Directional DBS Lead Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
Directional DBS Lead and Segmented Contact Patents
One filer dominates the record. The leading assignee holds 35 of the ranked families against a fifth-place figure of 6 — a steep drop-off, not a gradual one. Filings peaked at 12 in 2017 and have declined toward zero by 2026; the last one to two years are always undercounted at this cut-off because publication trails filing by around 18 months, so treat the tail as provisional rather than a real drop-off.
- 1BOSTON SCI NEUROMODULATION CORP35
- 2INTELECT MEDICAL INC18
- 3ALPHA OMEGA ENG LTD10
- 4KOKONES SCOTT6
- 5SPARKS TROY6
See the full directional dbs leads and segmented contacts 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 directional DBS lead patents
What counts as a directional DBS lead in patent terms?
In this dataset, a directional DBS lead is a deep brain stimulation electrode with segmented (non-ring) contacts arranged around the lead body, allowing current to be steered toward one side of the target structure rather than spreading it evenly. Patent claims in this space typically cover either the physical segmented-contact geometry or the control methods — current steering, electric field shaping, contact impedance monitoring — used to decide how current is distributed across those segments. The dataset spans both hardware and software claims tied to this function.
Who holds the most patents on directional DBS leads and segmented contacts?
One assignee leads the ranked list with 35 of the 68 records in scope, well ahead of the fifth-ranked holder at 6. The ranking covers 13 companies and named inventors in total, so this is a concentrated field rather than one with many similarly-sized competitors. Several of the individually named inventors in the ranking also co-appear on shared filings, indicating an original engineering team whose work was later assigned into corporate portfolios.
Why did directional DBS lead filings peak in 2017 and then decline?
2017 is the peak year in this dataset at 12 filings, with a decline visible through to 2026. Some of that decline is real — the foundational current-steering and segmented-contact claims may already be filed — but the most recent one to two years are understated in any patent dataset because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months. Treat the 2025-2026 figures as provisional rather than a confirmed drop in filing activity.
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 Directional DBS Leads and Segmented Contacts 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.