The healthcare industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity is 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 Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: AR/VR medical imaging interfaces. Buy the report here.
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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.
AR/VR medical imaging interfaces is a key innovation area in artificial intelligence
AR/VR supported medical imaging can be more easily accessed or displayed in three-dimensional space to improve guidance during medical procedures by allowing the physician to see the images from a different perspective. This is possible with augmented or mixed reality. Additionally, AR/VR also increases the resolution of images to make them clearer and more interactive for examination.
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 AR/VR medical imaging interfaces.
Key players in AR/VR medical imaging interfaces – a disruptive innovation in the healthcare industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to AR/VR medical imaging interfaces
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Stryker | 73 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Koninklijke Philips | 68 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Heartflow | 58 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Magic Leap | 47 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hologic | 43 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Medtronic | 38 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Johnson & Johnson | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Boston Scientific | 27 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Surgical Theater | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Samsung Group | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Siemens | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Pro Medicus | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sony Group | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fujifilm Holdings | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Align Technology | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| adidas | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| General Electric | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NovaRad | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BrainLAB | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| International Business Machines | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dentsply Sirona | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai United Imaging Intelligence | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Halliburton | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Panasonic | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Agfa-Gevaert | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Stryker, Koninklijke Philips, and Heartflow are the leading patent filers in the AI AR/VR medical imaging interfaces. Some other leading patent filers include Magic Leap and Hologic.
In terms of application diversity, Align Technology and Dentsply Sirona lead, followed by Medtronic. With regards to geographic reach, Stryker leads, followed by Dentsply Sirona and Halliburton.
AR and VR medical imaging interfaces have the potential to reduce overall healthcare costs. It is expected that they will help the healthcare industry in revolutionising the way MRI and CT images are viewed in diagnostic practices.
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.
