Guidance

Examining patent applications for medical inventions

These guidelines set out how the IPO examines patent applications for medical inventions.

• From: Intellectual Property Office
• Published: 30 April 2016
• Last updated: 27 October 2023 — See all updates

Documents

Examination guidelines for patent applications relating to medical inventions in the Intellectual Property Office

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Details

This guide covers:

• basic principles
• methods of treatment or diagnosis
• therapy
• surgery
• diagnosis
• multi-step methods involving a surgical, therapeutic or diagnostic step
• apparatus for surgery, therapy or diagnosis
• first medical use
• second medical use
• claims to pharmaceutical substances and compositions
• index of course cases and IPO decisions
• index of European Patent Office decisions

Published 30 April 2016
Last updated 27 October 2023 + show all updates

1. 27 October 2023

   Updated guidelines from September 2021 to July 2023.

2. 25 November 2021

   This update to the Guidelines includes extensive changes to the chapter on Second Medical Use, and also significant changes in the following chapters: Therapy, Surgery, Diagnosis, Multi-step methods involving a surgical, therapeutic or diagnostic step, Apparatus and devices for surgery, therapy or diagnosis, First medical use, and Claims to pharmaceutical compositions.

3. 14 October 2016

   HTML publication added.

4. 30 April 2016

   First published.