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 Cloud in Healthcare: Sleep monitoring devices.
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, software as a medical device (SaMD), AR/VR medical imaging interfaces, and automated clinical documentation are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Medical image display devices, 3d modelling and rendering, and AI-assisted EHR are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are wearable fitness monitors and medical device secure data transmission, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for cloud in the healthcare industry
Sleep monitoring devices is a key innovation area in cloud
Sleep monitoring devices are used for real-time monitoring of sleep to better understand more about why patients are or are not sleeping, and helps to give indications towards the sleep health of each patient. The monitors are recommended by healthcare professionals working in specialist clinics to boost mental health in individuals. The segment is likely to rise as people become more aware of sleep therapy sessions.
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 healthcare companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of sleep monitoring devices.
Key players in sleep monitoring devices – 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 sleep monitoring devices
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Medtronic is one of the leading patent filers in the field of sensor integrating absorbent pads. Some other key patent filers in the field include B. Braun Melsungen, Abbott laboratories, and F.Hoffman La Roche.
In terms of application diversity, Asahi Kasei leads the pack, followed by Baxter international and F.Hoffman La Roche, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries held the top position, with B. Braun Melsungen and Oncomfort in second and third spots, respectively.
The cloud-based sleep monitoring devices hold a promising future scope. The advancement in the technology has not only provided a collection of data to ease the physicians in monitoring sleep activity but also helped in understanding the sleep health and its effect on other disorders. The adoption of these devices over the past few years has shown the increased awareness of people for sleep activities which has attracted major companies to invest in these industries.
To further understand how Cloud is disrupting the healthcare industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cloud Computing 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.
