The healthcare industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by telemedicine, real-time diagnostics, smart hospitals and access to digital therapies, and the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), robotics and data management practices. In the last three years alone, there have been over 106,000 patents filed and granted in the healthcare industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Diagnostic genetic analysis.
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.
200+ innovations will shape the healthcare industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the healthcare industry using innovation intensity models built on over 443,000 patents, there are 200+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, drug delivery device security, microscopic image analysis models, and cellular imaging techniques are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Smart balloon catheters, automated immunoassay analysers, and AI-assisted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are smart fitness training system and non-invasive physiological monitoring, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry
Diagnostic genetic analysis is a key innovation area in artificial intelligence
Diagnostic genetic analysis is a type of medical test used to find any variations in DNA sequence or chromosomal structure and determine whether a person has a particular hereditary condition. The gene included in the DNA sequence can be located directly by sequencing or indirectly using several genetic testing techniques and mutation in those genes can result in genetic diseases. The findings of a genetic test are crucial in evaluating the risk of acquiring certain diseases as well as screening and occasionally medical treatment. It also aids in determining a person's possibility of passing on a genetic disorder.
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 50+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established healthcare companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of diagnostic genetic analysis.
Key players in diagnostic genetic analysis – a disruptive innovation in the healthcare 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 diagnostic genetic analysis
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2021) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Illumina | 152 | Unlock company profile |
| NantWorks | 70 | Unlock company profile |
| Laboratory Corp of America Holdings | 64 | Unlock company profile |
| Psomagen | 61 | Unlock company profile |
| Caris MPI | 49 | Unlock company profile |
| Koninklijke Philips | 48 | Unlock company profile |
| Five3 Genomics | 43 | Unlock company profile |
| F. Hoffmann-La Roche | 30 | Unlock company profile |
| Guardant Health | 28 | Unlock company profile |
| Tempus Labs | 27 | Unlock company profile |
| Natera | 25 | Unlock company profile |
| Worldwide Innovative Networking in personalized cancer medicine consortium | 20 | Unlock company profile |
| Celmatix | 16 | Unlock company profile |
| Sysmex | 15 | Unlock company profile |
| Biora Therapeutics | 15 | Unlock company profile |
| Centre for Addiction and Mental Health | 15 | Unlock company profile |
| Myriad Genetics | 14 | Unlock company profile |
| Tata Sons | 13 | Unlock company profile |
| Siemens | 13 | Unlock company profile |
| Merck & Co | 13 | Unlock company profile |
| BioGaia | 13 | Unlock company profile |
| BillionToOne | 12 | Unlock company profile |
| Beijing BGI-GBI Biotech | 12 | Unlock company profile |
| Gritstone Bio | 11 | Unlock company profile |
| Synaptamine | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| iRepertoire | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| International Business Machines | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| Johnson & Johnson | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| Population Bio | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris | 9 | Unlock company profile |
| Cooper Companies | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| Annoroad Gene Technology | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| CosmosID | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| TALIAZ | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| Cleveland Clinic Foundation | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| 4D Pharma | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Visby Medical | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Mirvie | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Chang Gung Memorial Foundation | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Immucor | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Vela Operations Singapore | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Proove Biosciences | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Access | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Mars | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Yourgene Health | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| BostonGene | 5 | Unlock company profile |
| miR Scientific | 5 | Unlock company profile |
| Guangzhou Burning Rock Dx | 5 | Unlock company profile |
| Cancer Research UK | 5 | Unlock company profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Illumina is one of the leading patent filers in the field of Diagnostic genetic analysis. Some other key patent filers in the field include NantWorks, Laboratory of America, and Psomagen.
In terms of application diversity, Johnson & Johnson leads the pack, followed by 4D Pharma and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. By means of geographic reach, Synaptamine held the top position, followed by iRepertoire and NantWorks in second and third spots, respectively.
Due to the increase in cancer and genetic conditions, as well as the growing knowledge and acceptance of specialised treatments, diagnostic genetic analysis is predicted to experience significant growth in the coming years. Pharmacogenomics, often known as drug-gene testing, has made extensive use of genetic testing. Additionally, improvements in genetic testing methods are anticipated to accelerate market expansion. Further, the advancement of NGS, a quickly developing technology that permits the sequencing of a full genome or a portion of a genome as well as the quick extraction of genetic data from biological materials, may accelerate the use of genetic testing in the near future.
To further understand how artificial intelligence is disrupting the healthcare industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare.
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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.
