Title: From crisis to catalyst: wearable neurotechnology innovation in the post-COVID era

Authors: Ashok Hemanth Upputuri; Anindya Roy Chowdhury; Abhilash Preetam Ambati

Addresses: Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India ' Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India ' Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India

Abstract: The convergence of wearable technologies and neurodegenerative healthcare accelerated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic itself may no longer dominate the innovation narrative, it catalysed significant investments in remote health monitoring, teleneurology, and patient-centric diagnostics - particularly for chronic neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and ALS. This paper presents a comprehensive patent landscape analysis conducted on 10 May 2025 using the Derwent Innovation database, which yielded 351 records, narrowed after validation to 45 patents focused on wearable healthcare technologies for neurodegenerative disorders. Using CPC/IPC/DWPI classifications, the analysis reveals that the most prevalent IPC codes are measurement (A61B 5/00), neurostimulation (A61N 1/36), and movement tracking (A61B 5/11), with applications in Alzheimer's (A61P 25/28) and telehealth (G16H 50/30, G16H 50/50). The findings provide strategic insights for researchers, technology developers, and IP professionals navigating this rapidly evolving intersection of healthcare and wearable technology.

Keywords: wearable technology; neurodegenerative disorders; COVID-19; patent landscape.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIPM.2026.154377

International Journal of Intellectual Property Management, 2026 Vol.16 No.3, pp.351 - 373

Received: 16 May 2025
Accepted: 17 Sep 2025
Published online: 25 Jun 2026 *

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