Origin of the invention

Ms. Jessica Gottre is a veterinarian and Ms. Andrea Bethge is a dressage trainer.

During their practical work on and with animals, they discovered that the animal thermometers available to date did not meet their requirements in a number of respects and therefore had some potential for improvement. Corresponding theoretical considerations led to several approaches for an improved animal thermometer, which they sketched out by hand:

When considering the improved animal thermometer under patent law, it turns out that several aspects of the animal thermometer could be regarded independently of each other as an invention and could therefore also be claimed independently of each other, either as separate patent applications or as several independent claims in a joint patent application, which could possibly be subsequently divided into several patent applications in the course of the examination procedure if these aspects were to be regarded as non-unitary by the Office.

The second option was chosen and a joint patent application with independent claims to a “veterinary thermometer (1) with a detection of falling below and/or exceeding a temperature limit value”, to a “veterinary thermometer (1) with a light source (12)”, to a “veterinary thermometer (1) with a solar cell”, to a “system (1, 2) of a veterinary thermometer (1) and with a thermometer holder (2)” as well as to its “thermometer holder (2)” was drafted.

OfficialExamination procedure

The patent application was filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) on December 21, 2023 and published after approx. 18 months on June 26, 2024 as DE 10 2023 136 294 A1, see: Patent publication at Espacenet.

The DPMA’s first examination decision of August 21, 2024 identified both products and patent documents as prior art. The wording of some features was also objected to by the office as unclear. The five independent claims were not objected to as being inconsistent.

In response to the first examination decision of the DPMA, only the first aspect of the “veterinary thermometer (1) with a detection of falling below and/or exceeding a temperature limit value” is currently being pursued as an independent claim and argued for its novelty and inventive step. The other aspects were reformulated as dependent claims to fall under the reasoning of claim 1.

The further review process remains to be seen (as of July 2025).

Currentstatus and contact

The invention is still awaiting commercial use. Interested parties are welcome to contact Ms. Andrea Bethge:

To the website

Origin of the invention

Ms. Jessica Gottre is a veterinarian and Ms. Andrea Bethge is a dressage trainer.

During their practical work on and with animals, they discovered that the animal thermometers available to date did not meet their requirements in a number of respects and therefore had some potential for improvement. Corresponding theoretical considerations led to several approaches for an improved animal thermometer, which they sketched out by hand:

When considering the improved animal thermometer under patent law, it turns out that several aspects of the animal thermometer could be regarded independently of each other as an invention and could therefore also be claimed independently of each other, either as separate patent applications or as several independent claims in a joint patent application, which could possibly be subsequently divided into several patent applications in the course of the examination procedure if these aspects were to be regarded as non-unitary by the Office.

The second option was chosen and a joint patent application with independent claims to a “veterinary thermometer (1) with a detection of falling below and/or exceeding a temperature limit value”, to a “veterinary thermometer (1) with a light source (12)”, to a “veterinary thermometer (1) with a solar cell”, to a “system (1, 2) of a veterinary thermometer (1) and with a thermometer holder (2)” as well as to its “thermometer holder (2)” was drafted.

OfficialExamination procedure

The patent application was filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) on December 21, 2023 and published after approx. 18 months on June 26, 2024 as DE 10 2023 136 294 A1, see: Patent publication at Espacenet.

The DPMA’s first examination decision of August 21, 2024 identified both products and patent documents as prior art. The wording of some features was also objected to by the office as unclear. The five independent claims were not objected to as being inconsistent.

In response to the first examination decision of the DPMA, only the first aspect of the “veterinary thermometer (1) with a detection of falling below and/or exceeding a temperature limit value” is currently being pursued as an independent claim and argued for its novelty and inventive step. The other aspects were reformulated as dependent claims to fall under the reasoning of claim 1.

The further review process remains to be seen (as of July 2025).

Currentstatus and contact

The invention is still awaiting commercial use. Interested parties are welcome to contact Ms. Andrea Bethge:

To the website