Philips Tops European Patent Office Medtech Filings in 2024

Philips announced that it was the leading applicant in medical technology at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2024, filing 594 medtech patent applications.

According to the company, its innovations improved the health and well-being of almost two billion people in 2024, keeping it paced with its target of 2.5 billion lives improved in 2030. In total, the company contributed 1,231 European patent applications across many domains, the most of any Dutch company.

“For more than 130 years, Philips has been at the forefront of innovations improving people’s lives,” said Philips CEO Roy Jakobs. “The 2024 European patent rankings show how we continue to innovate in the hospital and the home—helping to deliver better care for more people. To continue driving greater impact, we have shifted our innovation closer to customers. We want to help healthcare professionals improve patient care and empower people everywhere to take care of their health and well-being.”

About half of the company’s R&D investments are focused on informatics and artificial intelligence (AI) for the hospital and at home. Philips invested about €1.7 billion in R&D in 2024, representing over 9% of sales and well above the industry average. The company’s intellectual property portfolio includes 50,500 patent rights, 30,500 trademarks, 150,000 design rights, and 3,200 domain names.

The informatics and AI-powered tools Philips launched in 2024 include:

• The Azurion image-guided therapy system with advanced informatics to enhance minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of stroke and other neurovascular patients.
• FDA-cleared AI tools integrated into the EPIQ CVx and Affiniti CVx ultrasound system to advance cardiovascular imaging and increase automation and productivity.
• The Spectral CT 7500 RT, enabling personalized radiation therapy planning to deliver better care to more cancer patients.
• FDA approval for the LumiGuide navigation wire, which uses fiber optic technology to reduce radiation for patients and physicians during minimally invasive surgery.