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 (AR), 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 Virtual and augmented reality in medical: AR-assisted dental implantation. Buy 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.
AR-assisted dental implantation is a key innovation area in virtual and augmented reality
AR-assisted dental implantation refers to utilizing augmented reality technology to assist in the precise placement of dental implants. This involves using a system that can detect the actual shape of a tooth, determine any spatial deviations from a target shape, and display this information using AR glasses or projectors. The technology can also aid in designing surgical guides, selecting implant fixtures, determining drilling sequences, and creating customized implant fixtures.
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 45+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established medical devices companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of AR-assisted dental implantation.
Key players in AR-assisted dental implantation – 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 AR-assisted dental implantation
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Neocis and Zimmer Biomet are two of the leading patent filers in AR-assisted dental implantation. Some other key patent filers in the field include Navigate Surgical Technologies, Osstem Implant, and X-Nav Technologies.
In terms of application diversity, KJ Meditech leads the pack, while Dentium and Coreline Soft stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Zimmer Biomet held the top position, followed by Dental Monitoring and Align Technology.
Augmented reality facilitates precise planning and enhances the placement accuracy of dental implants. This technology is expected to reduce procedure times, improve success rates, and optimize patient outcomes, thereby showcasing potential for widespread integration within dental practices in future.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the medical devices industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Augmented Reality 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.
