With rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), we are seeing the emergence of AI-based technologies in the MedTech sector, which promise significant benefits in terms of patient care and treatment outcomes. A major advantage of AI algorithms is their ability to leverage traits they have learned from large volumes of patient data, enabling them to greatly enhance medical practitioners’ capabilities in a variety of ways.
Examples of where AI is used in the MedTech space include:
- AI-controlled or AI assisted devices and systems - such as robot-assisted surgical systems, AI-controlled radiotherapy, AI-controlled imaging systems, medical robots/assistants.
- AI-based analysis of medical images - such as real-time analysis of radiography images or surgical images.
- AI-based health monitoring and diagnostics - such as analysis of output data from sensors and/or wearables, health recommendations based on sensor outputs.
- Use of AI to assist in designing medical devices - such as designing implants or prosthetics with an AI tool.
From a patents perspective, this is a highly specialised area of the law, as it involves the interplay between rules around the patenting software inventions on the one hand, and the patenting of medical techniques on the other. As an IP firm with experts working in both MedTech and AI, we are ideally placed to help MedTech companies navigate the IP landscape and devise effective and commercially-focused IP strategies.