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 Internet of Things in Healthcare: Automated drug dispensing systems.
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, smart helmets, body temperature sensors, and software as a medical device (SaMD) are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Smart balloon catheters, point-of-care molecular diagnostics, and automated immunoassay analysers are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are smart contact lenses and global positioning system (GPS) integrated fitness monitors, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for Internet of Things in the healthcare industry
Automated drug dispensing systems is a key innovation area in Internet of Things
Automated drug dispensing systems offer electronic medication tracking, storage, and dispensing. They have been proposed as a realistic strategy for enhancing productivity and patient safety. The automated drug dispensing systems address daily obstacles and minimise margin-eroding processes. These machines are currently widely employed in numerous hospitals.
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 automated drug dispensing systems.
Key players in automated drug dispensing systems – 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 automated drug dispensing systems
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2021) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Becton Dickinson and Co | 242 | Unlock company profile |
| Yuyama | 146 | Unlock company profile |
| Omnicell | 133 | Unlock company profile |
| RxSafe | 61 | Unlock company profile |
| Van Humbeck Family | 44 | Unlock company profile |
| Hero Health | 37 | Unlock company profile |
| Takazono | 34 | Unlock company profile |
| Hanmi Science | 31 | Unlock company profile |
| Coca-Cola Enterprises Great Britain | 30 | Unlock company profile |
| CVS Health | 27 | Unlock company profile |
| Evondos | 25 | Unlock company profile |
| Cardinal Health | 20 | Unlock company profile |
| PCAS Patient Care Automation Services | 18 | Unlock company profile |
| McKesson | 17 | Unlock company profile |
| PHC Holdings | 16 | Unlock company profile |
| PerceptiMed | 16 | Unlock company profile |
| AmerisourceBergen | 15 | Unlock company profile |
| Asteres | 15 | Unlock company profile |
| Touchpoint Medical | 14 | Unlock company profile |
| Koninklijke Philips | 12 | Unlock company profile |
| DAYA Medicals | 11 | Unlock company profile |
| Johnson & Johnson | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| Fujifilm Holdings | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| Envision Air Service | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| TKH Group | 9 | Unlock company profile |
| Pillo | 9 | Unlock company profile |
| Access Business Group International | 9 | Unlock company profile |
| Express Scripts Insurance Company | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| Health Enhancement Research Organization | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| AptarGroup | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| Wiegand | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| Bayer | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| MEPS Real-Time | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| InterMetro Industries | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| Biolog-id | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Immunovative Therapies | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| B. Braun Melsungen | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Capsa Healthcare | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Avery Dennison | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Cerx Pharmacy Partners | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Sanofi | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Omron | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Merck & Co | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| MedicaSafe | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Telepharmacy Solutions | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Tranquility Group | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Synergie Medicale Brg | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Dose Health | 5 | Unlock company profile |
| Remedi Technology Holdings | 5 | Unlock company profile |
| Distributrices Medicales BHL | 5 | Unlock company profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Becton Dickinson and Yuyama are the leading patent filers in the automated drug dispensing systems using internet of things. Some other leading patent filers include Omnicell and RxSafe.
In terms of application diversity, Fujifilm is the leading company, followed by Dose Health, and Health Enhancement Research Organization. With regards to geographic reach, Access Business Group International, Wiegand, and Koninklijke Philips are the top companies.
The use of an Internet of Things-based automated dispensing system can help to reduce overall medication errors associated with drug selection, preparation, and administration in the intensive care unit. In the present scenario, most of the nurses have supported the organisations that make use of the automated drug dispensing systems.
To further understand how Internet of Things is disrupting the healthcare industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Internet of Things (IoT) 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.
