diff --git a/app/api/chemotion/device_description_api.rb b/app/api/chemotion/device_description_api.rb
index 256e1f6474..25afe0475c 100644
--- a/app/api/chemotion/device_description_api.rb
+++ b/app/api/chemotion/device_description_api.rb
@@ -204,6 +204,26 @@ def device_description_with_entity(device_description)
         end
       end
 
+      # split device description into sub device description
+      namespace :sub_device_descriptions do
+        params do
+          requires :ui_state, type: Hash, desc: 'Selected device descriptions from the UI'
+        end
+        post do
+          ui_state = params[:ui_state]
+          col_id = ui_state[:currentCollectionId]
+          element_params = ui_state[:device_description]
+          device_description_ids =
+            DeviceDescription.for_user(current_user.id)
+                             .for_ui_state_with_collection(element_params, CollectionsDeviceDescription, col_id)
+          DeviceDescription.where(id: device_description_ids).each do |device_description|
+            device_description.create_sub_device_description(current_user, col_id)
+          end
+
+          {} # JS layer does not use the reply
+        end
+      end
+
       # return serialized device description by id
       params do
         requires :id, type: Integer
diff --git a/app/models/device_description.rb b/app/models/device_description.rb
index 198911772f..ea7e522c8d 100644
--- a/app/models/device_description.rb
+++ b/app/models/device_description.rb
@@ -44,13 +44,14 @@
 #  deleted_at                      :datetime
 #  created_by                      :integer
 #  ontologies                      :jsonb
+#  ancestry                        :string
 #
 # Indexes
 #
 #  index_device_descriptions_on_device_id  (device_id)
 #
 class DeviceDescription < ApplicationRecord
-  attr_accessor :collection_id
+  attr_accessor :collection_id, :is_split
 
   include ElementUIStateScopes
   # include PgSearch::Model
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ class DeviceDescription < ApplicationRecord
 
   has_many :comments, as: :commentable, inverse_of: :commentable, dependent: :destroy
   has_one :container, as: :containable, inverse_of: :containable, dependent: :nullify
+  has_ancestry orphan_strategy: :adopt
 
   accepts_nested_attributes_for :collections_device_descriptions
 
@@ -85,10 +87,43 @@ def analyses
   end
 
   def set_short_label
+    return if is_split == true
+
     prefix = 'Dev'
     counter = creator.increment_counter 'device_descriptions' # rubocop:disable Rails/SkipsModelValidations
     user_label = creator.name_abbreviation
 
     update(short_label: "#{user_label}-#{prefix}#{counter}")
   end
+
+  def counter_for_split_short_label
+    element_children = children.with_deleted.order('created_at')
+    last_child_label = element_children.where('short_label LIKE ?', "#{short_label}-%").last&.short_label
+    last_child_counter = (last_child_label&.match(/^#{short_label}-(\d+)/) && ::Regexp.last_match(1).to_i) || 0
+
+    [last_child_counter, element_children.count].max
+  end
+
+  def all_collections(user, collection_ids)
+    Collection.where(id: collection_ids) | Collection.where(user_id: user, label: 'All', is_locked: true)
+  end
+
+  def create_sub_device_description(user, collection_ids)
+    device_description = dup
+    segments = device_description.segments
+
+    device_description.is_split = true
+    device_description.short_label = "#{short_label}-#{counter_for_split_short_label + 1}"
+    device_description.parent = self
+    device_description.created_by = user.id
+    device_description.container = Container.create_root_container
+    device_description.attachments = []
+    device_description.segments = []
+    device_description.collections << all_collections(user, collection_ids)
+    device_description.save!
+
+    device_description.save_segments(segments: segments, current_user_id: user.id) if segments
+
+    device_description.reload
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/packs/src/components/contextActions/CreateButton.js b/app/packs/src/components/contextActions/CreateButton.js
index 161fdbb7c7..22e1fdf5b6 100644
--- a/app/packs/src/components/contextActions/CreateButton.js
+++ b/app/packs/src/components/contextActions/CreateButton.js
@@ -127,6 +127,28 @@ export default class CreateButton extends React.Component {
     ClipboardActions.fetchDeviceDescriptionsByUIState(params, 'copy_device_description');
   }
 
+  noDeviceDescriptionSelected() {
+    const { device_description } = UIStore.getState()
+    return device_description.checkedIds.size == 0 && device_description.checkedAll == false
+  }
+
+  splitSelectionAsSubDeviceDescription() {
+    const uiState = UIStore.getState()
+    let params = {
+      ui_state: {
+        device_description: {
+          all: uiState.device_description.checkedAll,
+          included_ids: uiState.device_description.checkedIds,
+          excluded_ids: uiState.device_description.uncheckedIds,
+        },
+        currentCollectionId: uiState.currentCollection.id,
+        isSync: uiState.isSync,
+      }
+    }
+
+    ElementActions.splitAsSubDeviceDescription(params);
+  }
+
   createWellplateFromSamples() {
     let uiState = UIStore.getState();
     let sampleFilter = this.filterParamsFromUIStateByElementType(uiState, "sample");
@@ -321,6 +343,10 @@ export default class CreateButton extends React.Component {
           >
             Split Wellplate
           </MenuItem>
+          <MenuItem onSelect={() => this.splitSelectionAsSubDeviceDescription()}
+            disabled={this.noDeviceDescriptionSelected() || this.isAllCollection()}>
+            Split Device Description
+          </MenuItem>
         </SplitButton>
       </div>
     )
diff --git a/app/packs/src/fetchers/DeviceDescriptionFetcher.js b/app/packs/src/fetchers/DeviceDescriptionFetcher.js
index 80f7007c95..e14b11d498 100644
--- a/app/packs/src/fetchers/DeviceDescriptionFetcher.js
+++ b/app/packs/src/fetchers/DeviceDescriptionFetcher.js
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ export default class DeviceDescriptionFetcher {
       .catch(errorMessage => console.log(errorMessage));
   }
 
+  static splitAsSubDeviceDescription(params) {
+    return fetch('/api/v1/device_descriptions/sub_device_descriptions/', 
+      {
+        ...this._httpOptions('POST'),
+        body: JSON.stringify(params)
+      }
+    ).then(response => response.json())
+      .then((json) => json)
+      .catch(errorMessage => console.log(errorMessage));
+  }
+
   static fetchById(deviceDescriptionId) {
     return fetch(
       `/api/v1/device_descriptions/${deviceDescriptionId}`,
diff --git a/app/packs/src/stores/alt/actions/ElementActions.js b/app/packs/src/stores/alt/actions/ElementActions.js
index 8511e1c78d..1cfc0e844b 100644
--- a/app/packs/src/stores/alt/actions/ElementActions.js
+++ b/app/packs/src/stores/alt/actions/ElementActions.js
@@ -938,6 +938,17 @@ class ElementActions {
     return collection_id;
   }
 
+  splitAsSubDeviceDescription(ui_state) {
+    return (dispatch) => {
+      DeviceDescriptionFetcher.splitAsSubDeviceDescription(ui_state)
+        .then((result) => {
+          dispatch(ui_state.ui_state);
+        }).catch((errorMessage) => {
+          console.log(errorMessage);
+        });
+    };
+  }
+
   // -- DataCite/Radar metadata --
 
   fetchMetadata(collection_id) {
diff --git a/app/packs/src/stores/alt/stores/ElementStore.js b/app/packs/src/stores/alt/stores/ElementStore.js
index dfc23bab29..8290dac01d 100644
--- a/app/packs/src/stores/alt/stores/ElementStore.js
+++ b/app/packs/src/stores/alt/stores/ElementStore.js
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ class ElementStore {
       handleRemoveElementsCollection: ElementActions.removeElementsCollection,
       handleSplitAsSubsamples: ElementActions.splitAsSubsamples,
       handleSplitAsSubwellplates: ElementActions.splitAsSubwellplates,
+      handleSplitAsSubDeviceDescription: ElementActions.splitAsSubDeviceDescription,
       // formerly from DetailStore
       handleSelect: DetailActions.select,
       handleClose: DetailActions.close,
@@ -967,6 +968,12 @@ class ElementStore {
     }
   }
 
+  handleSplitAsSubDeviceDescription(ui_state) {
+    ElementActions.fetchDeviceDescriptionsByCollectionId(
+      ui_state.currentCollectionId, {}, ui_state.isSync
+    );
+  }
+
   // -- Reactions --
 
   handleFetchReactionById(result) {
diff --git a/db/migrate/20240424181556_add_ancestry_to_device_descriptions.rb b/db/migrate/20240424181556_add_ancestry_to_device_descriptions.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..428c2065de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20240424181556_add_ancestry_to_device_descriptions.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+class AddAncestryToDeviceDescriptions < ActiveRecord::Migration[6.1]
+  def change
+    add_column :device_descriptions, :ancestry, :string
+    add_index :device_descriptions, :ancestry
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 4dc92b10c4..cc2aacd524 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 2024_04_17_092033) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 2024_04_24_181556) do
 
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "hstore"
@@ -470,6 +470,8 @@
     t.datetime "deleted_at"
     t.integer "created_by"
     t.jsonb "ontologies"
+    t.string "ancestry"
+    t.index ["ancestry"], name: "index_device_descriptions_on_ancestry"
     t.index ["device_id"], name: "index_device_descriptions_on_device_id"
   end
 
@@ -530,6 +532,18 @@
     t.index ["name_abbreviation"], name: "index_devices_on_name_abbreviation", unique: true, where: "(name_abbreviation IS NOT NULL)"
   end
 
+  create_table "element_form_types", force: :cascade do |t|
+    t.string "name"
+    t.string "description"
+    t.string "element_type"
+    t.jsonb "structure", default: {}
+    t.boolean "enabled"
+    t.integer "enabled_for"
+    t.integer "creator_id"
+    t.datetime "created_at", precision: 6, null: false
+    t.datetime "updated_at", precision: 6, null: false
+  end
+
   create_table "element_klasses", id: :serial, force: :cascade do |t|
     t.string "name"
     t.string "label"
@@ -1214,7 +1228,9 @@
     t.jsonb "solvent"
     t.boolean "inventory_sample", default: false
     t.boolean "dry_solvent", default: false
+    t.integer "element_form_type_id"
     t.index ["deleted_at"], name: "index_samples_on_deleted_at"
+    t.index ["element_form_type_id"], name: "index_samples_on_element_form_type_id"
     t.index ["identifier"], name: "index_samples_on_identifier"
     t.index ["inventory_sample"], name: "index_samples_on_inventory_sample"
     t.index ["molecule_id"], name: "index_samples_on_sample_id"
diff --git a/spec/api/chemotion/device_description_api_spec.rb b/spec/api/chemotion/device_description_api_spec.rb
index c841bd62ef..242ed2420b 100644
--- a/spec/api/chemotion/device_description_api_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/api/chemotion/device_description_api_spec.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@
   let(:device_description) do
     create(:device_description, :with_ontologies, collection_id: collection.id, created_by: collection.user_id)
   end
+  let(:device_description2) do
+    create(:device_description, :with_ontologies, collection_id: collection.id, created_by: collection.user_id)
+  end
+  let(:device_description_collection) do
+    create(:collections_device_description, device_description: device_description, collection: collection)
+  end
   let(:segment_klass) { create(:segment_klass, :with_ontology_properties_template) }
 
   describe 'GET /api/v1/device_descriptions/' do
@@ -27,12 +33,20 @@
   end
 
   describe 'POST /api/v1/device_descriptions' do
-    let(:device_description_params) { attributes_for(:device_description) }
+    let(:device_description_params) { attributes_for(:device_description, collection_id: collection.id) }
 
-    it 'creates a device description' do
-      post '/api/v1/device_descriptions', params: device_description_params
+    context 'when creating a device description' do
+      it 'returns a device description' do
+        post '/api/v1/device_descriptions', params: device_description_params
 
-      expect(parsed_json_response['device_description']['short_label']).to include('Dev')
+        expect(parsed_json_response['device_description']['short_label']).to include('Dev')
+      end
+
+      it 'has taggable_data' do
+        post '/api/v1/device_descriptions', params: device_description_params
+
+        expect(parsed_json_response['device_description']['tag']['taggable_data'].size).to be(1)
+      end
     end
   end
 
@@ -82,6 +96,56 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'POST /api/v1/device_descriptions/ui_state/' do
+    before do
+      device_description_collection
+    end
+
+    let(:params) do
+      {
+        ui_state: {
+          all: false,
+          included_ids: [device_description.id, device_description2.id],
+          excluded_ids: [],
+          collection_id: collection.id,
+        },
+        limit: 1,
+      }
+    end
+
+    it 'fetches only one device description' do
+      post '/api/v1/device_descriptions/ui_state/', params: params, as: :json
+
+      expect(parsed_json_response['device_descriptions'].size).to be(1)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe 'POST /api/v1/device_descriptions/sub_device_descriptions/' do
+    before do
+      device_description_collection
+    end
+
+    let(:params) do
+      {
+        ui_state: {
+          currentCollectionId: collection.id,
+          device_description: {
+            all: false,
+            included_ids: [device_description.id],
+            excluded_ids: [],
+          },
+          isSync: false,
+        },
+      }
+    end
+
+    it 'creates a split of selected device description' do
+      post '/api/v1/device_descriptions/sub_device_descriptions/', params: params, as: :json
+
+      expect(device_description.reload.children.size).to be(1)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'PUT /api/v1/device_descriptions/:id' do
     context 'when updating an device description' do
       let(:params) do
diff --git a/spec/factories/collections_device_descriptions.rb b/spec/factories/collections_device_descriptions.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bd6547860a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/factories/collections_device_descriptions.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+FactoryBot.define do
+  factory :collections_device_description do
+    collection_id { 1 }
+    device_description_id { 1 }
+  end
+end