The medical devices industry continues to be a hotbed of 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 digitalisation. 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 Cloud in Medical Devices: HUDs for surgical navigation. Buy the report here.
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.
HUDs for surgical navigation is a key innovation area in cloud
Also known as augmented reality, heads-up displays (HUDs) enable surgeons to visualise navigation information by projecting pre and intraoperative imaging simultaneously on a screen in front of them, at multiple stages of the surgery. Given it provides surgeon free head motion and potentially more convenient body movement without compromising the quality of image, it is steadily replacing the conventional surgical microscope.
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 HUDs for surgical navigation.
Key players in HUDs for surgical navigation – a disruptive innovation in the medical devices industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to HUDs for surgical navigation
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Smith & Nephew | 98 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Stryker | 81 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Magic Leap | 60 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Medtronic | 46 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Globus Medical | 43 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Johnson & Johnson | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| OnPoint Medical Diagnostics | 24 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vicarious Surgical | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Align Technology | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Aris MD | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Seiko Epson | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Siemens | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zimmer Biomet Holdings | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Surgalign Holdings | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Elbit Systems | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Honeywell International | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BrainLAB | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cleveland Clinic Foundation | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ivoclar Vivadent | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alcon | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sony Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Augmedics | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Taiwan Main Orthopaedics Biotechnology | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Surgical Theater | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Tietronix Software | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dentsply Sirona | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Intuitive Surgical | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Becton Dickinson and Co | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Novartis | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Osterhout Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Smith & Nephew is one of the leading patent filers in the field of HUDs for surgical navigation. Some other key patent filers in the field include Stryker Corp and Magic Leap.
In terms of application diversity, Magic Leap leads the pack, followed by OnPoint Medical Diagnostics and Surgical Theater. By means of geographic reach, Smith & Nephew holds the top position, followed by Cleveland Clinic and Stryker in the second and third spots, respectively.
HUDs for the surgical navigation field are constantly changing and evolving as one of the new technological advances, that will lead to improved outcomes, patient safety and ergonomics. Increasing healthcare expenditure and the need for cutting-edge technologies to aid the development of novel therapies and diagnostics have fuelled the need for this technology in the healthcare industry. As technology advances, the barriers to its widespread use in healthcare are beginning to fall.
To further understand how Cloud is disrupting the medical devices industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cloud Computing in 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.
