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Run your analysis now →https://www.patsnap.com/resources/blog/rd-blog/cryo-em-sample-preparation-patent-landscape/ · Patsnap · data cut-off 2026-07-31 · downloaded from the live page
Patent Landscape · Electron MicroscopyCryo-EM Sample Preparation Patents: Concentration at the Top, a Long Tail Below
- 66.4% of all 137 records sit with just five assignees — the top 10 combined account for 95.6%, leaving little room among the ranked leaders.
- G01N and H01J dominate the class mix, at 59.9% and 35.8% of records respectively, showing the field is framed as analytical instrumentation as much as biology.
- Filings grew 20% from 2021 to 2024, with a 2022 peak of 22 records — the most recent complete signal before publication lag thins out 2025-2026.
137
Published Records
66%
Top-5 Share of All Records
+20%
Filing Growth 2021→2024
US
Leading Jurisdiction
Filing growth compares 2021 (5 records) with 2024 (6) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 137 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
Published byPatsnap Research··7 min readSourced from Patsnap Eureka
Overview
What this landscape covers
Cryo-EM sample preparation patents cover the mechanics that sit between a biological specimen and a usable micrograph: grid handling, plunge and jet cooling, blotting time control, ice thickness, support film chemistry and particle-orientation management at the air-water interface. The search string spans 137 records published between 2015 and mid-2026, drawn from filings that combine cryo electron microscopy or vitrification language with the specific mechanical and imaging variables — ice thickness, blotting time, support film, screening throughput — that separate a workable grid from a wasted session.
The scope pulls in both dedicated grid-preparation hardware and adjacent biologics filings, which is why IPC classes tied to medicinal preparations and peptide chemistry (A61K, A61P, C07K) appear alongside the expected material-analysis and electron-tube classes (G01N, H01J). That mix reflects how cryo-EM sample prep sits at the junction of instrumentation and structural biology rather than in either camp alone.
Filing activity and technology mix, 2015-2026
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee ranking and totals. Derived from a Patsnap search on Cryo-EM Sample Preparation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
The data
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 137-record dataset: the pace of filing over time, and the classes those filings sit in. Both are read against the full record count, not against each other.
Filings rose to a 2022 peak, then the tail thins from lag
Annual publications climbed from 10 in 2017 toward a peak of 22 in 2022. The 2021-to-2024 span shows a 20% increase (5 to 6 records at those two points), which is the safest recent growth read in the set — 2025 and 2026 are undercounted because publication trails filing by roughly 18 months, not because activity has stopped.
Instrumentation classes outweigh the biologics classes
G01N (material analysis & testing) touches 59.9% of the 137 records and H01J (electron & discharge tubes) touches 35.8%, confirming this is primarily an instrumentation-and-metrology field. A61K and A61P together still cover roughly a fifth of records each, showing a real secondary cluster around formulation and delivery work that intersects with cryo-EM characterisation.
Shares are the percentage of the 137 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Cryo-EM Sample Preparation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.
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The most-cited records in this set
Representative filing
Sample supports and sample cooling systems for cryo-electron microscopy (US20220291098A1)
MITEGEN, LLC
Sample support design and sample cooling devices for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy that simplify sample preparation and handling, dramatically reduce errors and improve outcome reproducibility, and dramatically reduce overall costs. The system consists of a grid-based sample support system, grid handling tools, grid blotting tools, a plunge cooling system, and jet cooling systems.Filed by MiTeGen, LLC, a repeat filer in this space and a co-assignee partner with Scripps in the strongest pairing outside the biontech/TRON cluster.
Highest-citation documents in scope
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US6613875B1 | Cyclic peptide tube | 92 |
| 2 | US20140360286A1 | Apparatus and Method for Producing Specimens for Electron Microscopy | 44 |
| 3 | WO2016156398A1 | Lipid particle formulations for delivery of RNA and water-soluble therapeutically effective compounds to a ta… | 34 |
| 4 | EP3018467A1 | Microscopic sample preparation | 28 |
| 5 | WO2016155809A1 | Lipid particle formulations for delivery of RNA and water-soluble therapeutically effective compounds to a ta… | 28 |
| 6 | WO2013109406A1 | Apparatus and method for producing specimens for electron microscopy | 25 |
| 7 | WO2021067940A1 | Sample supports and sample cooling systems for CRYO-electron microscopy | 23 |
| 8 | WO2018073242A1 | Lossless cryo-grid preparation by controlled sample evaporation | 17 |
| 9 | US20170350798A1 | Apparatus and method for producing specimens for electron microscopy | 17 |
| 10 | WO2019010436A1 | Gas Phase Sample Preparation for Cryo-Electron Microscopy | 16 |
Citation counts reward older filings that have had more time to accumulate references — treat them as a measure of influence within this corpus, not as a ranking of current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Citation counts and representative records. Derived from a Patsnap search on Cryo-EM Sample Preparation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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What the numbers say about the field
Read together, the concentration figures, the class mix and the citation table point to a field where the mechanical core is well-claimed but the biologics-adjacent edges are thinner.
Concentration
66.4% / 5 assignees
share of 137 records
The top of the ranking holds most of the ground
Five assignees account for 66.4% of all 137 records in scope, and the top 10 combined reach 95.6%. That leaves the remaining 41 of the 51 ranked companies splitting under 5% of the record count between them — a genuine long tail rather than a broad competitive field.
Assignee ranking, 51 companies
Class mix
59.9% G01N
of 137 records
Instrumentation framing outweighs the biology framing
G01N and H01J together touch a majority of records, meaning most applicants are claiming measurement, testing or electron-tube mechanics rather than the downstream biological formulation. The A61K/A61P cluster near a fifth of records marks where cryo-EM characterisation meets drug-delivery claims.
IPC subclass shares, multi-label
Momentum
+20% (2021→2024)
three-year filing change
Growth is real but the newest years are still filling in
The 2021-to-2024 comparison shows a 20% rise in filings, and 2022 remains the peak year on record at 22. Because publication lags filing by about 18 months, 2025 and 2026 figures will keep revising upward and should not be read as a slowdown.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
Co-filing
10 co-assignee pairs
across the dataset
Collaboration is narrow and concentrated
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear across the set, and the strongest pairing recurs 13 times between the same two organisations. That points to a small number of durable institutional partnerships rather than a broadly networked field.
Co-assignee pair counts
Eureka AI Agent
Looking for what nobody has claimed yet?
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to cryo-em sample preparation, with the prior art for and against each one.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Co-assignee relationships and derived observations. Derived from a Patsnap search on Cryo-EM Sample Preparation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Who's filing
The assignee landscape
The ranking covers 51 companies as returned by the data endpoint — it is not a top-50 or top-100 cut, it is the complete ranked list for this search.
Leader
23 records
leader's family count
One assignee sits well ahead of fifth place
The leading assignee holds 23 records against 15 at fifth place and 5 at tenth — a steep drop-off that marks this as a leader-plus-cluster structure rather than an even spread.
Assignee ranking, position 1 vs. 5 vs. 10
Cluster
13 shared records
strongest co-assignee pair
A biologics-side alliance drives the strongest pairing
The strongest co-assignee relationship in the set links a translational-oncology institute with an RNA therapeutics company, recurring across 13 shared records — the clearest sign of a formulation-and-delivery filing strategy running alongside the hardware side of the field.
Co-assignee pairs, n=10
Momentum
0 in latest year
across named leaders
Recent-year filings by named leaders read as flat
Every leading assignee tracked for recent-year momentum shows zero filings in the latest year, including a -100% YoY reading for one repeat filer. This is consistent with publication lag rather than an actual stop in activity, since 2025-2026 records are still being published.
Recent-year momentum by assignee
Recent-year filing momentum
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | 0 | — |
| MiTeGen, LLC | 0 | -100% |
| TRON – Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz | 0 | — |
| The Scripps Research Institute | 0 | — |
| European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) | 0 | — |
| BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals GmbH | 0 | — |
| University of Basel | 0 | -100% |
| BioNTech SE | 0 | — |
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee-level momentum. Derived from a Patsnap search on Cryo-EM Sample Preparation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
What's next
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to specific next steps depending on whether the goal is freedom-to-operate, portfolio strategy or scouting for white space.
Map the ice-thickness and blotting claims in detail
The G01N and H01J classes carry the densest claim coverage in this set. Before filing on grid handling or plunge-cooling mechanics, check how closely a design tracks the leading assignee's 23-record family and the MiTeGen support-system claims specifically.
Explore the claim landscape in EurekaWatch the biologics-side co-filing cluster
The translational-oncology and RNA therapeutics pairing recurring across 13 records signals an active formulation-and-delivery filing strategy layered on cryo-EM characterisation. Track that pairing's future filings for early signal on where lipid-particle delivery claims are heading.
Track assignee activity in EurekaRevisit the 2025-2026 trend once publication catches up
Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the apparent drop after 2022 is an artefact of the data cut-off, not a real slowdown. Re-run the trend view in six to twelve months for a truer read on 2024-2025 activity.
Set a trend alert in EurekaSource: Patsnap Eureka. Forward-looking reading of the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Cryo-EM Sample Preparation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
FAQ
Common questions on cryo-EM sample preparation patents
It is concentrated at the top. Five assignees account for 66.4% of all 137 records in scope, and the top 10 combined reach 95.6%. The remaining assignees among the 51 ranked companies each hold small, often single-digit shares, so the field is best described as a leader plus a cluster plus a long tail rather than an evenly distributed market.
The dominant classes are G01N (material analysis and testing), present in 59.9% of the 137 records, and H01J (electron and discharge tubes), present in 35.8%. A secondary cluster sits in A61K and A61P, medicinal preparations and therapeutic activity classes, each near a fifth of records, reflecting filings where cryo-EM characterisation supports drug formulation claims. Because records can carry multiple classes, these shares add up to more than 100% and should be read against the 137-record total, not against each other.
The clearest recent comparison shows a 20% increase in filings between 2021 and 2024, with 2022 standing as the peak year on record at 22 published families. Filing counts for 2025 and 2026 currently look low, but that reflects the roughly 18-month lag between filing and publication rather than a genuine slowdown. A fair read of momentum should rely on the 2021-2024 window rather than the two most recent years.
US20220291098A1, assigned to MiTeGen, LLC, covers sample supports and sample cooling systems for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, including a grid-based sample support system, grid handling tools, grid blotting tools, a plunge-cooling system and jet-cooling systems. It targets the mechanical chain around specimen handling: reducing preparation errors, improving reproducibility of outcomes and lowering overall system cost. Anyone designing grid-handling or plunge/jet-cooling hardware should check this filing's specific claim boundaries before finalising a design.
The thinner branches sit adjacent to the dense G01N and H01J core rather than outside it: automated feedback control of blotting time, support-film surface chemistry aimed at controlling particle orientation, passivation coatings for the air-water interface, and throughput-oriented screening and grid-indexing methods. These areas show up in the dataset but without the same concentration of filings as the core grid-and-cooling hardware, suggesting more room for a defensible first claim.
Answers are grounded in the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Cryo-EM Sample Preparation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company's registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.