[Patent information service at the Moscow Research Institute of Tuberculosis]

The history of the patent information service at the Moscow Research Institute of Tuberculosis, the RSFSR Ministry of Public Health is described and the tendencies to its further development are defined. The main principles of the information system at the Institute, the characteristics of its information reference and retrieval services, the forms and methods used for providing the Republic Special Program with patent information are presented. The problems of the data processing automation are discussed. The influence of the patent information service on advanced levels of scientific and practical activity, as well as invention and rationalization practice is analyzed.