The Patenting And Technological Trends In Hernia Mesh Implants

Impact statementPatent databases are one of the most up-to-date and broadest sources of intellectual property and technical information. Patents contain detailed technical information, which often cannot be found in the scientific literature, since many companies do not disclose their research and development (R&D) results in any other form. Investigation and analysis of patents, therefore, is an efficient way to find information and to avoid duplication of R&D work. This review will give researches and inventors insights into the newest developments and research in hernia mesh biomaterial composition, as well as physicochemical and biomechanical properties of prosthetic surgical meshes.Described as a projection (prolapse) of tissue through a fascial defect in the abdominal wall, hernias are associated with significant rates of complications, recurrence, and reoperations. This literature review is aimed at providing an overview of the prosthetic surgical meshes used for the repairing of hernia defects. The review was carried out using two specialized online databases: Espacenet, from the European Patent Office (EPO), and WIPO from the World Intellectual Property Organization. Of the 56 patents selected from 2008 to 2018, China was the largest contributor with 55% (31 patents) of the total patent applicant filings, followed by the United States of America (US), with 29% (16 patents). Although the majority of patent applications (39 documents) had at least one company (industry) assigned to the patent application, 4 patents were solely from academic research. Our data showed that only 13 industry applicants have had their products included in the market, and the majority of meshes available on the market are still made from polypropylene. Chemical, physical, and mesh surface modifications have been implemented, and a few reviews describing mesh design, composition, and mechanical properties are available. However, to date, the ideal mesh implant from a clinical point of view has not been developed.