Circular Stapler Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
Circular stapler and anastomosis device patents: who owns the claim space and what's left open
85.2% of all 5,463 records sit with just five assignees — this is one of the more concentrated corners of surgical-instrument IP. Filings rose to a peak of 472 in 2020 before declining; the 2021-to-2024 span, the last treated as complete, shows a drop from 314 to 96 filings (-69%). Counts from 2025 onward are still filling in as publication catches up with filing, so the apparent tail-off should not be read as the field slowing further.
- 1CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL1,584
- 2ETHICON INC1,074
- 3COVIDIEN LP1,057
- 4ETHICON ENDO SURGERY INC873
- 5HEARTPORT INC69
See the full circular staplers and anastomosis analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions on circular stapler patent activity
Who holds the most circular stapler and anastomosis device patents?
The dataset’s assignee ranking is heavily concentrated: the top five assignees together account for 85.2% of all 5,463 records in scope, and the leading assignee alone holds 1,584 records. This concentration reflects decades of continuation and platform filing by a small number of established surgical device manufacturers rather than a fragmented market. Anyone assessing freedom to operate in this space should expect dense prior art from that same small group of companies.
Is circular stapler patent filing activity growing or shrinking?
Filings peaked in 2020 at 472 and declined to 96 by 2024, a -69% change over the 2021-to-2024 span, which is the most recent period the data treats as complete. Figures for 2025 and 2026 are still incomplete because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the true recent trend is understated rather than confirmed falling. The safest reading is that the core mechanical design space has matured and filing has slowed from its 2020 peak.
What technology areas are under-claimed in circular stapler patents?
Robotics and manipulator technology (IPC class B25J) covers only 1.4% of the 5,463 records, and digital transmission (H04L) covers 1.6%, both far behind the dominant A61B mechanical category at 93.2%. Healthcare informatics and data processing classes are similarly modest. These smaller shares point to robotic end-effector integration, real-time sensing, and connected staple-formation telemetry as areas with comparatively less occupied claim space.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Circular Staplers and Anastomosis covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.