Company patents
ETH ZURICH
ETH Zurich's patent strategy reveals a strong, albeit fluctuating, focus on pharmaceutical and materials science, with Pharmaceutical Preparations and Material & Chemical Analysis accounting for 15.2% and 17.5% of its portfolio, respectively. While categories like Therapeutic Activity (Pharma) saw a remarkable 500.0% YoY growth in 2024, many key areas, including Material & Chemical Analysis and Pharmaceutical Preparations, show significant declines in patenting activity so far in 2026 (down 60.0% and 50.0% respectively), suggesting a potential shift in research priorities or a natural ebb in patentable discoveries.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
171 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 27 themes
Methods and compositions for identifying, quantifying, or characterizing specific biological molecules (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, antibodies) or microbial species, often for diagnostic, prognostic, or quality control applications.
Development of therapeutic approaches involving the genetic modification of cells (e.g., T cells, stem cells, macrophages) or the use of viral/non-viral vectors to deliver genetic material for disease treatment.
Design and synthesis of acyclic or carbocyclic organic compounds that selectively modulate specific biological targets or pathways for the treatment of diseases.
Methods and systems for the efficient and scalable production, purification, and formulation of proteins and peptides, including fermentation, chromatography, and cell-based expression systems.
Materials and structures designed for implantation or tissue regeneration, focusing on properties like biodegradability, mechanical strength, cellular integration, and long-term in-vivo stability.
Development and use of engineered biological systems, such as organ-on-a-chip devices, dynamic hydrogels, or genetically modified cells, to mimic physiological conditions, study disease mechanisms, screen compounds, or develop cell-based therapies.
Design and modification of antibodies or antibody-derived fragments for targeted therapeutic intervention, including bispecific formats, Fc region modifications, and activatable constructs.
Delivery systems specifically engineered to administer advanced drug formulations (e.g., microparticles, biologics, extended-release systems) to achieve precise targeting, controlled release kinetics, or enhanced therapeutic efficacy within the body.
Devices and systems designed for the cultivation of cells or tissues, often incorporating three-dimensional structures or controlled interfaces to mimic in-vivo environments for biological research or production.
Development of small molecules, often bifunctional (e.g., PROTACs) or molecular glues, that induce the ubiquitin-proteasome system or autophagy to selectively degrade specific disease-causing proteins.
Therapeutic approaches involving the use of living cells, often genetically modified or ex vivo activated, to treat diseases, particularly cancer, by modulating immune responses or replacing damaged cells.
Processes and methodologies for the efficient and scalable preparation of complex heterocyclic compounds and their precursors, including specific reaction conditions, purification techniques, and intermediate compounds.
Engineering and material considerations for devices used in minimally invasive procedures, focusing on mechanical properties, deployment mechanisms, and interaction with biological tissues.
Focuses on the mechanical design, articulation, and actuation of hand-held or robotic surgical instruments, including improvements in stapling, cutting, grasping, and tissue manipulation.
Miniaturized devices that manipulate small volumes of fluids (nanoliters to picoliters) through microchannels to perform laboratory functions like mixing, separation, reaction, and detection on a single chip.
Development of materials with tailored porosity, surface chemistry, or structure, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolites, or superficially porous particles, for selective adsorption, ion exchange, or chromatographic separations.
Assays leveraging CRISPR-Cas systems (e.g., Cas12, Cas13) for highly specific and sensitive detection of target nucleic acids, often involving collateral cleavage activity or reporter molecules.
Techniques for building three-dimensional metal objects layer-by-layer using metal powders, including powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and directed energy deposition. This theme encompasses process mechanics, equipment design, and operational control for AM systems.
Development of devices and methods for non-invasive or minimally invasive collection and analysis of physiological data, often from wearable sensors, to monitor health, activity, or specific conditions.
Techniques for identifying microorganisms, assessing their viability, quantifying their presence, profiling their metabolic activity, or determining their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents, often in complex biological or environmental samples.
Modification of protein or peptide sequences, structures, or post-translational modifications (e.g., glycosylation, lipidation) to enhance their stability, solubility, delivery, or therapeutic efficacy.
Methods and reagents designed to improve the specificity, efficiency, or yield of nucleic acid capture, ligation, amplification, or library preparation steps, particularly for sequencing applications or quantitative analysis.
Computational methods and design principles for generating optimized geometries, internal structures (e.g., lattices, minimal surfaces), or functional features that are specifically enabled or enhanced by the capabilities of additive manufacturing.
Specific techniques and materials developed to remove persistent or difficult-to-treat pollutants from water, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), micropollutants, or specific industrial chemicals.
Technologies and materials for capturing carbon dioxide from gas streams and subsequently converting it into valuable chemical products or materials, rather than simply storing it.
Methods and kits for amplifying nucleic acids at a constant temperature, enabling faster results and point-of-care applications, often used for pathogen or contamination detection.
Methods and systems for improving the quality of video streams, generating intermediate frames, or continuously locating and following objects within a sequence of images, even under occlusion.
Patents
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