Company patents

SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.

SMITH & NEPHEW, INC's patent strategy, while heavily focused on core areas like Medical Diagnostics & Surgery (70.9% of portfolio) and Implants & Prosthetics (34.9%), shows a surprising and rapid emerging focus on Machine Learning & AI, which grew by an impressive 250.0% in 2025, and Education & Training, which saw a remarkable 550.0% growth in 2025, indicating a strategic pivot towards advanced computational and user-centric solutions beyond traditional medical devices, despite partial data for 2026 showing a general decline across most categories.

Patent Trend by Technology Area

Yearly patent publications since 2023

Product themes

Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.

690 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 20 themes

Surgical Imaging & Navigation is up +29.8% YoY. Worth a look.
Surgical Instrument Mechanisms

Focuses on the mechanical design, articulation, and actuation of hand-held or robotic surgical instruments, including improvements in stapling, cutting, grasping, and tissue manipulation.

Medical Diagnostics & Surgery
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270since 2023
+5.1%YoY
Orthopedic & Spinal Implants

Implantable devices used for the fixation, fusion, or replacement of bone structures, particularly in the spine and extremities.

Implants & Prosthetics
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228since 2023
-5.2%YoY
Surgical Imaging & Navigation

Systems and methods that use imaging technologies, computer vision, and augmented reality to provide real-time guidance, localization, and visualization during surgical procedures or for detailed anatomical assessment.

Medical Diagnostics & Surgery
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202since 2023
+29.8%YoY
Interventional & Implantable Therapies

Design and application of devices that are inserted into the body or implanted to treat diseases, modulate physiological functions, or repair anatomical structures.

Medical Diagnostics & Surgery
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115since 2023
+40.6%YoY
Rehabilitation & Biomechanical Assessment

Devices and software systems designed to facilitate physical rehabilitation, track human movement, evaluate posture, or assess biomechanical parameters for injury recovery, surgical planning, or performance improvement.

Healthcare Informatics
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86since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Interventional Device Materials & Design

Engineering and material considerations for devices used in minimally invasive procedures, focusing on mechanical properties, deployment mechanisms, and interaction with biological tissues.

Sterilization & Biocompatible Materials
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80since 2023
+35.0%YoY
Ophthalmic Surgical Systems

Integrated systems and specialized instruments for performing delicate surgical procedures on the eye, often involving the delivery, manipulation, or monitoring of ophthalmic implants.

Implants & Prosthetics
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59since 2023
-14.3%YoY
Biocompatible Scaffolds & Implants

Materials and structures designed for implantation or tissue regeneration, focusing on properties like biodegradability, mechanical strength, cellular integration, and long-term in-vivo stability.

Sterilization & Biocompatible Materials
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44since 2023
-29.4%YoY
Respiratory Therapy Devices

Systems and devices for delivering gases, aerosols, or pressure support to the respiratory system, often including interfaces like masks and sophisticated control mechanisms for therapeutic effect or airway management.

Drug Delivery Devices
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19since 2023
+16.7%YoY
Video Enhancement & Object Tracking

Methods and systems for improving the quality of video streams, generating intermediate frames, or continuously locating and following objects within a sequence of images, even under occlusion.

Image Processing
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11since 2023
-75.0%YoY
Smart Medication Management

Systems that integrate digital technology, sensors, or connectivity to monitor, track, or automate aspects of medication administration, often providing data feedback, personalized recommendations, or secure logging.

Healthcare Informatics
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9since 2023
+100.0%YoY
3D Reconstruction & Modeling

Processes for creating or manipulating three-dimensional digital representations of objects or environments, including mesh generation, surface fitting, and depth estimation from multiple views.

Image Processing
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8since 2023
0.0%YoY
Internal Fluid Management Devices

Implantable devices designed to manage or redirect bodily fluids, including stents for ducts, and systems for draining or accumulating fluids within internal cavities.

Implants & Prosthetics
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8since 2023
-33.3%YoY
Vascular & Cardiac Implants

Implantable devices designed to repair, replace, or assist the function of blood vessels or heart structures, including stents, valves, and annuloplasty rings.

Implants & Prosthetics
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5since 2023
+300.0%YoY
Metal Additive Manufacturing Processes

Techniques for building three-dimensional metal objects layer-by-layer using metal powders, including powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and directed energy deposition. This theme encompasses process mechanics, equipment design, and operational control for AM systems.

Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
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4since 2023
0.0%YoY
Targeted Drug Formulation Delivery

Delivery systems specifically engineered to administer advanced drug formulations (e.g., microparticles, biologics, extended-release systems) to achieve precise targeting, controlled release kinetics, or enhanced therapeutic efficacy within the body.

Pharmaceutical Preparations
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3since 2023
+100.0%YoY
AI for Medical Diagnostics

Utilizing machine learning, particularly deep learning, to analyze medical data such as images, sensor readings, or physiological signals for disease prediction, diagnosis, or treatment assessment.

Medical Diagnostics & SurgeryImage ProcessingHealthcare Informatics
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3since 2023
new
Medical Sterilization Technologies

Methods and apparatus for disinfecting or sterilizing medical devices, waste, or environments, often employing radiation, chemical agents, or thermal processes, and including monitoring systems.

Sterilization & Biocompatible Materials
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3since 2023
n/a
Generative AI for Images

Techniques utilizing deep learning models like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) or diffusion models to create new images, modify existing ones, or generate synthetic data based on various inputs or conditions.

Image Processing
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2since 2023
n/a
AM Part Design & Topology Optimization

Computational methods and design principles for generating optimized geometries, internal structures (e.g., lattices, minimal surfaces), or functional features that are specifically enabled or enhanced by the capabilities of additive manufacturing.

Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
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1since 2023
new

Patents

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