Assay Interference Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
- One IPC subclass dominates. G01N (material analysis & testing) covers 96.2% of the 52 records in scope, meaning almost every filing routes through the same core class regardless of assignee.
- The ranking is short. Only 15 companies appear in the assignee ranking at all, with the leader at 15 families and fifth place at just 6 — a field with room for a new entrant to be noticed.
- Filing activity has gone quiet. The peak year so far is 2019 at 5 filings; the trend runs down to 0 by 2026, though recent years are understated by publication lag.
What this landscape covers
This landscape tracks patent filings addressing assay interference and sample integrity — the detection and correction of hemolysis, lipemia and icteric interference in clinical serum and plasma samples before they reach an analyzer. The search string pairs interference-detection terms (hemolysis, icteric sample, heterophile antibody) with correction and reporting concepts (interference index, result suppression, serum indices, corrective action), capturing both the sensing hardware and the downstream decision logic that flags or suppresses a compromised result.
The scope runs from 2015 through the 2026 data cut-off and covers 52 published records. Because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, the most recent one to two years in any trend line will look thinner than they eventually turn out to be.
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Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 52 records: how filing activity has moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses the claims actually sit in.
Filing trend, 2017–2026
Activity peaked at 5 filings in 2019 and has tapered since; 2026 is a partial year and should not be read as zero interest, only as un-published pipeline.
IPC subclass composition
G01N accounts for 96.2% of the 52 records, with G01F (flow, level & volume measuring) a distant second at 17.3%. Smaller clusters in G01D, G06F, B01D, G01J and G16H each cover 1.9%–3.8% of records, indicating narrow but distinct secondary claim territory around fluidics, data processing and optical measurement.
Shares are the percentage of the 52 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Assay Interference and Sample Integrity with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about assay interference and sample integrity and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaMost-cited records in the field
Device and method for preliminary testing a neat serum sample in a primary collection tube
A device and method for performing a preliminary test on a neat serum sample contained in a primary collection tube is provided herein. The method includes positioning an optical probe near the primary collection tube and monitoring the neat serum sample to determine whether an interferant — hemolysis, icterus or lipemia — is present. From this test, a hemolytic index, an icteric index and a lipemic index can be established. Based on these serum indices, the sample can be routed to a clinical analyzer for further testing or to waste because it is compromised.Filed by Beckman Coulter; this family and its earlier priority document together anchor the two highest-cited records in the dataset.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US6388750B1 | Device and method for preliminary testing a neat serum sample in a primary collection tube | 71 |
| 2 | US7838250B1 | Highly sensitive system and methods for analysis of troponin | 57 |
| 3 | WO2000036400A1 | Device and method for preliminary testing a neat serum sample in a primary collection tube | 52 |
| 4 | US20150044780A1 | Multi-application approach for photometric determination of an analyte in a fluid sample on an automated anal… | 39 |
| 5 | US20080261242A1 | Highly Sensitive System and Methods for Analysis of Troponin | 32 |
| 6 | US8535895B2 | Highly sensitive system and method for analysis of troponin | 26 |
| 7 | US5057435A | Reagent and methods for calcium determination | 26 |
| 8 | US20110111524A1 | Highly Sensitive System and Method for Analysis of Troponin | 24 |
| 9 | US20180100862A1 | Highly Sensitive System and Methods for Analysis of Troponin | 20 |
| 10 | US6628395B2 | Device and method for preliminary testing a neat serum sample in a primary collection tube | 20 |
Citation counts favour older filings that have had more time to accumulate citations within the searched corpus; treat them as a measure of influence on later filings, not of present-day relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for a filing decision
Three read-outs from the ranking, the trend and the co-filing pattern that matter more than the raw counts.
A short leader board, not a crowded field
The assignee ranking returned by the data endpoint contains only 15 companies, with the leader holding 15 families and the count falling to 6 by fifth place and 2 by tenth. That is a shallow drop-off rather than a single dominant player pulling far away from everyone else.
Claims cluster in one measurement class
Almost every record in scope carries a G01N classification, the material-analysis-and-testing subclass that covers optical and chemical interference detection. Secondary classes like G01F and G06F appear in a minority of records, marking narrower claim territory around fluid handling and data processing rather than a separate technical approach.
Activity has cooled since 2019
The filing trend rises to a peak of 5 filings in 2019 and declines toward 2026, where the count is 0 — though the most recent years are understated because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months. None of the assignees named in the momentum data show activity in the latest year, consistent with a field that has slowed rather than one being actively vacated by a specific player.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to assay interference and sample integrity, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the ground and where it is still open
The ranking is led by a diagnostics-instrument maker, with the remaining places split across reagent and analyzer companies and a handful of individual and university filers. Co-assignee pairs show a small number of stable filing partnerships rather than a broad collaboration network.
Instrument-side leader sets the pace
The top-ranked assignee holds 15 families, built around serum-index detection hardware and the optical probe approach seen in the most-cited records. Its filings concentrate on pre-analytic screening — catching a compromised sample before it reaches the analyzer rather than correcting for interference after the fact.
A cluster of reagent and diagnostics filers
From second through fifth place the counts step down gradually to 6 families, populated by branded diagnostics and reagent companies. Two of these appear together in one of the dataset's strongest co-assignee pairs, suggesting a corporate-family filing pattern rather than independent competition between related entities.
Individual and single-purpose filers
By tenth place the count drops to 2 families, and the ranking includes at least one individual-named filer paired consistently with a single corporate co-assignee. This tail is where narrow, single-application claims sit — useful to check before assuming an approach is unclaimed.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Novilux LLC | 0 | — |
| Beckman Coulter, Inc. | 0 | — |
| The Regents of the University of California | 0 | — |
| F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG | 0 | — |
| Roche Diagnostics GmbH | 0 | — |
| SYNERMED | 0 | — |
| Instrumentation Laboratory Company | 0 | — |
| DENNEY JERRY W | 0 | — |
Where to take this from here
The landscape data points to specific next steps depending on whether the goal is freedom-to-operate, portfolio building or monitoring.
Check freedom-to-operate against the leader's core claims
Before designing an optical or index-based interference detection device, screen against the top-ranked assignee's serum-index family, which anchors the highest-cited records in this dataset.
Run an FTO check in Eureka →Explore the under-claimed fluidics and software branches
G01F and G06F overlaps appear in a minority of records, suggesting flow-handling and result-suppression software claims are less crowded than the core detection hardware.
Explore white space in Eureka →Track the long tail for licensing or acquisition targets
Several assignees hold only 2 families each; these narrow, single-purpose filings can be efficient licensing or acquisition targets compared to the broader leader portfolios.
Monitor assignees in Eureka →Common questions about this landscape
In this dataset, assay interference covers hemolysis, lipemia and icteric contamination in serum or plasma samples — conditions that distort optical or chemical readings in clinical analyzers. Filings typically claim either a detection method (an optical probe or index calculation that flags a compromised sample) or a correction/reporting method (suppressing or adjusting a result once interference is detected). Almost all of these filings, 96.2% of the 52 records in scope, carry a G01N material-analysis-and-testing classification, showing the field is defined more by the measurement approach than by any single interferant.
The assignee ranking for this dataset contains 15 companies, led by a diagnostics-instrument maker with 15 families, stepping down to 6 families by fifth place and 2 by tenth. This is a short ranking rather than a top-100 list, so a new entrant with even a handful of well-targeted filings can register a meaningful position. The leader's filings concentrate on pre-analytic optical screening rather than post-hoc result correction.
Filing activity peaked at 5 filings in 2019 and has declined since, reaching 0 in 2026 according to the published record. However, publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months, so the last one to two years understate real activity and should not be read as the field going quiet in practice. The 2019 peak followed by decline is a genuine pattern worth watching for confirmation as more recent filings publish.
US20020089669A1, filed by Beckman Coulter, claims a device and method for testing a neat serum sample directly in its primary collection tube using an optical probe to detect hemolysis, icterus and lipemia, and to compute corresponding serum indices. It is one of a small family of related filings, including the highest-cited record in this dataset, that together define pre-analytic screening before a sample reaches a clinical analyzer. Anyone building index-based, in-tube optical screening should review this family and its related priority filings closely before finalizing a design.
The IPC composition shows a sharp drop-off outside the core G01N class: G01F (flow, level & volume measuring) covers 17.3% of the 52 records, while G01D, G06F, B01D, G01J and G16H each cover under 4%. That leaves specific branches — software-based result-suppression logic, flow-cell-integrated correction, and radiation-based icteric sensing — comparatively under-claimed relative to the dense optical-detection core. These are the areas worth checking first for a first-claim opportunity rather than the crowded G01N center.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.