Multileaf Collimator Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
Multileaf collimator and beam-shaping patents: who leads, and where filing is headed
Filings have fallen sharply from their peak. 2021's 147 filings dropped to 37 by 2024, a 75% decline over that three-year span, though 2025-2026 figures are still incomplete due to publication lag. Annual filings peaked at 185 in 2017 and had fallen to 37 by 2024 — a decline verified by the 2021-to-2024 comparison of 147 down to 37, a 75% drop. The 2025 and 2026 figures (down to 9 for the partial year) should be read as still filling in rather than as evidence the field has gone quiet, since publication typically lags filing by around 18 months.
- 1SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS INTERNATIONAL AG8.6%
- 2ELEKTA AB5.6%
- 3VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC4.5%
- 4MAGIC LEAP INC3.9%
- 5MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC3.1%
See the full multileaf collimators and beam shaping analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions about multileaf collimator patents
Who holds the most multileaf collimator patents?
One assignee leads the ranked field with 209 records, well ahead of fifth place at 76 and tenth place at 54. The top 5 assignees combined hold 25.6% of all 2,437 records in scope, and the top 10 combined hold 38.4%. That leaves a majority of the field spread across a long tail of smaller filers, so leadership at the very top does not translate into control of the whole space.
Is multileaf collimator patent filing still growing?
No — filing peaked at 185 in 2017 and has declined since, with a verified drop from 147 filings in 2021 to 37 in 2024, a 75% decrease over that span. Figures for 2025 and 2026 look even lower, but that is expected because patent publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the most recent years are still incomplete rather than genuinely quieter. 2024 is the most recent year that can be read as a complete picture.
What technology areas do multileaf collimator patents cover?
The core of the field sits in A61N electrotherapy and radiation-therapy classifications, which appear on 53.1% of the 2,437 records in scope. A61B diagnosis-and-surgery claims (21.0%) and G21K particle-and-radiation handling (11.0%) are the next largest groups, with optical systems, material testing, radiation measurement, data processing and even welding/brazing each contributing smaller but non-trivial shares. Because records can carry multiple classifications, these percentages add up to more than 100%.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Multileaf Collimators and Beam Shaping covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.