Objective Based on the Patsnap database, a visual analysis is conducted on the development overview of patent technologies in China’s traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry from 2000 to 2024 to reveal its evolution laws and structural characteristics. Methods Employing multidimensional retrieval strategies (title/abstract, IPC classifications, national economic industry classifications, etc.), the study integrates 119 485 TCM-related patents, focusing on four technical domains: Chinese medicinal materials, Chinese herbal decoction pieces, Chinese patent medicine (CPM), and intelligent manufacturing of TCM. Quantitative and visualized analyses were performed on application trends, regional distribution, applicant types, IPC classifications, and legal statuses. Results The number of patent applications in the TCM industry reached a peak of 11 087 in 2017, then declined, and stabilized at 5 000 per year after 2020, reflecting a shift from scale expansion to quality improvement. Shandong, Guangdong, and Jiangsu emerged as innovation hubs, while Anhui leveraged its Bozhou medicinal material market to form a specialized cluster, demonstrating a multi-polar distribution of “eastern dominance with gradual western expansion”. The proportion of patents in the field of CPMs is the highest, while the base in the field of intelligent manufacturing is small but the growth rate is stable. IPC classifications centered on A61K36 (plant-derived preparations) and A61K9 (dosage forms), targeting digestive and anti-infectious diseases. Colleges and universities lead in high-value invention patents, while enterprises have a high number of applications but an authorization rate of less than 20%. Individual applicants were active but showed low conversion efficiency. Invalid patents account for 69.91%, mainly due to insufficient inventiveness; the number of invalid patents in the field of CPM is the largest, but the proportion of valid patents is relatively high. Conclusion TCM patents exhibit “quantitative dominance but qualitative structure imbalance and weak global competitiveness”. Innovations in CPMs focus on process optimization rather than clinical validation. Recommendations include establishing a “quality-transformation-internationalization” synergy mechanism, strengthening frontier technologies like authentic medicinal material DNA barcoding and nano-formulations, and promoting the transformation of TCM patents from “scale-driven” to “value-driven” patent strategies.

traditional Chinese medicine industry  /  Patsnap  /  patent analysis  /  visualization  /  DNA barcoding  /  nano-formulations  /  “quality-transformation-internationalization” synergy mechanism