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, as well as 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 Wearable Tech in Healthcare: Ambulatory infusion device. 

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 443,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the healthcare industry, there are 200+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Ambulatory infusion device is a key innovation area in wearable tech 

An ambulatory infusion device is a small pump powered by battery to deliver medicine, such as chemotherapy or antibiotics, into the body in a controlled manner. 

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 20+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established healthcare companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of ambulatory infusion device. 

Key players in ambulatory infusion device – 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 ambulatory infusion device

Company Total patents (2010 - 2021) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
DEKA Research and Development 248 Unlock company profile
Becton Dickinson and Co 101 Unlock company profile
Fresenius & Co 78 Unlock company profile
Serres 35 Unlock company profile
Bayer 26 Unlock company profile
Chiaro Technology 25 Unlock company profile
Olle Larsson Holding 21 Unlock company profile
Moog 19 Unlock company profile
Osprey Medical 18 Unlock company profile
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare 17 Unlock company profile
Air Liquide 16 Unlock company profile
Optiscan Biomedical 15 Unlock company profile
Baxter International 14 Unlock company profile
Getinge 12 Unlock company profile
Trudell Medical International 11 Unlock company profile
3M 11 Unlock company profile
F. Hoffmann-La Roche 11 Unlock company profile
Art Medical 9 Unlock company profile
Hybernia Medical 9 Unlock company profile
Medrad 6 Unlock company profile
Braidlock 6 Unlock company profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

DEKA Research and Development, Becton Dickinson and Fresenius are the leading patent filers in the wearable tech ambulatory infusion device market. Some other leading patent filers include Serres and Olle Larsson. 

In terms of application diversity, Optiscan Biomedical, and Getinge lead, followed by Braidlock. With regards to geographic reach, 3M holds the top position, followed by Olle Larsson and Hybernia Medical. 

Ambulatory infusion devices play an important role in drug delivery in a variety of clinical settings. The devices are becoming more popular due to their introduction as part of front-line patient therapy. 

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the healthcare industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Healthcare. 

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.