Expanded PTFE Membrane Patents: Top Filers & Filing Trends 2026
Expanded PTFE Membrane Fabrication Patents: Who Holds the Field
62.7% concentration. The top five assignees alone account for 2,600 of the 4,148 records in scope — a field where claim space near the core fabrication methods is already crowded. Filings rose to a peak of 101 in 2017, then eased. The 2021-to-2024 window shows a concrete decline from 70 to 52 filings, a 26% drop across those three complete years — the most recent years on the chart are still filling in as publications catch up to filing dates.
- 1WL GORE & ASSOC INC1,606
- 2W L GORE & ASSOC GMBH377
- 3GORE ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS INC371
- 4DONALDSON CO INC146
- 5W L GORE & ASSOC GK100
See the full expanded ptfe membrane fabrication 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 about ePTFE membrane patents
Who holds the most patents on expanded PTFE membrane fabrication?
The assignee ranking is heavily concentrated, with the leading filer holding 1,606 of the 4,148 records in scope, well ahead of the fifth-place holder at 100 records. The top five assignees combined account for 62.7% of all records, and the top ten for 70.8%. This pattern reflects a corporate family with a long history in ePTFE membrane processing rather than a field with many evenly matched competitors, so due diligence should focus first on that leading portfolio and its affiliated entities.
Is the expanded PTFE membrane patent field getting more or less active?
Filing activity peaked in 2017 at 101 records and has since eased; the clean comparison from 2021 to 2024 shows a drop from 70 to 52 filings, a 26% decline over three complete years. Figures for 2025 and 2026 are not yet complete because publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months, so the apparent recent-year drop should not be read as the field ending. Overall, the data supports a real but moderate pullback from the 2017 peak rather than a collapse.
Which applications get the most ePTFE membrane patent claims?
Separation and filtration (IPC class B01D) and layered products or laminates (B32B) each cover more than a quarter of the 4,148 records in scope, at 28.3% and 27.7% respectively. Outerwear and garment applications (A41D) follow at 15.2%, with implant and prosthesis uses (A61F) at 11.2%. Because a single patent can carry multiple IPC classes, these figures do not sum to 100% and should be read as independent shares of the same record total.
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 Expanded PTFE Membrane Fabrication 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.