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. , according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Medical Devices: Tissue reconstruction implants. 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 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.
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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
Tissue reconstruction implants is a key innovation area in the medical devices industry
Tissue reconstruction involves the surgical process where natural tissues from one part of the patient’s body are used to reconstruct the target area. Also known as flap surgery, this is typically considered if the patient’s body has excess usable, healthy, or live tissue to be utilized for the procedure. Tissue reconstruction implants are preferred as patients need not get them replaced from any other site or be worried about breaking or damaging the implants.
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 40+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established medical devices companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of tissue reconstruction implants.
Key players in tissue reconstruction implants – 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 tissue reconstruction implants
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Johnson & Johnson | 177 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Medtronic | 159 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Stryker | 114 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zimmer Biomet Holdings | 112 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Geistlich Pharma | 43 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Baxter International | 43 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Albemarle | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| GreenBone Ortho | 28 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Straumann Holding | 24 | Unlock Company Profile |
| EW Healthcare Partners | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dentsply Sirona | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vivex Biomedical | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| B. Braun Melsungen | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| curasan | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Orthofix Medical | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Globus Medical | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| SINTX Technologies | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hoya | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Bio2 Technologies | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cam Bioceramics | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| HD LifeSciences | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Heraeus Holding | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Surgalign Holdings | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| OrthoMedex | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Advanced Numed Technologies | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Umtb Biomedical | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Orthorebirth | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Waldemar Link | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Promimic | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Spinal Elements Holdings Inc | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Collagen Matrix | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| AlloSource | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Theradaptive | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NuVasive | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| regenHU | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Teleflex Medical | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Episurf Medical | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| LifeNet Health | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Accentus Medical | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Osaka Yakin Kogyo | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Spiber Technologies | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| SpineSmith Holdings | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Royal DSM | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Johnson & Johnson is one of the leading patent filers in the field of tissue reconstruction implants. Some other key patent filers in the field include Medtronic, Stryker, and Zimmer Biomet Holdings.
In terms of application diversity, regenHU leads the pack, followed by Zimmer Biomet Holdings and Theradaptive, respectively. By means of geographic reach, GreenBone Ortho holds the top position, followed by Geistlich Pharma and Promimic in the second and third spots, respectively.
Several surgical procedures, majorly involving breast reconstruction, open fractures, trauma cases, and, in rare situations, cleft lip and palate improvement, consider the tissue reconstruction process. Factors such as the rising incidence and prevalence of breast cancer and the introduction of new techniques that do not involve pain or long recovery time will be driving factors for this market.
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.
