# The Impact of COVID on Lower-Limb Exoskeleton Robotic System Patents--A Review
## 4 Discussion
### General Discussion on the Results of the Analysis of the Patent Platforms  
A pertinent observation, we would say, would be that the pre-pandemic period was a perfect time for researchers/research teams. They have been able to develop different relationships and have been able to carry out their activity without limitations. Therefore, the results obtained have led to many patent applications. However, this large volume of applications probably hindered the approval process and hence the time differences between the application and approval periods (a statement from our study). With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, research teams have been limited in their interactions physically (at least) and hence there have been fewer patent applications. However, this was a \"plus\" (if we can say so) for the patent application evaluation teams having, on the one hand, a small number of applications to analyze and sufficiently thorough time. Another aspect that we noticed was that during the pandemic, the difference between the date of the filing of the patent application and its publication decreased a lot. Despite introducing tax exemptions, the number of patents granted is not high due to the introduction of term extensions for regions with a COVID-19 outbreak. If we analyze the data in Table 7 versus the data in Table 6 that deal with the same issue, we can see the effects of processing a large volume of data. The publication period on the PatentScope platform is significantly shorter in most cases; this may be due to prioritizing patent applications. Another predominant general idea that emerged from the analysis of the mentioned platforms is that the number of patents published during the entire analyzed period (as well as during the pandemic) on rigid and portable structured exoskeletons is much higher than the rest of the types. This fact is essential and beneficial in gaining the independence of users from hospital spaces in particular and the physical presence of specialists specialized in recovery, especially during the pandemic. Another interesting aspect that emerges from the Google Patents platform is that although the COVID-19 pandemic had as its starting point in China, the most patent applications have been filed in this country. On the other hand, according to data extracted from the PatentScope platform, the country with the most patent applications during the pandemic was the US. According to Lens platform, no patent application has been filed during this period. Over the last decade, research on real-life exoskeletons has grown significantly; this can be estimated from the number of patents reported in Section 3. The main reason would be that the lifestyle of modern society is constantly growing and developing rapidly, and people always want to stay active, independent, and live a quality life. Portable exoskeleton technology (whether rigid or suitable) is the key to providing individualized mobility recovery solutions for millions of people immobilized from various causes (injuries, trauma, disabilities, or ageing) to continue their desired activities. Despite the above, the technology is in its infancy. There are still factors that are not/are less addressed about obtaining a fully efficient exoskeleton, in terms of performance and cost. To see the chronological evolution of the development of this technology, we arbitrarily analyzed some of the patents on the PatentScope platform, selecting the patents published at the beginning, middle, and end of the analyzed period. The first patents published since 2013, as presented, are designed to reinforce joints. After that, the patents designed for this specific domain gradually became more complex and complementary. From this point forward, several improvements regarding gait rehabilitation have been made, focusing on enhancing previous studies and patents. For example, suppose the first patent focused on knee joint reinforcement.