Studying the Application of Epidemic Theory in Transmission Cycle of Technology: A Case Study of Nanotechnology Patent

The aim of this study was to investigate the term Nano in subject categories of patents and to analyze the conceptual relationship between them. The method of this study is based on the study of mathematical models of the disease outbreaks. Population composed of published patents which used the words of “Nano" or "Nanotechnology” in the title or abstract. The patents retrieved from the Institute of Patent and Trademark of United States of America (USPTO). The findings showed that the patents trend had an exponential relationship and an incremental growth. So that the absolute number of patents has increased from 2 in 1995 to 1474 patents in 2013. The cumulative growth of subclasses has been involved in Nano subject over time that has an S state logistics, which is reached from 2 in 1995 to 3032 in 2014. The results showed that the USPTO patents at this time confirm the theory of Goffman (1971) that transmits of an idea as the dissemination of influenza are reversible.