CPC technology class · G01

G01Q - Scanning-probe Techniques Or Apparatus

Scanning-probe techniques or apparatus; applications of scanning-probe techniques, e.g. scanning probe microscopy [spm]. 1,097 US utility patents granted 2015–2025, with the leading assignees and year-by-year grant trajectory.

Compiled by PlainPatent · May 15, 2026

1,097
US patents granted: #18/18
in G01: 0.3%
G01 class share: -8%
5-yr velocity

The verdict

According to USPTO PatentsView, Scanning-probe Techniques Or Apparatus ranks #442 of 670 CPC technology areas - 1,097 US patents granted since 2015, with recorded grant volume down 8% over five years.

#442
of 670 CPC technology areas: 1,097
US patents granted, 2015–2025: Bruker Nano
leading assignee (74): -8%
grant velocity, last 5 yrs

How G01Q's grant cadence moved

Between 2020–2024, G01Q recorded 456 grants versus 496 in 2015–2019 (-8% equal-window velocity). Across complete years, output peaked in 2020 at 120 grants and bottomed in 2024 at 54 (+122% peak-over-trough). Lead assignee Bruker Nano, Inc. holds 6.7% of the class ; the top three share 14.1%.

Leaderboard read

G01Q concentration, lead at 6.7%

Bruker Nano, Inc. leads this historical grant record at 6.7% of G01Q - foreign corporation assignees hold 57% of class grants (254 of 443). Figures describe granted US utility patents in this CPC subclass, not current investment or legal strength.

Leader's share: 6.7%
Top three share: 14.1%
Lead over #2: 24

Where G01Q sits inside G01

Among 18 subclasses in G01 (MEASURING; Testing), G01Q ranks #18 and holds 0.3% of the parent class's 393,430 recorded grants. Sibling chips below are the other subclasses in the same parent class, not the nationwide volume/lead-share peers further down.

G01N 115,972 G01R 53,716 G01S 52,756 G01C 32,360 G01B 22,043 G01J 16,402 G01M 14,845 G01V 14,307

Rising assignees active in G01Q

Company-wide grant multiples (2022–2024 vs 2019–2021) among assignees with ≥5 patents in this subclass. Growth is company-wide; class patent counts are subclass-specific.

#1 Park Systems Corp. 5.00x 1 → 5 company-wide · 9 in G01Q
#2 University Of Basel 1.83x 12 → 22 company-wide · 8 in G01Q
#3 Bruker Nano, Inc. 1.45x 31 → 45 company-wide · 74 in G01Q
#4 Inscopix, Inc. 1.20x 5 → 6 company-wide · 5 in G01Q
#5 Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO 0.94x 180 → 170 company-wide · 50 in G01Q

G01Q grants by year, peak 2020 (120)

US utility-patent grants per year in G01Q, 2015–2025 - recent five years are down 8% versus 2015–2019.

Bruker Nano

74
Nederlandse Organisati…

50
Shimadzu

31
Carl Zeiss Smt

26
Infinitesima

22
Oxford Instruments…

21
Hitachi High-tech…

16
Fractilia

11
Cbn Nano

9
Hysitron

9
Park Systems

9
University Of Basel

8

What this shows Bruker Nano is the most active filer in G01Q, holding 74 of the 1,097 patents in this class. Concentration at the top signals how contestable this technology area is for new entrants.

View data table

Top patent holders in CPC subclass G01Q
Rank	Company	Patents in G01Q
#1	Bruker Nano, Inc.	74
#2	Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO	50
#3	Shimadzu Corporation	31
#4	Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH	26
#5	Infinitesima Limited	22
#6	Oxford Instruments Asylum Research, Inc.	21
#7	Hitachi High-tech Science Corporation	16
#8	Fractilia, LLC	11
#9	CBN Nano Technologies Inc.	9
#10	Hysitron, Inc.	9
#11	Park Systems Corp.	9
#12	University Of Basel	8
#13	Oxford Instruments AFM Inc	8
#14	Nova Measuring Instruments Inc.	7
#15	Xallent Inc.	7
#16	Oxford Instruments PLC	6
#17	Anton Paar GmbH	5
#18	Inscopix, Inc.	5
#19	Applied Materials Israel Ltd.	4
#20	Baylor University	4

Footprint here vs. claim strategy

Each dot is a leading G01Q assignee, placed by how many patents it holds in this class (horizontal) against its company-wide average claims per patent (vertical) - a read on whether the class is led by broad-but-shallow filers or focused deep-claim players.

Top 14 G01Q assignees by class footprint. Bubble size = patents in G01Q. Source: USPTO PatentsView (claim depth is company-wide across all classes).

Classes near G01Q's 1,097-grant footprint

Nationwide nearest neighbors for G01Q (#442 of 670 by volume ; lead share 6.7%) - not the G01 parent-class siblings above.

Nearest by grant volume

A63C 1,092 B24C 1,092 B25C 1,109 A01P 1,084

Nearest by lead-assignee share

A23D 6.7% Y02T 6.7% B24B 6.8% B61H 6.8%

Questions about G01Q

Which company holds the most patents in G01Q?

Bruker Nano, Inc. leads G01Q with 74 patents (6.7% of the subclass). By PatentsView assignee type, foreign corporations account for 57% of class grants.

Which G01Q assignees grew fastest recently?

Among assignees with ≥5 grants in G01Q, Park Systems Corp. shows the highest company-wide grant multiple (5.00x: 1 grants in 2019–2021 → 5 in 2022–2024) while holding 9 patents in this subclass. Growth is company-wide, not class-only.

How does G01Q compare inside parent class G01?

Inside G01 (MEASURING; Testing), G01Q ranks #18 of 18 subclasses by grant volume and holds 0.3% of the parent class total. The largest sibling is G01N (115,972 grants).

What to do with this data

G01Q in context - here's where to go next.

Bruker Nano, Inc. leads G01Q with 74 grants in this class. See full portfolio
G01Q ranks #442 of 670 by grant volume among all tracked CPC technology areas. See the ranking
Inside parent class G01, the largest sibling subclass is G01N with 115,972 grants. Explore G01N

Figures reflect USPTO PatentsView grant data through 2026-05-15; pending applications not yet granted are not counted.

Methodology - G01Q figures are USPTO PatentsView granted-utility totals for this subclass (1,097 grants in the tracked window).

Every figure on PlainPatent is rendered directly from USPTO source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on USPTO source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.