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, and growing importance in technologies such as machine learning, augmented reality, 5G and digitalization.  In the last three years alone, there have been over 230,000 patents filed and granted in the medical devices industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Environmental sustainability in medical: biocompatible expandable stentsBuy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 165,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the medical devices industry, there are 35+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Biocompatible expandable stents is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability

Biocompatible expandable stents are medical devices used for treating various conditions within the human body, particularly in blood vessels and the skeletal system. These stents are designed to be implanted in a compressed form and then expanded to provide structural support and promote the natural healing process. They are typically made from biodegradable materials, such as polylactic acid or polyglycolic acid, and may incorporate coatings or reinforcing components to enhance their functionality and biocompatibility.

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 1020+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established medical devices companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of biocompatible expandable stents.

Key players in biocompatible expandable stents – 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 biocompatible expandable stents

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Edwards Lifesciences 1692 Unlock Company Profile
Medtronic 1551 Unlock Company Profile
Abbott Laboratories 1339 Unlock Company Profile
Boston Scientific 1293 Unlock Company Profile
W. L. Gore & Associates 954 Unlock Company Profile
Johnson & Johnson 933 Unlock Company Profile
Cook Group 480 Unlock Company Profile
Becton Dickinson 453 Unlock Company Profile
Terumo 387 Unlock Company Profile
Stryker 341 Unlock Company Profile
Venus Medtech Hangzhou 227 Unlock Company Profile
Sofradim Production 221 Unlock Company Profile
AbbVie 192 Unlock Company Profile
Smith & Nephew 164 Unlock Company Profile
Micell Technologies 129 Unlock Company Profile
ConforMIS 118 Unlock Company Profile
Zimmer Biomet 117 Unlock Company Profile
LifeTech Scientific 112 Unlock Company Profile
Endologix 110 Unlock Company Profile
Elixir Medical 105 Unlock Company Profile
Getinge 104 Unlock Company Profile
Hellman & Friedman 101 Unlock Company Profile
Biotronik 97 Unlock Company Profile
Toray Industries 96 Unlock Company Profile
The Cigna Group 92 Unlock Company Profile
Vactronix Scientific 89 Unlock Company Profile
4C Medical Technologies 87 Unlock Company Profile
Q3 Medical Devices 87 Unlock Company Profile
Merit Medical Systems 84 Unlock Company Profile
MicroPort Scientific 82 Unlock Company Profile
Aortic Innovations 82 Unlock Company Profile
Globus Medical 80 Unlock Company Profile
CorMatrix Cardiovascular 79 Unlock Company Profile
Nipro 77 Unlock Company Profile
JenaValve Technology 76 Unlock Company Profile
Olympus 76 Unlock Company Profile
Medtentia International 74 Unlock Company Profile
SI-Bone 72 Unlock Company Profile
Kona Gold Beverage 69 Unlock Company Profile
Royal DSM 67 Unlock Company Profile
MiMedx Group 66 Unlock Company Profile
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals 66 Unlock Company Profile
Taewoong Medical 64 Unlock Company Profile
Vdyne 64 Unlock Company Profile
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation 60 Unlock Company Profile
Woodwelding 58 Unlock Company Profile
OrbusNeich 57 Unlock Company Profile
Cardinal Health 57 Unlock Company Profile
REVA Medical 57 Unlock Company Profile
ValCare 56 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic are two of the leading patent filers in biocompatible expandable stents. Some other key patent filers include Boston Scientific, Abbott Laboratories, and W. L. Gore & Associates.

In terms of application diversity, Aortic Innovations leads the pack, while Medtentia International and Getinge stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Aortic Innovations held the top position, followed by 4C Medical Technologies and MiMedx Group.

Biocompatible expandable stents have a promising future, with ongoing improvements in materials and design. The demand for these stents is increasing as they could reduce the need for repeat interventions, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to the advancement of personalized medicine.

To further understand the key theme 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.