Client Success Story
LEVERAGE MARKET INTELLIGENCE AND
PATENT DATA TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS
ABOUT APEX
Established in 1990, APEX Medical Corporation is a prominent product manufacturer of support-surface medical devices and a leading enterprise in the healthcare care industry. APEX provides a wide range of healthcare solutions, including support-surface products for the prevention of pressure ulcers, continuous positive airway pressure devices (CPAP) for treating obstructive sleep apnea, and a full range of medical equipment and products.
APEX has developed a reputation for excellence and markets its products in 60 countries around the world. With its total devotion to healthcare, APEX has earned global recognition and praise from European and US medical organizations and authorities.
In recent years, APEX has successfully expanded into the EMEALA market (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America) and with its considerable achievements in the demanding Chinese market. APEX continues to promote significant growth in the European and US market as a global professional healthcare solutions provider in wound management and respiratory therapies.
NEW TECH THAT APEX LEVERAGES
APEX understands the importance of utilizing new technology to provide its clients with consistent high quality products and services. For APEX, their work never stops.
APEX’s team of intellectual property experts have found most IP tools in the market does not meet their needs in the highly competitive and evolving industry. After an extensive evaluation process, APEX’s IP team decide to implement Patentcloud for its patent search, analysis and management capabilities.
TOP GOALS FOR THE IP TEAM
- Analyze and integrate market intelligence and patent data to assist management team in making accurate and actionable decisions.
- Minimize the risk of overseas patent infringement.
- Assist the R&D department to develop innovative products and technical solutions.
- Align IP and business strategies with corporate goals to meet ongoing IP needs.
CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY
At Apex Medical, patient’s health is our first priority. Although it is costly and time consuming to test the safety, reliability, and clinical effectiveness of a product, a successful medical device can enjoy a long selling period on the market. However, a patent infringement case may suddenly cut off the life cycle of a product, turning the whole investment into nothing.
Globally, our competitors usually have strong patent portfolios, and sometimes even built a patent thicket worldwide. When dealing with thousands of patents, PatentCloud acts as a good platform to organize and visualize information, and forms a knowledge base for the long term. With this online tool, we can search, categorize, annotate, and analyze all patents with other team members simultaneously.
Patent information is also useful in various stages of new product development. At the very beginning of a project, we can landscape patents in the technology domain we are interested in. It gives us valuable insights of how the technology develops, and allows us to find a good entry point for future product development.
EXPECT FOR THE FUTURE
Apex Medical is doing business in an IPR-intensive industry, and many of our competitors are bigger and stronger. At the same time, by adopting a patent data-driven strategy, we can foresee how the industry will change, equip ourselves and react before anyone does. By igniting innovation and heading in the right direction, we expect to surpass our business rivals and become a true leader in the medical device industry.
