The Invention of the Modern Adhesive Bandage
A 1926 patent by Johnson and Johnson for the first mass-produced, sterile adhesive bandage, commonly known as the Band-Aid.
Original patent title: “Surgical dressing”
A 1926 patent by Johnson and Johnson for the first mass-produced, sterile adhesive bandage, commonly known as the Band-Aid. Granted to Johnson and Johnson in 1926 with 16 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a surgical dressing consisting of a strip of adhesive material with a central, non-adhesive pad of sterile gauze. The design allows the user to apply a protective, absorbent covering to a minor wound without needing separate tape or pins. By integrating the adhesive backing and the sterile pad into a single, ready-to-use unit, it simplified the process of dressing small cuts and scrapes in a home environment.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover non-adhesive bandages or traditional gauze rolls.
- Does not cover liquid bandages or spray-on wound sealants.
- Does not cover medical dressings that require separate adhesive tape for fixation.
- Does not cover complex surgical sutures or internal wound closure devices.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation was the pre-assembly of the sterile pad onto the adhesive strip, turning a multi-step medical procedure into a single, disposable consumer product.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages
Generic adhesive strips found in standard first-aid kits
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This invention transformed home healthcare by making sterile wound care accessible to the general public. Before this, treating a minor cut required cutting gauze and applying separate adhesive strips, which was cumbersome and often non-sterile. It established the standard for the modern first-aid kit.
Filed
December 29, 1925
Granted
December 28, 1926
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Johnson and Johnson remains the dominant player in this space, having refined the product over decades. Other major healthcare companies like 3M and various private-label manufacturers continue to iterate on the adhesive and material technology.
Market impact
This patent helped create the mass-market consumer health industry. It shifted wound care from a professional medical task to a routine household chore, creating a permanent consumer demand for disposable, single-use medical supplies.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a surgical dressing consisting of a strip of adhesive material with a central, non-adhesive pad of sterile gauze. The design allows the user to apply a protective, absorbent covering to a minor wound without needing separate tape or pins. By integrating the adhesive backing and the sterile pad into a single, ready-to-use unit, it simplified the process of dressing small cuts and scrapes in a home environment.
The clever bit
The innovation was the pre-assembly of the sterile pad onto the adhesive strip, turning a multi-step medical procedure into a single, disposable consumer product.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover non-adhesive bandages or traditional gauze rolls.
- Does not cover liquid bandages or spray-on wound sealants.
- Does not cover medical dressings that require separate adhesive tape for fixation.
- Does not cover complex surgical sutures or internal wound closure devices.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
25/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$20K – $63K
Midpoint $40K · expired or expiring · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Earle, D. E. (1926). The Invention of the Modern Adhesive Bandage (U.S. Patent No. 1,612,267). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1612267/band-aid-adhesive-bandage
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Invention of the Modern Adhesive Bandage cover?
A 1926 patent by Johnson and Johnson for the first mass-produced, sterile adhesive bandage, commonly known as the Band-Aid.
Who owns patent US 1612267?
Johnson and Johnson owns this patent, granted in 1926.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 1612267 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 16 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This invention transformed home healthcare by making sterile wound care accessible to the general public. Before this, treating a minor cut required cutting gauze and applying separate adhesive strips, which was cumbersome and often non-sterile. It established the standard for the modern first-aid kit.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover non-adhesive bandages or traditional gauze rolls.
Patent monitoring