Forward Osmosis Resource Recovery Patent Landscape
The forward osmosis resource recovery space is a concentrated, maturing field dominated by a small cluster of commercial and academic filers led by Oasys Water Inc, with the United States as the primary filing office. Activity has plateaued near its multi-year level, suggesting the core membrane-separation and water-treatment routes are well-staked, while adjacent branches in electrochemistry, medical devices, and fertiliser recovery remain relatively sparse.
A concentrated field led by Oasys Water and a tight academic tier
Oasys Water Inc occupies the top position in the applicant ranking, followed closely by Porifera Inc and Yale University, with the National University of Singapore and Technion Research & Development Foundation Ltd rounding out the top five. The top five filers together account for 38% of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent records, signalling meaningful but not overwhelming concentration.
The tier gap between the commercial leaders—Oasys Water and Porifera—and the academic institutions below them is modest in absolute terms, reflecting an ecosystem where university research has historically fed commercial development rather than competed directly with it.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oasys Water Inc | 25 | |
| 2 | Porifera Inc | 21 | |
| 3 | Yale University | 14 | |
| 4 | National University of Singapore | 10 | |
| 5 | TECHNION RES & DEV FOUND LTD | 7 | |
| 6 | Hydration Systems LLC | 6 | |
| 7 | KING ABDULLAH UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 6 | |
| 8 | VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research) | 6 | |
| 9 | China CAMC Engineering Hong Kong Co Ltd | 6 | |
| 10 | Colorado School of Mines | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | University of Connecticut | 5 | |
| 12 | Compass Minerals Ogden Inc | 5 | |
| 13 | Vantive Health GmbH | 4 | |
| 14 | Vantive US Healthcare LLC | 4 | |
| 15 | Water Conservation Technology International Inc | 3 | |
| 16 | 3M Innovative Properties Co | 3 | |
| 17 | Robert L. McGinnis (individual) | 3 | |
| 18 | UWM Research Foundation Inc | 2 | |
| 19 | Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati | 2 | |
| 20 | Chung Tai-Shung (individual) | 2 |
The leaders’ positions imply that core forward osmosis process claims and membrane architectures are already substantially staked, raising freedom-to-operate considerations for new entrants approaching the B01D and C02F subclasses without differentiated technology.
Filing counts for the most recent 18–24 months are likely under-reported due to standard patent publication lag; apparent softness in 2024–2026 data should not be read as a real decline in activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity has plateaued; separation and water-treatment classes dominate the technology mix
The annual trend and the IPC branch breakdown together define a field that is technically mature in its core areas while leaving measurable headroom in several adjacent classes.
Annual filing trend
Filing volume rose from 3 records in 2017 to a peak of 10 in 2018, then oscillated between 4 and 10 through 2022 before settling near 4–6 per year in 2023–2025. The pattern is consistent with a field that has plateaued rather than one in structural decline; counts for 2024–2026 are subject to publication lag and will likely revise upward.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B01D (separation processes, filtration) and C02F (water and wastewater treatment) together account for the overwhelming majority of IPC assignments, confirming that membrane-based desalination and brine treatment are the field’s gravitational centre. All remaining branches—including C25B (electrolytic production), A61M (medical fluid devices), C05F (organic fertilisers), and H01M (batteries and fuel cells)—each hold single-digit record counts, marking them as adjacent and relatively under-served.
↗ 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.
Forward Osmosis Separation Processes
Separation processes using forward osmosis are disclosed generally involving the extraction of a solvent from a first solution to concentrate a solute therein by using a second concentrated solution to draw the solvent from the first solution across a semi-permeable membrane. One or both of the solute and solvent may be a desired product. By manipulating… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forward osmosis separation processes | 72 |
| 2 | Forward Osmosis Separation Processes | 65 |
| 3 | Apparatus, System, and Method for Forward Osmosis … | 58 |
| 4 | Forward osmosis separation processes | 58 |
| 5 | Forward Osmosis: Recyclable Driving Solutes | 47 |
| 6 | Renewable desalination of brines | 29 |
| 7 | Composite membranes comprising a sulfonated polyar… | 27 |
| 8 | Solution comprising an osmotic agent and method of… | 26 |
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.
What the patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations—on maturity, concentration, collaboration, and geography—should inform where a new entrant or incumbent directs resources.
Field at plateau: core routes are well-covered
The lifecycle evidence places this field at the Maturity stage, with annual filings having plateaued near their peak. The multi-year window still shows positive growth of 6%, but the 2018 peak has not been surpassed. R&D investment in mainstream membrane-separation FO is unlikely to yield broad, uncrowded claim space; differentiation must come from process integration, novel draw solutes, or application-specific adaptation.
MaturityTwo commercial leaders, then an academic tier
Oasys Water and Porifera together hold the top two positions among ranked filers, with a cluster of universities—Yale, National University of Singapore, Technion—directly behind them. The top five filers’ 38% share of the hundred largest filers’ records indicates moderate concentration. A new commercial entrant would need to navigate a moderately crowded core while universities continue generating foundational IP that may be licensable.
ConcentrationMedical-device and materials cross-sector co-filing detected
The most active co-filing pair is Baxter International Inc and Baxter Healthcare SA, which jointly filed 6 records, suggesting coordinated IP strategy across corporate entities in the peritoneal dialysis application space. The University of Connecticut and 3M Innovative Properties Co co-filed 5 records, pointing to an academic-industrial collaboration on membrane materials. The National University of Singapore and BASF SE co-filed 2 records, linking draw-solute chemistry to a major chemical manufacturer.
CollaborationUS-centric filing with selective PCT and regional coverage
The United States is the lead filing office with 62 patent records, reflecting both the home jurisdictions of the top commercial filers and the strength of US patent prosecution in water technology. WIPO PCT filings number 23, indicating that the leading applicants are seeking international coverage but not saturating all regional offices. Australia, China, and India each show 13 records, consistent with interest in water-stressed markets.
GeographyGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Baxter International Inc | Baxter Healthcare SA | 6 |
| University of Connecticut | 3M Innovative Properties Co | 5 |
| National University of Singapore | BASF SE | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Oasys Water leads on volume; Porifera is the closest commercial challenger
Both top-ranked filers concentrate their claims in the same core B01D and C02F subclasses, meaning differentiation between them is likely at the process-system and membrane-architecture level rather than at the application level.
Oasys Water Inc
Oasys Water leads the ranking with 25 patent records, concentrated in B01D 61 (membrane separation processes) and C02F 1 (water and wastewater treatment). Its portfolio depth in core FO process claims positions it as the dominant commercial IP holder. Momentum data for this applicant are not separately listed in the recent-entrant evidence, consistent with an established rather than newly accelerating filer.
patent records: 25Porifera Inc
Porifera holds 21 patent records, matching Oasys Water’s core B01D 61 and C02F 1 emphasis while also showing activity in B01D 65 (membrane maintenance and cleaning). Momentum evidence flags Porifera as a new entrant in the recent filing window with 2 recent records, suggesting its historical portfolio is established but recent filing pace is modest—consistent with a company consolidating rather than expanding its claim footprint.
patent records: 21| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Porifera Inc | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Baxter International Inc | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Baxter Healthcare SA | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant water-treatment core
Several IPC branches appear at low record counts relative to the dominant B01D/C02F cluster. These are observations of relative sparsity; whether each represents a genuine R&D opportunity depends on technical fit and entry feasibility.
C25B · Electrolytic production of compounds
C25B holds 9 patent records—roughly 3% of all branch assignments in the corpus—making it the largest of the sparse adjacent branches. The technical connection is plausible: forward osmosis can concentrate ionic streams that are then processed electrolytically to recover chlorine, caustic, or hydrogen. One filer, Veolia (Vlaams Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek, VITO), already shows C25B focus alongside B01D, suggesting a credible integration path. An entrant with electrochemical process expertise could file in this intersection with relatively low prior-art density.
Search this in Eureka →C05F · Organic and waste-derived fertilisers
C05F appears in only 4 patent records, representing roughly 1% of branch assignments. The application logic is coherent—FO can concentrate nutrient-laden waste streams (ammonia, phosphate) for fertiliser recovery—and Hydration Systems is the only applicant currently visible in this niche. The entry path involves coupling FO concentration steps with nutrient-precipitation chemistry, a combination that sits between water-treatment and agricultural-chemistry expertise. Prior-art density is low, but commercial pull depends on the economics of recovered fertiliser relative to synthetic alternatives.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across the IPC branch matrix
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B01D 61 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | C02F 1 · Water & wastewater treatment | C02F 103 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 69 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | B01D 71 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oasys Water Inc | Strong · 30 | Strong · 30 | Emerging · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| Porifera Inc | Strong · 21 | Strong · 21 | Moderate · 5 | Absent | Absent |
| Yale University | Strong · 14 | Strong · 12 | Emerging · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| National University of Singapore | Strong · 9 | Strong · 6 | Absent | Moderate · 4 | Strong · 5 |
| Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd | Strong · 7 | Strong · 7 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| Baxter Healthcare SA | Strong · 6 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 5 | Strong · 4 |
| Baxter International Inc | Strong · 6 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 5 | Strong · 4 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 57 patent families. This is a relatively small, specialist field, and the concentration of filings among a handful of commercial and academic players reflects the niche nature of forward osmosis resource recovery at this stage.
Oasys Water Inc holds the top position with 25 patent records among the ranked applicants, followed by Porifera Inc with 21 and Yale University with 14. These three together represent the most active filers in the corpus.
The evidence places the field at the Maturity stage. Annual filings have plateaued near their peak level, with the 2018 annual high not subsequently surpassed. The multi-year window still shows modest positive growth of 6%, but the field is not in an early-growth expansion phase.
The United States is the primary filing office with 62 patent records. WIPO PCT filings stand at 23, followed by Europe (EPO) at 16, and Australia, China, and India each at 13. Israel has 10 records, reflecting the presence of Technion Research & Development Foundation Ltd.
Yes. The most active co-filing relationship is between Baxter International Inc and Baxter Healthcare SA with 6 jointly filed records, focused on medical fluid devices. The University of Connecticut and 3M Innovative Properties Co co-filed 5 records on membrane materials. The National University of Singapore and BASF SE co-filed 2 records on draw-solute chemistry.
C05F (organic and waste-derived fertilisers) and H01M (batteries and fuel cells) each hold only 4 patent records in the corpus, while B32B (layered products and laminates) holds 3. C25B (electrolytic production) at 9 records is the largest sparse adjacent branch. These represent areas of relative sparsity, though whether each constitutes a viable R&D entry point depends on technical and commercial fit.
Ready to map your own forward osmosis patent landscape?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
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.