HealthTech Patent Strategy

Teladoc Health

• 500+ patents
• Specific asynchronous telehealth (store-and-forward dermatology; pathology)
• Specific synchronous video consultation workflow (provider matching; scheduling; waiting room queue management)
• Specific virtual primary care longitudinal record management
• Acquired Livongo 2020 ($18.5B; Livongo chronic condition management patents)
• InTouch Health acquisition
• Mental health platform BetterHelp

Amwell

• 400+ patents
• Specific platform white-label configuration for health system deployment
• Specific automated intake form NLP extraction
• Specific provider licensing verification pipeline
• Specific multi-party consultation (patient + specialist + PCP simultaneously)
• MDLIVE (CIGNA SUBSIDIARY)
• DOCTOR ON DEMAND (GRAND ROUNDS MERGED)

Hims & Hers

• Async telehealth for specific conditions (hair loss; ED; birth control)
• Specific condition-specific clinical protocol automation

Epic Systems

• Dominant EHR (60%+ of US hospital beds)
• 2,000+ patents
• MyChart patient portal
• Specific HL7 FHIR R4 API implementation
• Specific CDS Hooks integration architecture
• Specific interoperability data governance + consent management

Oracle Health (Cerner)

• Strong competitor to Epic
• 1,500+ patents
• 21st CENTURY CURES ACT COMPLIANCE: required FHIR APIs from all EHR vendors
• MEDITECH
• ALLSCRIPTS (VERADIGM)
• ATHENAHEALTH (VIRENCE)

Health Data Analytics

• IBM WATSON HEALTH (SOLD TO FRANCISCO PARTNERS → MERATIVE 2022): specific NLP extraction from clinical notes
• Specific clinical trial matching algorithm

Optum (Unitedhealth Group)

• Massive data analytics platform
• Specific claims data analytics
• Specific risk adjustment algorithm

Veeva Systems

• Clinical development data
• Specific clinical trial site selection algorithm
• HEALTH GORILLA
• REDOX

Particle Health

• Health data exchange APIs
• Specific FHIR data transformation pipelines

Health Information Exchanges

• Commonwell
• Carequality
• eHealth Exchange
• Specific patient matching across unlinked records.

Fda Regulatory Context

• RPM devices are generally Class II medical devices requiring 510(k) clearance
• AI/ML-based RPM software may require additional FDA oversight as SaMD (Software as a Medical Device)
• Some RPM crosses into treatment if it adjusts therapy (automatic insulin adjustment = closed-loop requires PMA)

Irhythm Technologies

• Zio patch — continuous ambulatory cardiac monitoring
• Specific adhesive patch design with specific electrode configuration
• Specific ECG algorithm for arrhythmia detection over 14-day wear period
• FDA-cleared
• 500+ patents

Medtronic Cardiac Rhythm

• Linq II implantable loop recorder
• Specific subcutaneous ICM miniaturization
• Specific AF detection algorithm from subcutaneous ECG
• BOSTON SCIENTIFIC
• ABBOTT DIAGNOSTICS (CONFIRM RX)

Propeller Health (Resmed)

• Respiratory IoT
• Specific medication adherence monitoring from inhaler + sensor
• Specific COPD/asthma flare prediction algorithm
• WELCH ALLYN (HILLROM → BAXTER): vital signs monitoring
• Specific spot check vs. continuous monitoring

Livongo (Teladoc)

• Personalized health coaching + cellular blood glucose meter
• Specific nudge algorithm for behavioral intervention timing
• Specific ML model for proactive outreach when glucose trends indicate risk

Noom

• Specific behavior change algorithm
• Specific food photo ML for calorie estimation

Virta Health

• Specific nutritional ketosis protocol automation
• SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES

Withings

• Consumer health devices
• Specific sleep stage detection from BCG (ballistocardiogram) in under-mattress sensor

Continuous Glucose Monitoring

• Dexcom (G6; G7; specific predictive alert algorithm for time-to-low prediction; specific calibration algorithm eliminating finger stick)
• Abbott FreeStyle Libre (factory-calibrated; specific glucose oxidase + metal electrode configuration; specific MARD accuracy claim)
• Medtronic Guardian
• Insulet Omnipod + Dexcom CGM + Loop algorithm (closed loop AID = automated insulin delivery)
• WHOOP

Patentable Rpm Innovations

• Specific wearable form factor enabling continuous monitoring
• Specific algorithm for distinguishing physiological signal from motion artifact
• Specific alert algorithm with specific sensitivity/specificity measured on specific population
• Specific multi-parameter correlation (HR + SpO2 + HRV + temperature = early illness detection).

Talkspace

• Text-based therapy platforms
• Specific asynchronous messaging workflow for therapy (not just messaging — specific clinical workflows for documentation + treatment plan + billing)
• Specific therapist-client matching algorithm

Calm

• Specific sleep story content delivery
• Specific guided meditation program sequencing

Headspace

• Specific mood tracking + personalized recommendation algorithm
• WOEBOT HEALTH
• WYSA

Youper

• AI-based mental health support
• Specific CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) protocol automation in conversational AI
• Specific crisis detection algorithm with specific escalation pathway
• § 101 CHALLENGE: mental health software faces significant patent eligibility risk (mental processes = abstract ideas)
• What survives: specific technical implementation of CBT sequence with specific response classification
• CEREBRAL
• MONUMENT

Monument Health

• Specific controlled substance prescribing workflow for controlled substances in telehealth
• Specific PDMP (prescription drug monitoring program) integration
• SPRING HEALTH

Lyra Health

• Employer mental health benefit platforms
• Specific evidence-based care recommendation algorithm

Eight Sleep

• Specific active temperature regulation algorithm for sleep stage optimization
• Specific bed temperature profile + sleep latency correlation

Sleep Number

• Specific air chamber pressure adjustment algorithm for optimal sleep position
• Specific snore detection + pressure adjustment

Dreem (Acquired by Beacon Biosignals)

• Closed-loop EEG sleep intervention
• Specific audio stimulation timing with sleep spindle detection
• SLEEPIO (BIG HEALTH

23Andme

• 200+ patents
• Specific SNP genotyping chip design
• Specific ancestry composition algorithm
• Specific trait association ML

Ancestry

• Specific genealogical network matching
• 23ANDME + ANCESTRY COMPETITION: genomic wellness is emerging
• HELIX

Genomics-based Nutrition

• NUTRIGENOMIX
• HABIT (CAMPBELL SOUP; SHUT DOWN)
• PRECISION BIOSCIENCES

Nutrition and Fitness Tech

• WHOOP (recovery metrics)
• LEVELS HEALTH (continuous glucose for non-diabetics; specific metabolic health score algorithm)
• ATHLETIC GREENS (AG1; supplements not patented but formulation trade secret)
• NOOM (behavioral weight loss; specific program sequencing algorithm).

Fda Clearance and Patent Strategy

• For medical device digital health (SaMD): file patent applications BEFORE FDA submission — FDA clearance is public and creates § 102 prior art
• FDA publication precedes patent issuance
• Patent timing matters
• FDA 510(k) creates public predicate — patent the novel features that distinguish you from the predicate

Hipaa and Trade Secrets

• HIPAA requires data security + access controls that also support trade secret protection
• De-identified datasets (45 C.F.R. § 164.514 Safe Harbor or Expert Determination) + trade secret can coexist

Cms Reimbursement

• CPT codes for RPM (99453; 99454; 99457; 99458) and virtual care
• Reimbursement policy drives product design
• Patent the specific product configurations that qualify for reimbursement

Care Coordination Platforms

• Specific workflow automation for care transitions
• Specific alert routing algorithm
• Specific patient attribution algorithm for value-based care arrangements

Clinical Decision Support

• Specific drug interaction detection algorithm incorporating EHR data
• Specific dosing recommendation algorithm with specific population criteria

Patient Engagement

• Specific personalized health content recommendation algorithm
• Specific notification timing optimization

Population Health

• Specific risk stratification algorithm
• Specific social determinants of health (SDOH) data integration
• § 101 STRATEGY FOR HEALTHTECH:

What Passes the Alice Test

• Specific sensor hardware + specific ML algorithm + measurable clinical outcome improvement (AUC; sensitivity; specificity; NNT)
• Specific technical improvement in EHR workflow performance (Enfish-type)
• Specific interoperability protocol implementation that solves a technical problem in health data exchange

What Fails

• Abstract correlation between symptom and disease
• Generic 'computer-implemented' health recommendations

Hipaa-compliant Trade Secrets

• Proprietary training datasets with patient data (de-identified)
• Specific model weights trained on clinical outcomes data
• Specific drug efficacy prediction models from EHR data

Ehr Vendors

• Epic and Oracle Health have broad patents on clinical workflow automation
• Health data exchange
• Patient portal
• Any product integrating with EHR should FTO

Device Companies

• Dexcom
• Abbott
• Medtronic for RPM + CGM