Core Insights - The number of medical device patent applications in South Korea surged by 42% over the past decade, reaching 13,282 applications in the last year, significantly outpacing the overall technology sector's growth of 12% [1] Summary by Category Patent Application Trends - Medical device patent applications increased from 9,336 in 2015 to 13,282 in the last year, representing a growth rate of 42% [1] - The overall patent applications in all technology fields rose from 222,405 to 248,687 during the same period [1] Types of Medical Devices - The most frequently applied medical device type is biometric devices for measuring vital signs, totaling 17,514 applications (14.6%) [1] - Other notable categories include surgical treatment devices (14.0%), medical information devices (13.7%), and medical supplies (11.9%) [1] - The fastest-growing category is medical information devices, with an average annual growth rate of 21.9% [1] Impact of Technology - A significant portion (92.6%) of medical information device patent applications is related to AI-based telemedicine systems, which has driven the overall increase in applications [1] Applicant Demographics - Small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 31.7% of applications (37,925), while individuals made up 19.7% (23,554) [1] - Foreign companies contributed 19.6% (23,375), and universities and research institutions represented 19.1% (22,806) [1] - Samsung Electronics was the leading applicant, followed by Yonsei University, Korea University, and Osstem Implant [1]