Company patents

Covidien LP

Covidien LP's patent strategy is heavily concentrated in Medical Diagnostics & Surgery, accounting for 89.6% of its portfolio, yet this core area has seen significant year-over-year declines, including a -17.5% drop in 2025 and -65.8% so far in 2026. Despite this overall decline, the company shows an emerging focus in Electrotherapy / Radiation Therapy, which grew by +36.4% in 2024, and Computer Vision, which saw a remarkable +116.7% growth in 2024, suggesting a strategic pivot towards specific high-growth, albeit smaller, technology areas.

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.

2,631 US filings (since 2023) · 11 categories · 35 themes

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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1,570since 2023
-13.4%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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737since 2023
-23.2%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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589since 2023
-17.6%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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481since 2023
-10.2%YoY
Catheter-based Intervention Devices

Minimally invasive medical devices, typically flexible tubes, inserted into body lumens to deliver substances, remove obstructions, or perform localized treatments like ablation, dialysis, or drainage.

Drug Delivery Devices
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314since 2023
-41.6%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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234since 2023
-22.2%YoY
Implantable Bio-Stimulation & Sensing

Implantable devices that deliver electrical, optical, or other forms of energy to stimulate tissues or nerves, or sense physiological parameters for therapeutic purposes.

Implants & Prosthetics
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227since 2023
-20.3%YoY
Physiological Monitoring & Diagnostics

Systems and methods for non-invasive or minimally invasive collection and analysis of physiological data (e.g., blood pressure, electrolytes, genetic markers, B cell repertoire) to assess patient health status, screen for conditions, or aid in diagnosis.

Healthcare Informatics
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209since 2023
+1.8%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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185since 2023
-22.4%YoY
Adaptive & Wearable Bio-Stimulation

Systems that provide therapeutic stimulation or field therapy through wearable devices, often incorporating physiological sensing and closed-loop feedback for personalized and adaptive treatment.

Electrotherapy / Radiation Therapy
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151since 2023
+51.5%YoY
Therapeutic Ultrasound Systems

Devices and methods utilizing ultrasound energy for non-invasive or minimally invasive treatment, including focused ultrasound for tissue ablation, neuromodulation, or enhanced substance delivery.

Electrotherapy / Radiation Therapy
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150since 2023
-29.8%YoY
Robot Health Monitoring & Safety

Methods and systems for monitoring the operational status, detecting anomalies, ensuring safe interaction, and preventing damage or injury in robotic systems.

Manipulators & Robotics
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127since 2023
+2.9%YoY
Medical Device Ergonomics

Focuses on the design of medical equipment for ease of use, mobility, and adaptability in various clinical or home environments, including carts, mounting systems, and compact form factors.

Medical Diagnostics & Surgery
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117since 2023
-2.5%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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85since 2023
-70.3%YoY
Neuromodulation and Electrical Stimulation

Therapeutic application of electrical signals to nerves or tissues to modulate their activity, often using implantable devices, electrodes, and sophisticated programming for various conditions.

Electrotherapy / Radiation Therapy
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62since 2023
+46.7%YoY
Wearable Physiological Sensing

Development of devices and methods for non-invasive or minimally invasive collection and analysis of physiological data, often from wearable sensors, to monitor health, activity, or specific conditions.

Medical Diagnostics & Surgery
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58since 2023
+5.9%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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57since 2023
-35.3%YoY
Specialized End-Effectors & Mechanisms

Design and control of advanced robotic grippers, tools, and mechanical linkages for specific manipulation tasks or operating in challenging environments.

Manipulators & Robotics
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48since 2023
+8.3%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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28since 2023
-70.0%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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27since 2023
-14.3%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 & SurgeryComputer VisionImage ProcessingHealthcare Informatics
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17since 2023
-50.0%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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16since 2023
+300.0%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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15since 2023
-88.9%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
-25.0%YoY
Video Quality & Encoding Optimization

Methods and apparatus for improving the visual fidelity, resolution, or compression efficiency of video signals, often through advanced processing, up-scaling, or neural network-based filters.

Computer Vision
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10since 2023
+200.0%YoY
Interactive 3D Data Visualizationfiltered

Methods and systems for displaying complex data in three-dimensional graphical formats, allowing users to manipulate, explore, and derive insights from the data through interactive controls.

Input/Output & User Interfaces
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8since 2023
-50.0%YoY
AR/VR User Interfaces

Techniques for rendering, interacting with, and managing content within augmented or virtual reality environments, including spatial tracking, gaze interaction, and dynamic multi-application display management.

Input/Output & User Interfaces
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6since 2023
0.0%YoY
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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6since 2023
+200.0%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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6since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Sensor-based Environment Perception

Techniques and hardware for autonomous systems to gather and interpret data about their surroundings, including obstacle detection, object recognition, and depth estimation, to inform control decisions.

Computer Vision
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4since 2023
+100.0%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.

Drug Delivery Devices
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4since 2023
0.0%YoY
Automated Injector Mechanisms

Mechanical or electromechanical systems designed for precise, often self-administered, delivery of medicaments, including features for dose setting, needle insertion/retraction, and safety mechanisms to prevent premature activation.

Drug Delivery Devices
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4since 2023
0.0%YoY
Therapeutic Electromagnetic Fields

Use of alternating electric or magnetic fields at specific frequencies and intensities to achieve therapeutic effects, such as inhibiting cell proliferation (e.g., cancer) or modulating cytokine production.

Electrotherapy / Radiation Therapy
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2since 2023
0.0%YoY
Autonomous Path Planning

Algorithms and systems for generating, optimizing, and executing trajectories for autonomous vehicles or robots to move through an environment, often involving obstacle avoidance, route validation, and goal reaching.

Image Processing
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1since 2023
n/a
Personalized Digital Therapeutics

Digital platforms and systems that deliver tailored therapeutic interventions, guidance, or recommendations to patients based on their individual health data, biometric feedback, and computational models (e.g., AI/ML, physiological simulations).

Healthcare Informatics
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1since 2023
n/a

Patents

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