The medical devices industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by 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 Internet of Things in medical: incontinence monitoring sensors. Buy the report here.
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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, programmable infusion devices, wearable sleep assistance devices, and context-aware patient monitoring are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Remote dialysis monitoring, NFC implants, and medical ERS are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas is body area network (BAN), which is now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for Internet of Things in the medical devices industry
Urinary incontinence detection sensors is a key innovation area in Internet of Things
Urinary incontinence detection sensors are wireless insertable pressure sensors that can be used to detect and treat urinary incontinence in women. They have the potential to replace conventional methods that require patients to undergo several tests to monitor urinary incontinence which may cause infections and inconvenience.
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 30+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established medical devices companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of urinary incontinence detection sensors.
Key players in urinary incontinence detection sensors – 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 urinary incontinence detection sensors
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Baxter International Inc | 125 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Essity AB | 53 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Johnson & Johnson | 49 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ontex Group NV | 43 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Parasol Medical, LLC | 35 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The Procter & Gamble Co | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kimberly-Clark Corp | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Pixie Scientific LLC | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fred Bergman Healthcare Pty Ltd | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Medline Industries Inc | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Delta-Fly Pharma Inc | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alphabet Inc | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NXP Semiconductors NV | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Reifenhauser Inc. | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Medtronic Plc | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cardinal Health Inc | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| LifeSense Group BV | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Newtonoid Technologies, L.L.C. | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Reifenhaeuser Gmbh & Co Kg Maschinenfabrik | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Empire Technologies | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Biolink Systems LLC | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| IDing Medical Equipment Co Ltd | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fit Assist Medical Inc | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BioSerenity SAS | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Paper Excellence | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Medline Industries LP. | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Gi Bionics LLC | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Em Medical LLC | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Terrasem Co.,Ltd. | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Genextra Spa | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vigilan Incorporated | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Xtrava Inc | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Baxter International and Essity are two of the leading patent filers in the field of urinary incontinence detection sensors. Some other key patent filers in the field include Svenska Cellulosa (SCA) and Smith & Nephew.
In terms of application diversity, Delta-Fly Pharma leads the pack, followed by Deep Science and Undercover Colors. By geographic reach, Ontex Group holds the top position, followed by DM Systems and Parasol Medical in second and third spots, respectively.
One of the prospects of the field involves developing a smartphone application to upload patient data into an encrypted cloud database that will allow physicians to easily recommend treatment options even from a remote location without losing the focus on maintaining accuracy, safety, and avoiding discomfort.
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.
