principles that govern bioelectronics, but at the same time, all these disciplines are bound

to transform this knowledge into tangible technological solutions. In addition, several

journals specialize in the field. According to Scopus, these journals held important po­

sitions in the 2020 SJR [50] ranking, and some classifications, their best position made the

Q1 quartile, for example, (i) biosensors and bioelectronics: 2.55 and Q1 in biomedical

engineering; (ii) advanced materials: 10.71 and Q1 in materials science; (iii) advanced

functional materials: 6.07 and Q1 in biomaterials; (iv) ACS applied materials and inter­

faces: 2.54 y Q1 in materials science (see Table 7.1).

The network analysis based on the bibliographic data showed the presence of high-

occurrence nodes: basic research fields of knowledge that have been fundamental for the

advancement of bioelectronics (Figure 7.1). For example, in cluster 3, the biosensor node

stands out with 89 occurrences, 80 links, and a total link strength of 173. The term is

related to other elements of interest, such as electrochemistry, glucose oxidase, biofuel

cells, and carbon nanotubes, among others. Another relevant case was found in cluster 1,

where graphene appears with 55 occurrences, 54 links, and a total link strength of 109,

and one more in cluster 5, where organic bioelectronics presented 63 occurrences, 36

links, and a total link strength of 81. In the first case, the node is related to terms such as

conductive polymers and flexible electronics, while in the second case, the node relates

with interesting terms such as bioelectronic medicine and conjugated polymers.

It should be highlighted that, unlike in the bibliometric analysis, the number of patent

applications is significantly lower, and their presence begins in the 1980s, which indicates

that basic science is more developed than technology. In terms of patent applications, the

United States is the leader. This country represents an important technology market par

excellence, although a significant number of PCT applications are processed through

WIPO; that is, protection for these patent applications is sought in places other than their

origin. The rest of the ranking includes Asian countries, European patents, Canada,

Australia, and Greece. The case of China is of particular interest because it more than

doubles European patents. Regarding patent documents by the applicant, U.S. companies

stand out, and European companies and individuals to a lesser extent. The participation

of the academy and individuals who file these requests is worth attention. One likely

explanation is that further progress is still needed in materializing the scientific principles

of bioelectronics in different devices to encourage companies to make these applications

available to markets (Table 7.2).

The IPC International Patent Classification is a valuable progress indicator for different

technological sectors, as becomes evident when grouping these patent applications into

different categories. In this case, many patent documents were located in the C12Q 1/68

subcategory, which involves technological developments related to nucleic acids. This

subcategory belongs to another subcategory integrating essential elements for the devel­

opment of bioelectronics, such as enzymes. The following classification also considers

elements that cannot be integrated into any other group in this subclass; in other words,

bioelectronic technologies are difficult to categorize due to their nature, complexity, and

novelty. This ranking also shows other elements related to immunoassays, immunochemical

immobilization, diagnosis, processes (chemical, physical, and physical-chemical), and sti­

mulation electrotherapy. The discipline of bioelectronics is creating inventions within related

emerging fields of knowledge, but they will take time to materialize in complete technolo­

gical developments. Consequently, specific applications derived from the progress of basic

science will take on greater strength in the medium and long terms (Table 7.3).

Regarding the network analysis, a fairly populated map was created from the

downloaded records and the analysis criteria. The map shows many clusters and nodes

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Bioelectronics