FO Membrane Integrity & Flux Testing Patent Snapshot
This is a small, highly concentrated field in decline, with Nanyang Technological University holding a dominant position and activity anchored in separation-process and water-treatment classes. Filing volume has eased back from its 2017 peak, and only a handful of institutions have staked out formal patent positions.
Nanyang Tech dominates a field with only a handful of active filers
Nanyang Technological University leads the applicant ranking by a wide margin, holding 5 patent records — the single largest position among all ranked filers. Qatar University follows at 2 patent records, with UWM Research Foundation, Reveau Tech & Solutions, Suzhou Faith Hope Membrane Tech, Hydration Tech, and the National University of Singapore each recording 1.
The top five filers together account for 77% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, signalling extreme concentration. The gap between the clear leader and the rest of the field is substantial, with no challenger approaching half the leader’s count.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanyang Technological University | 5 | |
| 2 | Qatar University | 2 | |
| 3 | UWM Research Foundation Inc | 1 | |
| 4 | REVEAU TECH & SOLUTIONS INC | 1 | |
| 5 | Suzhou Faith Hope Membrane Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 6 | Hydration Technology Innovations | 1 | |
| 7 | National University of Singapore | 1 | |
| 8 | Wenzhou Lianhua Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 |
Nanyang Tech’s dominance in separation-process and water-treatment subclasses means that any new entrant must either differentiate on membrane-fabrication process routes (layered products, fiber spinning) or compete directly in the same functional subclasses where the leader already holds prior art.
Filing counts for 2024–2025 are subject to publication lag and should be treated as provisional; the apparent absence of records in those years does not necessarily reflect a true cessation of activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Irregular, low-volume filings with separation processes dominating the technology mix
The annual filing trend reveals a sparse, irregular cadence rather than a sustained growth wave, while the IPC composition shows that separation-process and water-treatment classes together account for the large majority of patent activity.
Annual filing trend
Activity has been intermittent since 2017, with single-year filings alternating with zero-filing years. The field reached its modest peak in 2017 and has not regained that tempo; recent years (2024–2026) show zero records, but publication lag makes those figures provisional and they should not be read as confirmed inactivity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B01D (separation processes, including filtration and membrane operations) and C02F (water and wastewater treatment) together are visible in the IPC mix, reflecting the applied water-treatment orientation of most filers. Smaller branches — B32B (layered products), D01D (filament spinning), D04H (nonwovens), and G01N (material analysis and testing) — each hold only marginal shares, indicating that membrane-fabrication process routes and formal testing methodologies are comparatively under-developed in patent terms.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Membranes for forward osmosis and membrane distill…
Membranes for membrane distillation (MD) and forward osmosis (FO) are provided with methods of manufacture and use thereof. The MD membrane comprises a microporous mat of electrospun nanofibers made of a nanocomposite comprising reduced graphene oxide dispersed in a hydrophobic polymer with their surface grafted with a silane coupling agent or with… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Membranes for forward osmosis and membrane distill… | 19 |
| 2 | Regenerable draw solute for osmotically driven pro… | 13 |
| 3 | New processes for treating water | 9 |
| 4 | Regenerable draw solute for osmotically driven pro… | 9 |
| 5 | Ultrafast water flux through hot-pressed solution … | 4 |
| 6 | 一种正渗透膜性能测试设备及其测试方法 | 4 |
| 7 | 多功能平板膜性能测试装置 | 3 |
| 8 | Regenerable draw solute for osmotically driven pro… | 2 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Tech holds 5 patent records, the largest position in the field. Its technology emphasis spans B01D 61 (membrane separation processes), C02F 1 (water treatment), and B01D 9 (crystallization-adjacent separation), indicating a broad claim posture across both the process and application layers of forward osmosis. No momentum trend data is recorded for the leader in the evidence, consistent with the field’s declining overall activity.
5 patent recordsQatar University
Qatar University holds 2 patent records and is flagged as a new entrant in the momentum data. Its focus is concentrated in B01D 61 (separation processes), B01D 67 (membrane preparation), and B01D 69 (membrane forms), suggesting an interest in the membrane fabrication and structural side of the technology rather than the application-level water treatment angle. Given its new-entrant status, its trajectory from a small base warrants monitoring.
2 patent recordsFrequently asked questions
The evidence covers 6 patent families in scope. This is a small corpus, reflecting the niche intersection of forward osmosis membranes and formal integrity or flux-testing methodologies.
Nanyang Technological University is the leading filer with 5 patent records, far ahead of the next-ranked applicant, Qatar University, which holds 2 patent records.
The lifecycle evidence classifies the field as in decline. Annual filings eased back from the 2017 peak and have not recovered. Recent years show zero records in the data, though publication lag means the most recent 18–24 months should be treated as provisional.
The United States leads with 6 patent records filed. WIPO (PCT) follows with 3, while China and Australia each hold 2 records and India holds 1. Protection is predominantly US-centric.
B01D (separation processes) and C02F (water and wastewater treatment) are visible in the IPC mix. Sparse branches include G01N (material analysis and testing) with 1 record and D01D (filament spinning) and D04H (nonwovens) with 2 records each — all well below the visible classes.
The evidence records one co-filing instance between the National University of Singapore and BASF SE. No broader collaboration networks are visible, indicating that cross-institutional co-development has been minimal in this area.
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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.