The medical devices industry 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 in technologies such as machine learning, augmented reality, 5G and digitalization. In the last three years alone, there have been over 450,000 patents filed and granted in the medical devices industry. Medical Imaging informatics, according to GlobalData’s report on Medical IoT in Medical Devices: Sensor-guided catheters.
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 550,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the medical devices industry, there are 150+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Sensor-guided catheters is a key innovation area in Medical IoT
Sensor-guided catheters are navigation systems that produce images with the help of a position sensor. These devices provide useful clinical data related to the catheter position and identify a target tissue site. Deployed close to the top of the catheter, the sensors provide detailed information and powerful catheter intervention. It has more sensitivity and substantial pressure measurements than standard catheters appropriate for in-vivo applications.
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 sensor-guided catheters.
Key players in sensor-guided catheters – 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 sensor-guided catheters
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Johnson and Johnson and Abbott Laboratories are two of the leading patent filers in sensor-guided catheters. Some other leading patent filers include Beckton Dickinson, Koninklijke Philips, Medtronic, and Intuitive Surgical.
In terms of application diversity, Neuroceuticals leads the pack, followed by Heraeus Holding and General Electric. With regards to geographic reach, Pajunk holds the top position, followed by Japan Lifeline and Pneumoflex Systems in the second and third positions, respectively.
The preference for sensor-guided catheters will increase in the near future as minimally invasive procedures can be performed faster with them compared to traditional catheterization.
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.
