CPC Definition - Subclass G21G
This place covers:
Methods and apparatus for the conversion of chemical elements, e.g. isotope production or transmutation where a change of atomic number takes place either externally induced or by radioactive decay.
Radioactive sources (solid, liquid or gas).
This place does not cover:
Conversion of nuclear fuel | |
Adaptations of reactors to facilitate experimentation or irradiation. Examples of such adaptations include modification of the reactor core to enable exposure of samples for investigative purposes | |
Applications of radiation in general | |
Handling particles. | |
Irradiation devices. These typically include arrangements to deliberately subject bodies or materials to ionising radiation in order to take advantage of known effects of the radiation thereon | |
X-ray tubes |
Examples of places where the subject matter of this place is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system:
Radiopharmaceuticals | |
Applying radioactive material to the body | A61M36/00 |
Radiation therapy using radioactive sources | |
Detection by neutron activation | |
Conversion of chemical elements by thermonuclear reactions in fusion reactors | |
Nuclear reactors | |
Application of radiation from radioactive sources |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Preparations containing radioactive substances for use in therapy or testing in vivo | |
Separation of different isotopes of the same element | |
In fusion reactors | |
In nuclear reactors | |
By cosmic radiation | |
Handling particles or electromagnetic radiation not otherwise provided for | |
X-ray tubes | |
Gamma masers | |
In accelerators | |
Producing neutrons or other subatomic particles, X- or gamma rays: |
Indexing Codes are only used for G21G 1/00, G21G 1/0005 and G21G 1/001 for indicating supplementary information. In all other cases multiple ECLA classes are assigned.
This place covers:
- Apparatus and methods for transmutation and isotope production.
- Conversion isotope generators methods of isotope recovery from targets.
- Arrangements inside nuclear power reactors
- Arrangements outside nuclear power reactors, e.g. conversion by bombardment with electrically charged particles or neutrons.
Further information:
The indexing scheme under G21G 1/00 covers: isotope delivery systems; methods for recovering isotopes. Individual subgroups are used to identify particular isotopes recovered from irradiated targets.
This place does not cover:
Separation of different isotopes of the same element (enrichment) |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Referring to reactors is intended for power reactors which primarily supply electricity to the power grid; otherwise G21G 1/06 should be used.
May be assigned to inventions in other classes where isotope conversion, recovery or delivery takes place but is not the main focus.
G21G 2001/0015 through G21G 2001/0094 should only be used these particular isotopes are recovered. For more general methods, useful for large groups/lists of isotopes, G21G 1/001 should be given.
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Transmutation | Conversion of nuclear waste to less problematic isotopes. |
Generator | Shielded delivery system containing a mother isotope which can be eluted or "milked" to deliver an isotope product, which usually has a short half-life, e.g. Technetium-99m. |
In patent documents, the following abbreviations are often used:
Isotope delivery system | "Generator", "cow", ion exchange column. |
This place covers:
- Sources of ionising radiation which emit according to radioactive decay.
- Neutron sources or other sources used generally or for medical applications.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Radioactive dressings | A61M36/14 |
Radiation therapy | |
Filling medical containers | |
Filling medical containers and related operations | |
Producing neutrons or other subatomic particles, X- or gamma rays by using sources as tracers | |
X-ray tubes | |
Gamma masers | |
Plasma eUV sources | |
Production of accelerated electrically-charged particles or of neutrons, e.g. using accelerators |
This place covers:
Alchemy, e.g. alleged induction of radioactive decay by chemical means.
This place does not cover:
Cold fusion |
This main group should only be given when a change of atomic number by chemical means is explicitly disclosed. This may also include alleged induction of radioactive decay by chemical means.
This place covers:
Miscellaneous apparatus or methods for converting elements or generating isotopes not induced by electromagnetic radiation, corpuscular radiation or particle bombardment.
Such methods which contradict standard physics.
This main group should only be given if no other group in this subclass can be assigned.