Endoscope Reprocessing Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
- Concentrated at the top. The top 5 assignees hold 405 of 761 records in scope (53.2%), and the top 10 hold 539 (70.8%) — a small group of reprocessing-equipment makers has staked out most of the claim space.
- Filing has cooled from a 2017 peak. Annual filings ran from 100 in 2017 down to 13 by 2024, a 57% decline over 2021-2024; publication lag means the last one to two years understate real activity.
- Disinfection chemistry classes trail hardware classes. A61B (57.2%) and A61L (47.4%) dominate, while A61K medicinal-preparation claims sit at just 6.2% of the 761 records — a narrower, less-crowded lane.
Filing growth compares 2021 (30 records) with 2024 (13) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 761 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What this landscape covers
This landscape draws on 761 published records matching endoscope reprocessing or disinfection together with a specific technical vocabulary: channel brushing, high-level disinfection, drying cabinets, residual bioburden, leak testing and traceability records. The scope spans 2015 through the 2026-07-31 data cut-off, capturing both the equipment side — automated reprocessors, leak-test subsystems, drying cabinets — and the chemistry side, from detergent formulations to biocide compositions.
The record set is grouped by patent family rather than raw filings wherever the ranking is built, which keeps continuation and multi-jurisdiction filing from inflating any single assignee's count. Readers using this page to decide where to file should treat the concentration figures and the technology-class shares as the two load-bearing numbers: they show who already occupies the ground and which classes still have room.
Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 761 records: how filing volume has moved year over year, and how the record set splits across IPC subclasses. Because a single record can carry several classes, the class shares add up to more than 100% of the record total.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
Filings peaked at 100 in 2017 and had fallen to 13 by 2024, a 57% drop across 2021-2024. Publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 and 2026 figures are still filling in and should not be read as a continued decline.
Technology composition by IPC subclass
A61B (diagnosis and surgery) and A61L (sterilising and disinfecting) cover the majority of the 761 records, at 57.2% and 47.4% respectively. B08B cleaning apparatus and G01N testing methods form a second tier, while A01N, C11D, A61K and A61M sit further down — the chemistry and body-fluid-device classes where filing density is lowest.
Shares are the percentage of the 761 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Endoscope Reprocessing and Disinfection with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about endoscope reprocessing and disinfection and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe most-cited records in this landscape
Automated reprocessor with negative-pressure leak testing (EP3950158A1)
An automated endoscope reprocessor comprising a reprocessing chamber configured to receive an endoscope, a fluid supply subsystem that delivers reprocessing materials to that chamber, and a leak-testing subsystem that connects to a leak-test port on the endoscope and performs negative-pressure leak testing before or during reprocessing.Filed by Smart Medical Systems; published 2022-02-09.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US6884392B2 | Apparatus and method for steam reprocessing flexible endoscopes | 1,074 |
| 2 | US20040091389A1 | Apparataus and method for steam reprocessing flexible endoscopes | 118 |
| 3 | US6448062B1 | Simultaneous cleaning and decontaminating compositions and methods | 117 |
| 4 | US20010032494A1 | Leak detection method for endoscopes | 105 |
| 5 | WO2001019414A1 | Cleaning and decontaminating dialyzers by per-compound solutions | 102 |
| 6 | US6412334B1 | Leak detector for endoscopes | 100 |
| 7 | US6485684B1 | Fluid connection system for endoscope reprocessing with controlled leakage | 86 |
| 8 | US20090047176A1 | Indicator for monitoring a sterilization process | 76 |
| 9 | US20090076328A1 | Endoscope with internal light source and power supply | 68 |
| 10 | US20150109193A1 | Use of human input recognition to prevent contamination | 58 |
Citation counts inside a searched corpus favour older filings — read them as a signal of influence on later work, not as a measure of current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Three patterns stand out once concentration, timing and technology composition are laid side by side.
A small group of equipment makers sets the terms
With the top 5 assignees alone accounting for 53.2% of all 761 records, most of the core reprocessor and leak-testing claim space is already staked out by established sterilization and endoscopy equipment manufacturers. New entrants competing head-on in that hardware core face dense prior art from a handful of firms.
Volume has receded from its 2017 peak
Filings fell from a peak of 100 in 2017 to 13 in 2024, a 57% decline over 2021-2024. Because publication lags filing by around 18 months, the last two years of the trend are necessarily incomplete and should not be read as a further slowdown on their own.
Chemistry classes are thinner than hardware classes
A61B and A61L together cover most of the record set, but A61K medicinal-preparation claims sit at only 6.2% and A61M body-fluid-device claims at 5.7%. That gap between hardware-heavy classes and chemistry- or device-adjacent classes points to where claim density is lower.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to endoscope reprocessing and disinfection, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the ground, and where it's thinner
The ranked leaders in this field concentrate around sterilization-equipment and reprocessor manufacturers, with a long tail of single- or few-filing entrants behind them.
The top-ranked assignee holds a clear lead
The leading assignee's 147 records sit well above fifth place at 43 and tenth place at 21, showing a steep drop-off rather than an even spread across the ranked group of 84 companies.
A second tier holds meaningful but smaller portfolios
Positions five through ten range from 43 down to 21 records, forming a mid-tier of reprocessing and disinfection specialists distinct from both the single leader and the long tail below them.
Recent-year activity has gone quiet across the leaders
Several of the most-ranked assignees show zero filings in the latest year, including one with a -100% year-on-year change. Given the publication lag, this reads as incomplete recent data rather than confirmed withdrawal from the field.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Ethicon Inc. | 0 | — |
| ASP Global Manufacturing GmbH | 0 | — |
| Medivators Inc. | 0 | -100% |
| Smart Medical Systems Ltd. | 0 | — |
| 3M Innovative Properties Co. | 0 | — |
| Getinge Sterilization AB | 0 | — |
| Saban Ventures Pty Ltd | 0 | — |
| American Sterilizer Co. (STERIS) | 0 | -100% |
Where to take this next
The landscape points to two practical next steps for teams deciding where to file or partner.
Check freedom-to-operate against the top 10
Before drafting claims in the automated reprocessor or leak-testing core, screen against the top 10 assignees, which together hold 70.8% of the 761 records in scope.
Run a freedom-to-operate check in EurekaExplore the thinner chemistry and traceability classes
A61K, A61M and C11D show lower record shares than A61B and A61L, suggesting less-crowded ground for biocide formulation or digital traceability claims.
Explore white space in EurekaCommon questions about this landscape
The ranking covers 84 companies, and the leader holds 147 of the 761 records in scope, well ahead of fifth place at 43 and tenth place at 21. The top 5 assignees together hold 53.2% of all records, and the top 10 hold 70.8%, so the field is concentrated among a small group of sterilization and endoscope-reprocessing equipment makers. Anyone evaluating freedom to operate should start with that top-10 group before looking at the long tail of smaller filers.
Filings peaked at 100 in 2017 and had declined to 13 by 2024, a 57% drop across 2021-2024. However, publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the 2025 and 2026 figures in any dataset are still incomplete and should not be read as evidence of an ongoing slowdown. The 2017 peak to 2024 trend is the most reliable comparison available in this data.
A61B (diagnosis and surgery) and A61L (sterilising and disinfecting) are the most heavily claimed, covering 57.2% and 47.4% of the 761 records respectively. B08B cleaning apparatus and G01N testing methods form a second tier at 17.2% and 12.4%. A61K medicinal preparations and A61M body-fluid devices sit lowest, at 6.2% and 5.7%, marking comparatively less-crowded technical ground within the same overall dataset.
EP3950158A1, filed by Smart Medical Systems, describes an automated endoscope reprocessor with a reprocessing chamber, a fluid supply subsystem, and a leak-testing subsystem that uses negative-pressure testing through a dedicated leak-test port on the endoscope. It is a representative record in this landscape rather than the single most-cited one. Anyone designing a reprocessor with integrated negative-pressure leak detection should read its claims closely before finalizing a similar architecture.
The evidence points to branches adjacent to the crowded reprocessor and disinfectant-chemistry core: residual bioburden quantification sensing, automated traceability record integration, drying-cabinet airflow validation, and lumen-specific biocide compositions all sit in IPC classes with comparatively lower record shares. These are not guarantees of a clear field, since the underlying search only captures records matching the specific search terms used, but they indicate where filing density is thinner relative to the dominant A61B and A61L classes.
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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.