Subclass A61B Definition
Title
DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
Definition Statement
This subclass covers within its scope apparatus, instruments, implements, and processes
that employ them whenever they are specially adapted, or intended to be solely utilized,
for the following categories of activities or procedures related to the practice of medicine:
A. To test, evaluate, or examine a portion of the body (e.g., lungs), a bodily condition
(e.g., sickness, broken bone, pregnancy), or mental condition (e.g., stress,
depression) affecting the functioning of a living human being’s body.
B. To test, determine, measure, or monitor a bodily function (e.g., heart beat, vision)
of a living human being’s body.
C. To manipulate (e.g. separate bones), stabilize (e.g., insert bone pins), or alter (e.g.,
remove cancerous organs, fasten skin together) by physical action on (e.g., laser
cutting, pressure of fluid) a portion of a living human being’s body to correct or
enhance its functioning.
D. To facilitate the occurrence of an unusual natural bodily function (e.g., child birth,
passing kidney stone) of a living human being’s body.
E. To evaluate, examine, physically manipulate, or alter a dead human being’s body
for a medical purpose (e.g., autopsy, organ harvesting).
F. To introduce cells (e.g., insemination, bone marrow), body tissue (e.g., skin
grafting), or vaccines into or onto a human being for medical purposes.
G. To remove or collect cells (e.g., embryos), body tissue (e.g. biopsy), or foreign
objects (e.g., bullets) from a human being for medical purposes.
H. To collect or record information on a particular physical characteristic of an
individual’s body for the purpose of assisting in uniquely identifying it from other
human beings (e.g., finger printing).
This subclass also covers adjunct or supplementary means specially adapted for, or
intended for exclusive use with, any of the types of apparatus, instruments, implements,
and processes specified above in sections A - H when the means is not specifically
provided for in another subclass. These adjunct or supplementary means contribute to the
effectiveness (e.g., surgical drapes) or safety (e.g., operating gloves) of a medical
procedure, but may or may not (e.g., protective covers for scalpels) themselves involve
any direct contact with a human body.
Relationships Between Large Subject Matter Areas (e.g., Subclasses)
None.
Limiting References
A61C - DENTISTRY; ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE – group 3/00 for tools or
instruments for operating on the mouth portion of a human being (e.g., tooth saws) and
group 17/10 for saliva removers combined with instruments for opening or keeping open
the mouth (e.g., mouth props, tongue guards, tongue depressors, cheek spreaders).
A61F - FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES;
ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION;
TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS
OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS – note particularly group 9/00 for methods
or devices for treatment of eyes, putting in contact lenses, eye surgery, or correcting
squinting and group 11/00 for ear surgery.
A61H - PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION;
MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC
PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY – group 31/00 for apparatus for
artificial respiration or heart stimulation.
A61M - DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY;
DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM
THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR – for
syringes and suction, pumping or atomizing devices for medical use (e.g. cups, breast
relievers, irrigators, sprays, powder insufflators, atomizers, inhalers), apparatus for
general or local anesthetics, devices or methods for causing a change in the state of
consciousness, catheters, dilators, and apparatus for introducing medicines into the body
other than orally.
A61N - ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY;
ULTRASOUND THERAPY – for treating medical conditions or physical injuries of human
beings at the cellular level of body tissue by utilization of forms of energy not directly generated
by mechanical apparatus, devices, or means.
G01K - MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT;
THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR –
group 5/00 for clinical thermometers for measuring the temperature of body parts.
G10L - SPEECH ANALYSIS OR SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION – group
17/00 for recognizing, identifying, or verifying the identity of human beings using their
voice or speech.
Informative References
A61D - VETERINARY INSTRUMENTS, IMPLEMENTS, TOOLS, OR METHODS –
for analogous apparatus, instruments, implements, and processes employing them to those
of this subclass for medically treating animals.
A61G - TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION
SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR DISABLED PERSONS OR PATIENTS; OPERATING
TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES – group
13/00 for operating tables and auxiliary devices for these tables and group 15/00 for
operating chairs.
A61J - CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR
PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY
ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR
PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING
FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR
RECEIVING SPITTLE – note particularly group 1/00 for containers specially adapted for
medical or pharmaceutical purposes and group 7/00 for devices for administering
medicines orally.
A61L - METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR
OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION
OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT
PADS, OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS,
ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICAL ARTICLES – group 17/00 for materials for
surgical sutures or for ligaturing blood vessels; group 24/00 for surgical adhesives or
cements and adhesives for colostomy devices; and group 28/00 for materials for
colostomy devices.
G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING
THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES – for analyzing biological material.
G03B - APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR
FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS
EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN
OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR – group 42/00 for Obtaining records
using waves other than optical waves and viewing such records by using optical means.
Special Rules of Classification
None.
Glossary of Terms
None.
Synonyms and Keywords
None.