A61B 18/22
The beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit
Official title: the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; {Couplings or} hand-pieces therefor
A61B18/22 (The beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit) appears on 4,011 US grants and 4,357 published applications in this corpus.
Search patents in A61B- Granted patents
- 4,011
- Published applications
- 4,357
- Assignees
- 1,328
- Inventors
- 5,579
- Latest grant
- 6 Oct 2026
Filings by year
| Year | Granted patents | Published applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | 2 | 0 |
| 1979 | 2 | 0 |
| 1980 | 5 | 0 |
| 1981 | 5 | 0 |
| 1982 | 2 | 0 |
| 1983 | 8 | 0 |
| 1984 | 7 | 0 |
| 1985 | 15 | 0 |
| 1986 | 17 | 0 |
| 1987 | 27 | 0 |
| 1988 | 37 | 0 |
| 1989 | 57 | 0 |
| 1990 | 37 | 0 |
| 1991 | 57 | 0 |
| 1992 | 71 | 0 |
| 1993 | 93 | 0 |
| 1994 | 124 | 0 |
| 1995 | 93 | 0 |
| 1996 | 82 | 0 |
| 1997 | 76 | 0 |
| 1998 | 120 | 0 |
| 1999 | 92 | 0 |
| 2000 | 105 | 0 |
| 2001 | 72 | 30 |
| 2002 | 85 | 87 |
| 2003 | 103 | 93 |
| 2004 | 61 | 96 |
| 2005 | 48 | 109 |
| 2006 | 46 | 89 |
| 2007 | 56 | 123 |
| 2008 | 45 | 169 |
| 2009 | 42 | 155 |
| 2010 | 52 | 145 |
| 2011 | 56 | 150 |
| 2012 | 86 | 156 |
| 2013 | 95 | 200 |
| 2014 | 131 | 211 |
| 2015 | 150 | 197 |
| 2016 | 162 | 210 |
| 2017 | 140 | 211 |
| 2018 | 145 | 192 |
| 2019 | 184 | 243 |
| 2020 | 160 | 212 |
| 2021 | 155 | 237 |
| 2022 | 151 | 221 |
| 2023 | 167 | 219 |
| 2024 | 185 | 248 |
| 2025 | 188 | 232 |
| 2026 | 111 | 122 |
By publication year. Applications have been published since 2001. 2026 runs to 8 Oct.
Subgroups
Granted patents
- A61B 18/24With a catheter2,216
- A61B 2018/2255Optical elements at the distal end of probe tipsIndexing code1,025
- A61B 18/26For producing a shock wave505
- A61B 2018/2205Characteristics of fibresIndexing code491
- A61B 2018/2238With means for selectively laterally deflecting the tip of the fibreIndexing code308
- A61B 2018/2244Features of optical fibre cablesIndexing code201
- A61B 18/28For heating a thermal probe or absorber116
- A61B 2018/225Features of hand-piecesIndexing code105
All 9 subgroupsShow fewer
Recent patents
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Most cited
By later US patents
- Gastrointestinal approximating and tissue attaching device2,671US 5,411,508 AThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York · 1995
- Surgical system for applying ultrasonic energy to tissue2,218US 6,773,409 B2SurgRx, Inc. · 2004
- Adjustable angle medical forceps2,198US 5,209,747 A1993
- Gastrointestinal endoscoptic stapler2,078US 5,197,649 AThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York · 1993
- Medical system for reproducing a state of contact of the treatment section in the operation unit2,068US 5,339,799 AOlympus Optical Co., Ltd. · 1994