The medical device industry is experiencing increasing demand, while its field has been innovating in the areas of home care, preventive treatment, early diagnosis, and more, influenced by machine learning, augmented reality, 5G, and digitalization. According to GlobalData's report on Medical Device Environmental Sustainability: Dental 3D Printing, the medical device industry has filed and granted more than 450,000 patents in the last three years alone.

This trend in innovation is not continuous either; they evolve in an S-shaped curve, a typical life cycle of early emergence followed by accelerated adoption and eventual stabilization and maturation. Determining where specific innovations are in this process, particularly those in the emerging and accelerating stages, is critical to understanding the current state of healthcare and the likely future trajectory and impact.

More than 150 Innovations Will Shape the Medical Device Industry

As GlobalData's Technology Foresights charts the medical device industry's S-curve using an innovation intensity model based on more than 550,000 patents, there are more than 150 areas of innovation that will shape the future of the industry. In the emerging innovation stage, 3D printed prosthetics and robotic 3D bioprinting are disruptive technologies that are in the early adoption stage and should be focused on. Sharps disposal containers, treatment adherence monitoring systems and driver health monitoring are some of the areas of accelerating innovation where adoption has been steadily increasing. Mature areas of innovation include biocompatible surgical aids and bioactive prosthetic seals, which are now widely used in the industry.

Dental 3D printing is a key area of innovation for environmental sustainability

Dental 3D printing is the use of 3D printing technology to create dental implants and crowns, where the shape, size, color and position of the artificial tooth or crown are carefully crafted to ensure a perfect fit and that the process produces a final product that is indistinguishable from a natural tooth. This technology replaces traditional methods and allows for faster and more accurate production of complex implants/crowns that are simple to use, saving time, improving surgical accuracy and reducing recovery time. advantages of 3D printing technology include the ability to use large amounts of materials and construct individual complex shapes. However, high costs and time-consuming post-processing are disadvantages.