Innovation and Rights - Developing Biomedical Devices: Design, Innovation and Protection - page 49

Fig. 3.5 Screenshot of the search page of the Espacenet database
in order to analyze some particular technical fields from differing viewpoints and
improve the efficiency of prior searches. F-terms derive from File Index, but in
practice they are two distinct and in parallel developed systems.
Each F - terms consists of a code (named theme code —corresponding to a cer-
tain File Index and representing a technological field) and of a code (named term
code , assigned depending on several technical factors, such as starting materials,
purpose, use, products, chemical structure, chemical—physical properties, etc.).
An example of the F-terms is reported here: 4C146 BC 09
The F-terms system contains much more subdivisions than the CPC system;
both systems are organized on a regular basis upon the initiative of examiners and
are published in the front pages of only Japanese patent applications.