The medical devicesindustry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by increased need for homecare, preventative treatments, early diagnosis, reducing patient recovery times and improving outcomes, as well as a growing importance of technologies such as machine learning, augmented reality, 5G and digitalisation. In the last three years alone, there have been over 450,000 patents filed and granted in the medical devices industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Medical Devices: Capillary blood collection devices. 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 stabilising 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.
150+ 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 550,000 patents, there are 150+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, neurostimulation therapy, smart physiotherapy devices, and real-time IR thermographic imaging are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Precision radiotherapy, electric atomisers, and bio-active prosthesis coating are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are bioresorbable stent coating and cryogenic tissue treatment, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the medical devices industry
Capillary blood collection devices is a key innovation area in the medical devices industry
Capillary blood collection devices including microcontainer tubes, lancets, warming devices, microhematocrit tubes and others, are used to collect capillary blood samples by pricking on the heel, finger or earlobe. These devices are replacing the venepuncture equipment used in the venous blood sampling method as they have an easier blood collection procedure, are quicker, less invasive and painful, and need a smaller amount of blood to be drawn.
Capillary blood collection is often favoured by both end-users and lab staff. The procedure is less painful and hardly necessitates a "second stick." Except in a few circumstances, the results of capillary blood and plasma are equivalent. In some situations, the results need to be linked with data collected using the same manner.
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 80+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established medical devices companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of capillary blood collection devices.
Key players in capillary blood collection devices – a disruptive innovation in the medical devices industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to capillary blood collection devices
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Becton Dickinson and Labrador Diagnostics are two of the leading patent filers in capillary blood collection devices. Other leading patent filers include F. Hoffmann-La Roche, PHC Holdings and Abbott Laboratories.
In terms of application diversity, American Securities leads the pack, followed by Becton Dickinson and Labrador Diagnostics. With regards to geographic reach, FABPulous holds the top position, followed by Orthogen and Nuo Therapeutics in the second and third spots, respectively.
Capillary blood collection has been around for many years now. With an increased number of patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and an increase in surgical procedures, the demand for these devices is growing as they reduce the problems associated with blood loss in delicate patients, and are relatively painless and user-friendly.
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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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
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