Checking if Brain Injury Drugs Work Using Saliva or Urine
This patent describes a method to determine if a drug for brain injury is effective by measuring specific sugar molecules in a patient's saliva or urine samples over time.
Original patent title: “Prognostic and Diagnostic Glycan-Based Biomarkers of Brain Damage”
This patent describes a method to determine if a drug for brain injury is effective by measuring specific sugar molecules in a patient's saliva or urine samples over time. Owned by Medicortex Finland Oy with 21 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2040.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method to evaluate how well a drug treats a brain injury. First, a pharmaceutical drug is given to a patient with a brain injury. Then, samples of the patient's urine or saliva are collected at two or more different times. These samples are tested using a 'lectin array,' which is a tool containing specific proteins called lectins, such as Galanthus nivalis (GNA) or Allium sativum (ASA). The test measures the levels of certain sugar molecules, called glycans, that bind to these lectins. If the levels of these glycans change towards what is typically found in a healthy person (a 'non-brain injury control'), the drug is identified as effective. For example, if a patient with a concussion takes a new medication, and their saliva glycan levels start to resemble those of a healthy person, the drug is considered to be working.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover using blood or cerebrospinal fluid samples for monitoring drug efficacy, as claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → 9 and 15 specifically require urine or saliva samples.
- Does not cover methods that only diagnose a brain injury without also evaluating the effectiveness of a drug or monitoring treatment.
- Does not cover using lectins other than the specifically listed ones (GNA, ASA, NPA, PSA, DSA, PHA-L, SNA-I, HHA) to detect the glycans.
- Does not cover methods that do not involve comparing the measured glycan levels to those of a 'non-brain injury control' for efficacy determination.
- Does not cover methods that only take samples at a single time point, as the claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → require samples from 'two or more time points'.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in using specific glycan patterns, detected by a select group of lectins in non-invasive samples like urine or saliva, as a real-time indicator for how well a brain injury drug is working, moving beyond just diagnosis to actively guiding treatment.
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
Clinical trials for new traumatic brain injury (TBI) medications
Personalized treatment plans for concussion recovery
Monitoring recovery in athletes after head injuries
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Brain injuries like concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are complex and often lack clear ways to track treatment success. This patent offers an objective method to see if a drug is actually helping, using easily collected samples like urine or saliva. This could allow doctors to personalize treatment, adjust drug dosages, and potentially improve recovery for patients.
Filed
June 26, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Medicortex Finland Oy, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing diagnostic and prognostic tools for traumatic brain injury. Other biotech and pharmaceutical companies focused on neurology and diagnostics, such as Abbott Laboratories and Quanterix, are also working on brain injury biomarkers and drug efficacy monitoring.
Market impact
If successful, this technology could establish a new standard for monitoring the effectiveness of brain injury treatments, potentially accelerating drug development in neurology. It could also enable more personalized treatment plans, shifting the market towards objective, non-invasive measures for tracking TBI recovery and drug response.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method to evaluate how well a drug treats a brain injury. First, a pharmaceutical drug is given to a patient with a brain injury. Then, samples of the patient's urine or saliva are collected at two or more different times. These samples are tested using a 'lectin array,' which is a tool containing specific proteins called lectins, such as Galanthus nivalis (GNA) or Allium sativum (ASA). The test measures the levels of certain sugar molecules, called glycans, that bind to these lectins. If the levels of these glycans change towards what is typically found in a healthy person (a 'non-brain injury control'), the drug is identified as effective. For example, if a patient with a concussion takes a new medication, and their saliva glycan levels start to resemble those of a healthy person, the drug is considered to be working.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in using specific glycan patterns, detected by a select group of lectins in non-invasive samples like urine or saliva, as a real-time indicator for how well a brain injury drug is working, moving beyond just diagnosis to actively guiding treatment.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover using blood or cerebrospinal fluid samples for monitoring drug efficacy, as claims 9 and 15 specifically require urine or saliva samples.
- Does not cover methods that only diagnose a brain injury without also evaluating the effectiveness of a drug or monitoring treatment.
- Does not cover using lectins other than the specifically listed ones (GNA, ASA, NPA, PSA, DSA, PHA-L, SNA-I, HHA) to detect the glycans.
- Does not cover methods that do not involve comparing the measured glycan levels to those of a 'non-brain injury control' for efficacy determination.
- Does not cover methods that only take samples at a single time point, as the claims require samples from 'two or more time points'.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Limited data
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
14/20
Broad 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
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
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
$29K – $94K
Midpoint $59K · 14.0 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
21 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
Harel, A. Checking if Brain Injury Drugs Work Using Saliva or Urine (U.S. Patent No. 20,200,371,093). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20200371093/prognostic-and-diagnostic-glycan-based-biomarkers-of-brain-damage
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 Checking if Brain Injury Drugs Work Using Saliva or Urine cover?
This patent describes a method to determine if a drug for brain injury is effective by measuring specific sugar molecules in a patient's saliva or urine samples over time.
Who owns patent US 20200371093?
This patent is owned by Medicortex Finland Oy.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on June 26, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Brain injuries like concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are complex and often lack clear ways to track treatment success. This patent offers an objective method to see if a drug is actually helping, using easily collected samples like urine or saliva. This could allow doctors to personalize treatment, adjust drug dosages, and potentially improve recovery for patients.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover using blood or cerebrospinal fluid samples for monitoring drug efficacy, as claims 9 and 15 specifically require urine or saliva samples.
Patent monitoring