Overall rank by patents
#1,248
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView Foreign Corporation
Smith & Nephew PLC
USPTO PatentsView assignee record — 339 granted patents across 44 technology areas, active 2015–2025. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: A61M (DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY ; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY ; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR).
339
Total patents granted
44
CPC technology areas
17.3
Avg claims per patent
+69%
5-year filing velocity
Portfolio overview
Smith & Nephew PLC has been granted 339 US utility patents between 2015 and 2025, placing Smith & Nephew PLC at rank #1,248 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 44 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 17.3 claims per patent with primary concentration in A61M (DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY ; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY ; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR). As a Foreign Corporation, Smith & Nephew PLC is one of the more focused assignees in the PatentsView dataset. The composite Innovation Score of 63.0/100 blends portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth into a single comparable measure drawn directly from USPTO PatentsView records.
Filing cadence tells the strategic story. Between 2020 and 2025 the company received 213 grants, compared with 126 in the 2015–2019 window — a +69% shift in five-year velocity. An acceleration of this magnitude signals aggressive R&D investment and expanding technical ambition. The Foreign Corporation classification further shapes interpretation, since corporate, government, and individual filers pursue patents for materially different reasons.
Claim depth and technology breadth together indicate competitive posture. Smith & Nephew PLC's 17.3 average claims per patent sits within the typical range for solid legal coverage without excessive prosecution cost, while a multi-domain presence across 44 subclasses balances depth with breadth. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark Smith & Nephew PLC against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
How does Smith compare?
Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus the largest corporate holders — this company marked ◀
- Samsung
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
106,890 patents
- International Bus…
International Business Machines Corporation
72,926 patents
- Canon 34,378
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
34,378 patents
- LG 32,607
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
32,607 patents
- Taiwan Semiconduc… 31,041
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
31,041 patents
- Apple 30,560
Apple Inc.
30,560 patents
- Qualcomm Incorpor… 30,354
QUALCOMM Incorporated
30,354 patents
- Intel 27,498
Intel Corporation
27,498 patents
- Smith & Nephew ◀ 339
Smith & Nephew PLC
339 patents
What this shows Smith holds 339 patents — placing it at rank #1,248 overall, well behind the volume leaders but ahead of the tens of thousands of smaller assignees in the dataset.
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2025
Grants by year
Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.
View data table
| Year | Patents Granted | Share of Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 22 | 6.5% |
| 2016 | 15 | 4.4% |
| 2017 | 26 | 7.7% |
| 2018 | 36 | 10.6% |
| 2019 | 27 | 8.0% |
| 2020 | 27 | 8.0% |
| 2021 | 39 | 11.5% |
| 2022 | 26 | 7.7% |
| 2023 | 50 | 14.7% |
| 2024 | 50 | 14.7% |
| 2025 | 21 | 6.2% |
Which technologies does Smith & Nephew PLC patent most?
Top 15 of 44 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Moderate
Tech Breadth Multi-domain
Claim Depth Standard
Velocity Accelerating
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does Smith & Nephew PLC hold?
Smith & Nephew PLC holds 339 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2025, spanning 44 technology areas.
What is Smith & Nephew PLC's Innovation Score?
Smith & Nephew PLC has an Innovation Score of 63.0 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does Smith & Nephew PLC focus on?
Smith & Nephew PLC's top technology area is A61M (DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY ; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY ; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR) with 272 patents. The company has filed patents in 44 CPC subclasses total.
Is Smith & Nephew PLC's patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
Smith & Nephew PLC's recent filing velocity is +69% compared to the prior five-year period. This indicates accelerating innovation.
What does claim depth mean for Smith & Nephew PLC's patents?
Smith & Nephew PLC's patents average 17.3 claims each. This falls within the standard range, providing solid legal coverage.
How is the Smith & Nephew PLC patent data sourced?
All patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering US granted utility patents from 2015 to 2025.
Learn More
Explore the patent dataset
A61M technology
Smith & Nephew PLC's primary CPC class — all holders and yearly trends
Top 50 patent holders
See where Smith & Nephew PLC ranks among the largest US patent assignees
All technology classes
Browse every CPC technology area by patent activity
How the score works
The four dimensions behind the Innovation Score
Related
Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USPTO PatentsView database. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office bulk patent data. patentsview.org
- USPTO Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) — application status and file history. uspto.gov/patents/pair
- USPTO Bulk Data Storage System — comprehensive patent text + claims dataset. bulkdata.uspto.gov
- USPTO CPC Classification — Cooperative Patent Classification scheme for technology categorization. uspto.gov/cpc
- SEC EDGAR — public filings cross-reference for assignee corporate entity matching. sec.gov/edgar
- WIPO PATENTSCOPE — international patent context (related international filings). wipo.int/patentscope
