Of course. The "Patent Law of the People's Republic of China" stipulates that heirs can apply.
The application entities stipulated in the "Patent Law of the People's Republic of China":
1. For non-service inventions and creations, the inventor or designer has the right to apply for a patent.
2. The legal assignee of the inventor or designer can also apply for a patent. Legal transfer includes two situations:
(1) The inventor or designer voluntarily transfers the patent application right for his invention to a third party with or without compensation;
(2) If the inventor or designer dies, his or her heirs shall legally inherit the right to apply for a patent.
3. Under the following circumstances, an organization can also become a patent applicant.
(1) The invention and creation are completed by the staff of the unit in the performance of tasks or mainly by utilizing the material conditions of the unit. In this case, the right to apply for a patent belongs to the unit rather than the individual.
(2) As the legal assignee, the unit obtains the right to apply for a patent through transfer or other means.
4. If an invention is jointly developed by two or more individuals or units, all individuals or units should generally apply for a patent at the same time. However, the relevant parties may also stipulate otherwise in the agreement.