The medical devices industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the increased need for homecare, preventative treatments, early diagnosis, reducing patient recovery times and improving outcomes, as well as a growing importance in technologies such as machine learning, augmented reality, 5G and digitalization. In the last three years alone, there have been over 710,000 patents filed and granted in the medical devices industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in medical: automated peritoneal dialysis. Buy the report here.
However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
30+ innovations will shape the medical devices industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the medical devices industry using innovation intensity models built on over 155,000 patents, there are 30+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, neuromodulation implants, shapeable guide catheters, and biopotential signal monitoring are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Fall detection monitoring, ingestible sensors, and biofeedback wearables are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are CPR assistance devices and bioabsorbable coated implants, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the medical devices industry
Automated peritoneal dialysis is a key innovation area in medical devices
Automated peritoneal dialysis is a process that uses a machine (an automated cycler) to carry out several exchanges throughout the duration of the night while a patient is sleeping. The dialysate is automatically poured into the abdomen by the cycler, where it stays for a while before being drained into a sterile bag that can be dumped the next morning.
Important clinical outcomes have not been found to favor automated peritoneal dialysis over continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in a substantial way. However, due to its psychological benefits, APD may be regarded as helpful in a certain subset of patients, such as the younger population undergoing peritoneal dialysis and those in jobs or education.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 50+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established medical devices companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of automated peritoneal dialysis.
Key players in automated peritoneal dialysis – a disruptive innovation in the medical devices industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to automated peritoneal dialysis
Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KGaA | 697 | Unlock Company Profile |
Baxter International Inc | 380 | Unlock Company Profile |
Medtronic Plc | 206 | Unlock Company Profile |
B. Braun Melsungen AG | 121 | Unlock Company Profile |
Fresenius SE & Co KGaA | 87 | Unlock Company Profile |
DEKA Research and Development Corp | 50 | Unlock Company Profile |
Sequana Medical NV | 43 | Unlock Company Profile |
Nikkiso Co Ltd | 38 | Unlock Company Profile |
Mallinckrodt Plc | 24 | Unlock Company Profile |
Duke Energy Corp | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
Masimo Corp | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
Haemonetics Corp | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
Resuscitec GmbH | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
Transonic Systems Inc | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
Nipro Corp | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
Terumo Corp | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
Henry Ford Health System | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
LivaNova Plc | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
I-Sep SAS | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
JMS Co Ltd | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
Immunic Inc | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
Nuwellis Inc | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
Spectrum Medical Ltd | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
Stryker Corp | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
Novalung GmbH | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
LiberDi Ltd | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
Johnson & Johnson | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
Wistron Corp | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
Sharp Corp | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Qidni Labs Inc | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Stichting Imec Nederland | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
UAB Research Foundation | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Allmed Medical Care Holdings Ltd | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Pioneer Corp | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Asahi Kasei Corp | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Parker Hannifin Corp | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Syscore GmbH | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
MicroPort Scientific Corp | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
NovaShunt AG | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
Analiza Inc | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
Saudi Arabian Oil Co | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
Boston Scientific Corp | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
Mirimedical LLC | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
Hema Metrics LLC | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
Gambro Hospal Schweiz AG | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
Aethlon Medical Inc | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
Humanity Life Extension LLC | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
Health Onvector Inc | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
Sichuan Nigale Biomedical Co Ltd | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Fresenius and Baxter International are two of the leading patent filers in automated peritoneal dialysis. Some other leading patent filers include Medtronic, B. Braun Melsungen, Sequana Medical, DEKA Research and Development, and Nikkiso.
In terms of application diversity, Saudi Arabian Oil leads, followed by Stryker and LivaNova. With regards to geographic reach, Mallinckrodt leads, followed by Masimo and Haemonetics.
The prevalence of end-stage renal illness is increasing globally, and it is anticipated that more people will need kidney replacement therapy in the future. APD is becoming a more often used choice for home-based dialysis. Automatic cycling enables a variety of treatments that can be personalized to the preferences and dialysis needs of each patient.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the medical devices industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Medical Devices.
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