 2017/320052Guides for cutting instrumentsIndexing code1,486
- A61B 2017/320004AbrasiveIndexing code1,430
- A61B 2017/320044Blunt dissectorsIndexing code1,330
- A61B 17/3203Fluid jet cutting instruments1,009
Recent patents
- Computer-aided vacuum thrombectomy systems and methods for estimating therapeutic benefit6 Oct 2026US 12,751,729 B1Penumbra, Inc.
- Energy treatment apparatus6 Oct 2026US 12,751,733 B2Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
- Replaceable surgical scissor blades for surgical instruments6 Oct 2026US 12,751,734 B2Cilag GmbH International
- Hydro dissection and suction laparoscopic instruments and methods of use6 Oct 2026US 12,751,735 B2
- Neurovascular clot retrieving system6 Oct 2026US 12,751,736 B2Cerebrova KP Medical, Inc.
- A device for extracting a material8 Oct 2026US 2026/0306081 A1Stichting Radboud universitair medisch centrum
- Medical cutting devices with static components having temperature sensors and related methods8 Oct 2026US 2026/0306109 A1Innovations 4 Surgery, LLC
- Medical ultrasonic scalpel, medical ultrasonic scalpel system, and robot-assisted ultrasonic scalpel system8 Oct 2026US 2026/0306123 A1Smtp Medical Co., Ltd.
- Skin treatment device8 Oct 2026US 2026/0306124 A1DD Karma LLC d/b/a Dermaflash
- Oscillating surgical bone removal tool with angular displacement8 Oct 2026US 2026/0306125 A1Medtronic PS Medical, Inc.
Most cited
By later US patents
- Electrosurgical hemostatic device4,011US 5,403,312 AEthicon, Inc. · 1995
- Robotic surgical tool with ultrasound cauterizing and cutting instrument3,961US 6,783,524 B2Intuitive Surgical, Inc. · 2004
- Surgical stapling and cutting device3,391US 7,404,508 B2Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. · 2008
- Endoscopic surgical system with sensing means3,306US 5,383,880 AEthicon, Inc. · 1995
- Surgical device for stapling and/or fastening body tissues3,256US 5,389,098 AOlympus Optical Co., Ltd. · 1995