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 of 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 Artificial intelligence in medical: CT image analysis software. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 155,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the medical devices industry, there are 30+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
CT image analysis software is a key innovation area in artificial intelligence
CT image analysis refers to the process of examining and analyzing images obtained from computed tomography (CT) scans. CT scans use X-ray technology to create detailed cross-sectional images of the body. The analysis of these images involves evaluating the structure, density, and characteristics of tissues and organs to aid in diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring of various medical conditions. CT image analysis software can help identify abnormalities, tumors, inflammation, fractures, and other conditions within the body.
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 100+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established medical devices companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of CT image analysis software.
Key players in CT image analysis software – 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 CT image analysis software
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Nuctech and Canon are two of the leading patent filers in CT image analysis. Some other key patent filers include Koninklijke Philips, Fujifilm, Siemens, and BP North America.
In terms of application diversity, Varex Imaging leads the pack, while ConforMIS and Samsung Group stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, VOTI held the top position, followed by MARS Bioimaging and BP North America.
Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with CT image analysis is expected to transform radiology since it is highly likely that in the future, radiologists' capacity to handle complex problems will become increasingly reduced due to a reduced size of the workforce due to retirements and lack of training of replacements. Radiologists will benefit from AI-integrated CT image analysis software as it allows automation of repetitive activities, automatically flags abnormalities, and improves overall accuracy of diagnoses. Additionally, this will also improve the image quality. Huge improvements in CT image analysis can be expected with increased utilization of AI.
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.
