(A1140) Trends and Innovation in Rhinology: A Bibliometric Analysis of Patent Activity (1974-2024)

Introduction: This study examines the most cited patents in rhinology to explore technological trends and patterns of development, highlighting the evolution of innovations in diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical approaches. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how rhinologic technology has progressed over time.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis, conducted on patents from 1974 to 2024, focused on technological advancements in rhinology. Patents were retrieved from the Lens database using the term "rhinology" and classified under CPC code A61. After manual curation to remove duplicates and irrelevant entries, 521 patents were retained and ranked by forward citations. The top 100 patents were categorized into five subcategories: “Balloon and Catheter-Based Treatment,” “Drug Delivery Systems and Therapeutics,” “Non-Surgical Diagnostic Devices,” “Sinonasal Ablation Techniques,” and “Surgical Instruments and Methods.” Outcome measures included technological trends, subcategory distribution, and citation rank, with preliminary analyses examining correlations between priority year and citation rank.

Results: With the initial search criteria, 1,440 patents were identified, and 521 patents were retained after the manual screening process. Analysis of the top 100 patents revealed that most patents had priority years between 2000-2010. Sixty-four percent of these patents were active at the time of study. Non-Surgical Diagnostic Devices was the largest subcategory, followed by Balloon and Catheter-Based Treatment, and then Sinonasal Ablation Techniques. Balloon and Catheter-Based Treatments and Sinonasal Ablation Techniques comprised the majority of the first quintile of patents by citation number. Linear regression showed weak correlation between priority year and patent rank by citation (Pearson’s R = 0.34, R-squared= 0.12).

Conclusions: This analysis highlights the ongoing evolution in rhinologic technology, particularly in Non-Surgical Diagnostic Devices. Additionally, it serves as a resource for informing future research and development efforts within this field.