Lee International

According to an analysis by the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP, formerly KIPO) on patent filing trends, the number of patent applications in the medical device sector increased by 42% over the past decade, from 9,336 cases in 2015 to 13,282 cases in 2024. This growth rate is approximately 3.5 times higher than the overall 12% increase in total patent filings filed during the same period.  

Within the medical device sector, the largest number of patent applications over the past ten years relates to biometric devices (e.g., a wearable electronic device equipped with bio-sensors capable of measuring various bio-signals such as heart rate and blood pressure), accounting for 17,514 cases (14.6%). This was followed by surgery and treatment devices (14.0%), medical information devices (13.7%), and medical supplies (11.9%). Collectively, these four categories represent over half (54.2%) of all patent filings in the medical device sector.

The medical information devices recorded the highest growth, with an average annual increase of 21.9%. In particular, patent applications related to remote medical services (e.g., an AI-based untact (contactless) medical service system) showed a remarkable surge of 92.6%, driving the overall growth in this field. Following this, the anesthesia and respiratory device field and the biometric device field also exhibited strong growth, with average annual increases of 5.6% and 5.5%, respectively.

Among domestic applicants, Samsung Electronics filed the largest number of patent applications in the medical devices sector over the past decade (1,975 cases), followed by Yonsei University (1,370 cases), Korea University (1,354 cases), Osstem Implant (960 cases), and Bodyfriend (949 cases). By major technology, Samsung Electronics filed 1,083 patent applications for the biometric devices and 223 patent applications for rehabilitation support devices. Yonsei University filed 245 patent applications for in vitro diagnostic devices and 242 patent applications for medical information devices, while Samsung Medison filed 368 patent applications for imaging diagnosis devices. Osstem Implant led the dental devices field with 544 filings, and BodyFriend filed 803 patent applications in the treatment support device field.

Meanwhile, among foreign companies, the leading applicants in the medical device sector over the past decade include Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc. (438 patent applications in the surgery and treatment device field), Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. (280 patent applications in the medical supplies field) and Unicham Kabushiki Kaisha (274 patent applications in the medical supplies field).

As discussed above, the Korean market continues to see intense competition and innovation among both domestic and international players in the medical device sector, underscoring the importance of strategic patent management to secure technological leadership. In particular, strategic investment and entry into high-growth sectors, such as remote medical services, medical information devices, and biometric devices, are expected to be a key foundation for gaining a competitive edge in the future market.