마이크로플루이딕 디바이스 특허 추적 조사

Microfluidic is a well-established growing market with successful applications in several industrial areas

Microfluidics emerged in the beginning of the 1980s and is used for example in the development of inkjet printheads, DNA chips, lab-on-a-chip technology, or point-of-care devices. It is a multidisciplinary field at the intersection of engineering, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. In this broad technical area, more than 20,000 patent families related to microfluidics have been published worldwide, and over 150 new patent families are published each month. A lot of large companies, such as HP, BOSCH, ABBOTT or ROCHE, are very active in terms of IP activity in this field, and every month new startups file new patent applications. Moreover, several market predictions indicate a robust growth for the next coming decades. A demand for microfluidic technology exists worldwide with North America (> 40%) being the largest market followed by Europe (> 30%) and Asia Pacific (~20%).

Therefore, in such a fast-growing and dynamic microfluidic market, it is essential to track patents in order to anticipate changes, quickly detect new entrants and business opportunities, mitigate risks, and make strategic decisions.

The microfluidic devices patent monitoring service allows you to take advantage of a monthly updated Excel file and benefit from both quarterly analysis reports and direct interaction with our analysts. The monthly Excel files include new patents, patents expired/abandoned, patent transfers (re-assignment, licensing) and patent litigation/opposition. The patents are categorized by application segments such as PoC, cell sorting, drug delivery, IC cooling, inkjet etc. This useful Excel patent database allows for multi-criteria searches including priority date, patent assignees, claims, legal status of patents and technology segments. The quarterly reports provide the IP trends over the three last months, with a close look to key IP players and key patented technologies. The direct access to our analysts offers you Q&A session and open discussion on specific patented technologies or company IP portfolios.

Benefits of the patent monitoring service

Keep a watch on your competitors' IP activities and their future intentions.

With the help of the patent monitoring service, you will be aware of your competitors' current patenting activities, their IP dynamics, patent transfers including acquisitions and licenses, patent litigation, technology development and R&D strategies. You will also be able to early detect new entrants in your business area.

Keep track of the latest technology developments and be ahead of technology trends.

By keeping note of any recent patent filings, you can track the newest innovations in the field. You will get details on claimed inventions and you can follow technology developments. New technical solutions could inspire and improve your R&D activity.

Prevent registration of IP rights that may be harmful to your business.

You will obtain information on patent applications filed even before exclusive rights have been granted and you can react in time to prevent registration of IP rights that may be harmful to your business.

React in time to infringements and mitigate legal risks.

Monitoring newly-issued patents allows you to regularly assess your freedom-to-operate, ensuring your products or processes are not covered patents and thus they can be manufactured, sold or used safely without infringing valid IP rights owned by others.

Take advantage of free technologies and decrease R&D project risks.

By tracking both expired patents and abandoned patents, you will be able to identify inventions entering the public domain that you can use safely for your development.

Understand the current IP trends and IP strategy of competitors

On a quarterly basis, the report will provide the IP trends over the three last months, with a close look to key IP players and key patented technologies. Main patent applicants and their inventions, blocking patents, promising patents and key patents newly expired or abandoned will be highlighted.

Access to the IP analyst

Take advantage of direct interaction with our analysts by phone call and/or email and get specific input for specific patented technologies and company IP portfolios through Q&A session and open discussion (100h a year).

Key features of the service

Every month an Excel file including:

• New patents applications.
• Patent newly granted.
• Patents expired or abandoned.
• Transfer of IP rights (re-assignment)
• Patent litigation.
• Patents manually categorized by application: Point-of-care, cell culture, cell separation & analysis, single cell processing, cooling device, display & optics, drug delivery, drug screening, agro-food, fluid control, inkjet, organ-on-chip, sample preparation etc.

Every quarter a report including:

• Key fact & figures of the quarter.
• Main IP players and strategic analysis.
• New start-up firms
• Patent litigation analysis

Access to IP analyst for 100h a year:

• Q&A session and open discussion with our IP analysts
• Requesting for patent search on company or technology.