Tissue Microarray & Specimen Tracking Patents: Leaders & Gaps 2026
- One assignee dominates the ranking. the leader holds 92 records against a fifth-place company at 13 and a tenth-place company at 6, a steep drop rather than a gradual taper.
- Filing has gone quiet since 2021. the tracked cohort moved from 3 filings in 2021 to 0 in 2024, a -100% swing over that span, though 2025-2026 figures are still filling in.
- Classification spreads wide, not deep. records span eight IPC subclasses from material analysis (76.7%) to mixing apparatus (48.3%), showing the field borrows heavily from adjacent lab-hardware categories.
Filing growth compares 2021 (3 records) with 2024 (0) — 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.
What this landscape covers
This review covers 172 published records matching tissue microarray and specimen-tracking search terms — core punch alignment, barcode labelling, cassette printing, chain of custody and archive retrieval — filed or published between 2015 and mid-2026. The scope sits at the intersection of histopathology sample preparation and the logistics hardware and software used to keep specimens identifiable as they move from collection through to slide or block storage.
Records were pulled from receiving offices spanning the United States, Europe, WIPO's PCT route, Australia, India and Israel, giving a reasonably global view of where applicants have chosen to seek protection rather than just where they are based.
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 172-record dataset: activity over time, and how records distribute across IPC subclasses. Because a single record can carry several classes, the subclass shares add up to well over 100%.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
Annual filings moved from 2 in 2017 to a peak of 5 in 2025, with 2021 at 3 and 2024 at 0 — a -100% change across that three-year window. Treat 2025 and 2026 as incomplete: publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the most recent years will fill in as more records publish.
IPC subclass composition
Material analysis and testing (G01N) touches 76.7% of the 172 records, with lab apparatus (B01L) at 65.7% close behind. Packaging, separation and mixing classes each sit in the 48-54% range, indicating that specimen-tracking claims are frequently bundled with general lab-hardware and packaging apparatus rather than filed as a narrow, self-contained category.
Shares are the percentage of the 172 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Tissue Microarray and Specimen Tracking with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about tissue microarray and specimen tracking and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaMost-cited records in this dataset
System and method for tracking and managing transportation of specimens
Filed by Taylor Data Systems, this application describes a courier-facing system where a portable computing device captures specimen identification and location data at pickup and delivery, creating a running record as a specimen moves from a collection site such as a medical office to a processing lab.US20110047092A1 · published 2011-02-24
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20100063847A1 | Rule-driven specimen tracking and management | 93 |
| 2 | US20030092186A1 | Automated system and method for processing multiple liquid-based specimens | 87 |
| 3 | US20170320054A1 | Transporter systems, assemblies and associated methods for transporting tissue samples | 78 |
| 4 | US6883958B2 | Apparatus and method for mixing specimens in vials | 64 |
| 5 | US7284900B2 | Apparatus and method for mixing specimens in vials | 63 |
| 6 | US20030099580A1 | Universal microscope slide cassette | 63 |
| 7 | US20050195684A1 | Apparatus and method for mixing specimens in vials | 58 |
| 8 | US20030089731A1 | Article dispensing apparatus and method | 50 |
| 9 | US7572638B2 | Automated system and method for processing multiple liquid-based specimens | 48 |
| 10 | US6974294B2 | Article handling system and method | 47 |
Citation counts reward older filings that have had more time to accumulate references — read them as a signal of influence within this searched corpus, not as a ranking of current technical importance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Three patterns stand out once the ranking, trend and classification data are read together.
One assignee, then a steep drop
The leading assignee holds 92 of the ranked records, while fifth place sits at 13 and tenth place at just 6. That gap suggests the leader built a broad portfolio early and the rest of the field is defending narrower positions rather than competing head-on for the same claim space.
Filing cooled through the early 2020s
The tracked filing count fell from 3 in 2021 to 0 in 2024, a complete drop-off over that span. Recent-year momentum checks on the leading named assignees each show 0 filings in the latest year, consistent with a mature, less contested claim landscape rather than an active filing race.
Claims sit across lab-hardware categories, not a single niche
From material analysis (76.7%) down to mixing apparatus (48.3%), records are classified across eight IPC subclasses at meaningful share. That spread means a freedom-to-operate check has to clear general lab-apparatus and packaging classes, not just a narrow specimen-tracking code.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to tissue microarray and specimen tracking, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the ranked positions
The assignee ranking covers 34 companies and individuals across the full 172-record set. It is not a top-50 or top-100 cut — it is the complete list the data endpoint returns for this search.
A single dominant filer
One assignee accounts for 92 records in the ranking, far ahead of any other party tracked here. Co-assignee pairings involving this same organisation and named individual inventors recur among the strongest pairs in the dataset, pointing to a long-running, closely held filing programme.
A thin second tier
Fifth place in the ranking holds 13 records, and tenth place holds just 6 — a fast taper rather than a broad competitive cluster. Newer entrants filing single or double-digit counts sit well below the leader's position.
Quiet activity among top names
Recent-year momentum tracking on the leading named assignees shows 0 filings in the latest year across the board. That is consistent with the broader filing trend cooling after 2021 rather than a single company stepping back.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| MonoGen, Inc. | 0 | — |
| Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. | 0 | — |
| MAYER WILLIAM J | 0 | — |
| 3M Innovative Properties Co. | 0 | — |
| PRESSMAN NORMAN J | 0 | — |
| GRUNES MITCHELL B | 0 | — |
| EISENBERG PETER M | 0 | — |
| WROBLEWSKI LUCIEN J | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to a concentrated ownership structure and a cooling filing rate — both of which change how a freedom-to-operate or whitespace search should be scoped.
Check freedom-to-operate against the leader's full portfolio
With one assignee holding 92 of 172 ranked records, any new filing in core punch alignment or specimen chain-of-custody should be checked directly against that portfolio before drafting claims.
Run a portfolio search in EurekaTest the under-claimed branches for a first claim
Cassette printing tied to LIS verification and archive retrieval indexing show thinner coverage than the dominant material-analysis and lab-apparatus classes, worth a closer novelty check.
Explore white space in EurekaCommon questions about this landscape
The assignee ranking for this dataset covers 34 companies and individuals across 172 records, and it is heavily front-loaded: the leading assignee holds 92 records, compared with 13 at fifth place and 6 at tenth place. That gap means competitive analysis should focus first on the leader's full claim scope before assessing the rest of the field, since the remaining assignees hold comparatively narrow positions. Co-assignee pairings involving the leading organisation and specific named inventors also appear among the strongest pairs, suggesting a stable, long-running filing team rather than a rotating set of contributors.
Filing activity has slowed markedly through the early 2020s: the tracked count went from 3 filings in 2021 to 0 in 2024, a complete drop over that three-year span. Recent-year momentum checks on the leading named assignees each show 0 filings in the latest year. That said, publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months, so 2025 and 2026 figures — currently showing a small peak of 5 in 2025 — are still incomplete and should not be read as a rebound or a decline on their own.
Material analysis and testing (G01N) appears in 76.7% of the 172 records in scope, and lab apparatus (B01L) in 65.7%, making these the two dominant adjacent categories. Packaging and wrapping, separation processes, bottle closing and mixing apparatus each sit in the 48-54% range. Because a single record can carry multiple IPC codes, these shares overlap rather than partition the dataset, which means a thorough search in this space has to clear general lab-hardware and packaging classifications, not just a narrow specimen-tracking code.
US20110047092A1, assigned to Taylor Data Systems and published in 2011, describes a courier-facing system where a portable computing device logs specimen identification and location data at pickup from a first site, such as a medical office, and again at delivery to a second site, such as a testing lab. It builds a running chain-of-custody record tied to courier handoffs specifically. New filings that focus on courier-based transport logging with portable devices should review this record closely, but claims centred on core-punch alignment, cassette printing or archive indexing sit in different technical territory and would need separate analysis against the broader dataset.
The clearest openings sit below the dominant material-analysis and lab-apparatus classes: automated core-punch registration linked to digital slide maps, chain-of-custody barcoding across cold-chain handoffs, cassette printing tied directly to laboratory information system verification, and archive retrieval indexing for paraffin block libraries all show thinner coverage relative to the eight major IPC subclasses. A first claim in these areas would need to tie the specific workflow step — for example, cassette print verification — to a concrete technical mechanism rather than a general tracking concept, since broad specimen-identification claims already sit on dense prior art from the leading assignee's portfolio.
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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.