A sudden increase of patent application of core facility for infectious disease treatment ‘Negative-pressure ward’

[Photo provided = Korea Intellectual Property Office]

Along with the increase in the number of confirmed cases due to the spread of COVID-19 the number of patent applications for negative pressure wards which is a facility for quarantine treatment has been increased significantly.

Negative pressure ward is a core medical facility for treating infectious disease patients that maintains internal pressure lower than external to exclude emission of virus including the air from wards or droplets to the external and purifies the internal air through the filters and safely discharges.

According to the Korea Intellectual Property Office on the 16th the patent applications related to negative pressure wards have been increased to 63 cases in 2020 since the COVID-19 pandemic has been started which was only 2~3 cases annually applied in 2011~2019. Regarding the patent application status of technology type for negative pressure wards the patent application related to mobile and self-assembly negative pressure ward accounted for 54.7% (47 cases) which is the highest portion. Following this the patent applications related to air conditioning that controls air pressure of internal ward accounted for 22.1% (19 cases) the patent applications related to air cleaning that kills virus and bacteria using filters chemicals or UV accounted for 19.8% (17 cases) and the patent applications related to remote control accounted for 3.4% (3 cases).

The patent applications of mobile and self-assembly negative pressure wards are referring to air tents using air frames preparatory manufactured modular wards and self-assembly containers that are easy to move and install and expandable. Its active patent application is analyzed as a response to the shortage of negative pressure wards due to the rapid increase in the number of the confirmed cases.

Regarding the type of patent applicants medium-size enterprises and small business accounted for 51.2% (44 cases) which is a half of the total. Following this individuals accounted for 32.6% (28 cases) college and research institutes accounted for 12.8% (11 cases). Local residents accounted for 98.8% and foreigners accounted for 1.2% (1 case) which shows that local resident application is inundant. It is explained that generally negative pressure wards are related to building and construction so the patent applications from domestic small business are active and as a result of the effort for innovations in technique from the industry to overcome COVID-19 pandemic.

Hyun-il Shin the examiner of Medical Technology Examination Division in KIPO said “The world is paying attention to Korea’s innovative medical technology since we have been promptly responding to COVID-19 with testing kits and drive-thru test” and “We will offer various intellectual property information to help the innovative growth of medical technology that prevents infectious disease such as negative pressure wards.”

Trend in patent applications for negative pressure wards during the last decade (2011~2020)

Website: : https://www.wip-news.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5854