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902.01(a) Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System - 900 Prior Art, Classification, Search
902.01(a) Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System
The Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System is an alphabetic listing of technical and common terms referring to specific classes and subclasses of the U.S. Patent Classification System. It is intended as an initial entry into the system and should not be considered exhaustive. All appropriate class schedules should be scanned for specifically related subclasses and the definitions and associated notes of the pertinent classifications must also be reviewed, even when the citation found in the Index appears to be restricted to a specific subject matter area.
The Index is published every year reflecting classification as of December of the year. Suggestions or changes to the Index are encouraged and should be directed to the Classification Units in the Technology Centers.
The Index is available to USPTO personnel online from the Classification Data System (CDS) Intranet Homepage which is accessible from the "Patent Examiner's Toolkit" toolbar.
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