Patenting telemedicine tools: A cross-country analysis of technologies related to remote patient monitoring

Telemedicine has been practised since digital technology emerged in the mid-to-late 20th century. It evolved with technological advancements such as satellite communication in the 1960s, the internet in the 1990s and mobile health applications in the 2000s. Today, telemedicine forms a sub-set of digital health. In telemedicine, healthcare professionals provide medical services through information and communication technologies. The patenting of telemedicine tools is quite active, encompassing advancements in software applications, medical devices, and integrated systems for remote diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. Effective protection of intellectual property for telemedicine tools relies on organised patent management and precise claim drafting. A study on the filing trends of the patents related to telemedicine tools and patent prosecution will give a better understanding of issues related to the patenting of such technologies. It highlights new developments that are expanding the scope of patent claims, particularly the increasing integration of telemedicine and software-enabled medical devices.