Most cited patents of all time

This patent describes how to create new, engineered antibodies by combining parts of antibodies from two different animal species, then growing them in a lab.

8,214

citations

This patent describes the fundamental three-step process for making millions of copies of a specific piece of DNA using short starter molecules and an enzyme, a technique known as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

7,558

citations

This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.

6,231

citations

This patent describes a method for modifying mouse antibodies so human immune systems accept them as their own, allowing them to be used as powerful, long-lasting medical treatments.

4,274

citations

This patent describes the underlying electronic circuits and methods for a multi-touch surface that can track multiple fingers and palms simultaneously, even before they fully touch the screen.

2,641

citations

This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.

2,425

citations

This patent describes a method to make anti-infective drugs called muramyldipeptides work better by injecting them separately but close in time with tiny fat bubbles called liposomes into an animal.

2,340

citations

This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.

2,132

citations

Apple's 2010 patent describes a touch screen that uses two layers of transparent conductive lines to detect several fingers touching the screen simultaneously.

1,995

citations

This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.

1,862

citations

Canon's 1988 patent on bubble jet printing uses a tiny heater to instantly vaporize ink, creating a bubble that pushes out a droplet of ink from the printer head.

1,806

citations

Amazon's 1999 patent describes how a customer can buy an item online with just one click, bypassing a traditional shopping cart by using pre-stored payment and shipping information.

1,636

citations

Logitech's 1998 patent describes how a touchpad can detect two fingers touching it in a specific sequence to perform actions like clicking or dragging, going beyond single-finger mouse emulation.

1,577

citations

This patent describes a "sandwich" method using two highly specific, man-made antibodies to detect and measure tiny amounts of specific substances, like disease markers, in a fluid sample.

1,572

citations

This patent describes a specific process for rapidly stretching a highly crystalline form of PTFE plastic to create a strong, porous material with a unique internal structure, forming the basis for products like Gore-Tex.

1,364

citations

Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.

1,269

citations

This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.

1,268

citations

This patent describes a method for detecting a specific DNA sequence in a sample by using a labeled DNA probe and an enzyme that cuts the probe, releasing detectable fragments.

1,183

citations

Genentech's 1995 patent on a systematic method for humanizing rodent antibodies by grafting their disease-targeting loops onto a human consensus framework while carefully swapping key structural support residues to maintain binding strength.

1,161

citations

A method for web servers to route user requests to specific machines based on which files they store, rather than just blindly balancing traffic across all servers.

1,148

citations

This patent describes how touchscreens use smart rules, called heuristics, to figure out if your finger movement means scrolling up, moving around a map, or flipping to the next photo, especially by looking at how you start your swipe.

1,120

citations

This patent describes the foundational method for 3D printing, where a machine builds a three-dimensional object layer by layer by hardening a liquid material with light or other energy.

1,094

citations

A method for coating pills with a specific plasticized acrylic polymer that ensures the medicine releases at a steady, predictable rate, even after sitting on a shelf for months.

1,092

citations

Eastman Kodak's 1982 patent on creating light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using organic materials, specifically a layer of porphyrinic compounds to help inject electrical charges.

1,031

citations

This patent describes the foundational RSA algorithm, a method for securely sending messages where anyone can encrypt a message using a public key, but only the intended recipient can decrypt it using a secret private key.

1,015

citations

Genentech's 2001 patent on a method to create stable, concentrated antibody medicines that can be easily reconstituted for injection, preventing degradation during freezing and storage.

878

citations

This patent describes a system for electronic devices, like phones, to detect a finger hovering just above the screen, display a specific interactive element below it, and then let you control that element with gestures without ever making contact.

860

citations

A method for searching databases by visually connecting Venn diagrams to represent complex logical relationships between different sets of data.

859

citations

This patent describes a computer method for scoring documents in a linked database, like the internet, by considering the importance of other documents that link to them, helping search engines find better results.

818

citations

Prodigy's 1994 patent outlines an interactive online system that delivered news, shopping, and banking to personal computers by breaking applications into 'objects' stored locally or remotely, and used user data for targeted ads.

808

citations

TiVo's 1998 patent on a digital video recorder that converts television signals into digital files, splits them into audio and video, and stores them on a hard drive to allow simultaneous recording and playback.

798

citations

This patent describes a method and machine for creating three-dimensional objects by precisely depositing melted material, layer by layer, from a movable nozzle onto a base.

793

citations

This patent describes specific engineered antibodies, made from mouse and human parts, designed to block TGF-beta proteins to help treat various cancers like breast or lung cancer.

756

citations

Chester Carlson's 1942 patent for xerography, the dry copying process that became the foundation for Xerox machines.

737

citations

This 1980 patent describes a way for two people to create a secret code key over a public channel, like the internet, without ever meeting or sharing the key directly.

708

citations

Harvard's 1988 patent on genetically engineered mice that carry cancer-causing genes, designed to help scientists study how cancer develops and test treatments.

644

citations

This patent describes a camera sensor technology that combines light-capturing elements with a special circuit to read out the image data quickly and efficiently, all on a single chip.

620

citations

A 1994 invention that allowed web browsers to automatically launch and run external programs directly inside a webpage, enabling interactive content like 3D models or complex data viewers.

576

citations

This is a design patent protecting the specific physical appearance and shape of Apple's iPod Mini, which helped define the look of portable music players in the mid-2000s.

573

citations

This patent describes specific new chemical compounds, called N-phenyl-2-pyrimidine-amine derivatives, designed with precise molecular structures for potential use in treating cancer.

564

citations

A 1996 system that made the early web usable on slow, unreliable wireless connections by using two 'proxy' servers to shrink and simplify data before sending it.

546

citations

This patent protects the specific chemical structure of a molecule designed to lower cholesterol, including its various salt forms and its use in medicine.

519

citations

MIT's 1999 patent on a special ink made of tiny capsules that can change color when an electric field is applied, forming the basis for early e-readers.

508

citations

Netscape's 1998 patent on storing small pieces of website information (like login details or preferences) on your computer so the website can recall them later, enabling personalized experiences and smoother navigation.

508

citations

Abgenix's 1999 patent on fully human monoclonal antibodies that bind to CTLA-4, a protein brake on the immune system, allowing T-cells to stay active and attack cancer cells.

500

citations

This patent describes a system where a store can make a custom product for a customer, but only after getting permission and the necessary design information from a central, remote office.

498

citations

A 1979 patent by Merck describing the isolation of a fermentation product from Aspergillus fungi that effectively lowers cholesterol levels in the blood.

490

citations

A method for finding related ideas in completely different subjects by using math to map how words appear together, even when the subjects use different vocabulary.

456

citations

A 1970 patent describing how to print images by using electrical pulses to bend a tiny crystal plate, squeezing individual ink drops out of a nozzle on demand.

448

citations

This patent describes a way to create small, single-chain proteins that mimic the binding power of full-sized antibodies to deliver medicine more effectively.

440

citations