Modular Containerized Forward Osmosis Patent Snapshot
The modular and containerized forward osmosis patent space is highly concentrated, with Oasys Water Inc dominating filings through membrane separation routes. Annual activity peaked in 2021 and has since eased, signalling a field entering decline with limited new entrants.
Oasys Water Inc leads a tightly held, early-stage niche
Oasys Water Inc is the clear leader in modular and containerized forward osmosis patenting, holding 11 patent records — the largest share among the three ranked applicants. The Regents of the University of California and Mothers Milk Is Best Inc are the only other filers, each with a small number of records.
The top five filers account for 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, indicating extreme concentration with no meaningful second tier. The gap between Oasys Water Inc and the remaining applicants is substantial.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oasys Water Inc | 11 | |
| 2 | Regents of the University of California | 2 | |
| 3 | Mothers Milk Is Best Inc | 1 |
Oasys Water Inc’s dominance, anchored in membrane module and separation process patents, means any new entrant faces a well-staked claim in the core technical route. Adjacent applicants such as the Regents of the University of California bring complementary water-treatment expertise but have not approached Oasys Water Inc’s scale.
The most recent filing years are subject to publication lag; apparent low activity in 2024–2026 should not be taken as definitive. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity peaked in 2021; membrane separation dominates the technology mix
The annual filing trend reveals a brief burst of activity in 2021 followed by a return to near-zero levels, while the technology composition is dominated by separation-process and water-treatment classifications.
Annual filing trend
Filings were essentially absent before 2021, spiked to a peak that year, and have since returned to minimal levels. The 2024 and 2025 data points each show a single filing but are subject to publication lag; the overall trajectory reflects a field in decline from its 2021 peak.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B01D (Separation processes, including filtration and membrane technology) is the visible branch by a wide margin. C02F (Water and wastewater treatment) is the secondary branch. A23C (Dairy products), G05B (Control and regulating systems), and H04L (Digital information transmission) each appear at minimal levels, indicating adjacent but under-served technical directions.
↗ 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.
Systems and methods for water desalination using t…
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to water desalination. In one aspect, a method includes generating a diluted draw solution using forward osmosis. Wastewater is on a first side of an osmotic membrane and a draw solution is on a second side of the osmotic membrane. The draw solution comprises a mixture of water and an ionic… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Membrane modules | 48 |
| 2 | Membrane modules | 28 |
| 3 | Systems and methods for water desalination using t… | 6 |
| 4 | Plate and frame and spiral wound membrane modules … | 4 |
| 5 | Reverse osmosis desalinator | 3 |
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.
Oasys Water Inc
Oasys Water Inc holds 11 patent records concentrated in B01D 63 (membrane modules), B01D 61 (pressure-driven membrane processes), and B01D 65 (membrane maintenance and operation). This tripartite focus covers the full membrane-system lifecycle — module design, process configuration, and operational management — forming a defensible portfolio in the core forward osmosis route. Applicant momentum data is not available for this corpus.
patent records: 11Regents of the University of California
The Regents of the University of California holds 2 patent records, with a technology focus spanning B01D 61 (pressure-driven membrane processes), C02F 9 (combined water-treatment processes), and C02F 1 (physical/chemical water treatment). This broader water-treatment orientation — extending beyond pure membrane separation — positions the institution as a research-stage actor in adjacent treatment applications rather than a commercial rival to Oasys Water Inc. Applicant momentum data is not available for this corpus.
patent records: 2Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 4 patent families in scope. This is a small, specialist niche with limited broad commercial patent activity.
Oasys Water Inc is the visible holder with 11 patent records, far ahead of the next-ranked applicant, the Regents of the University of California, which holds 2 patent records.
The visible IPC branch is B01D (Separation processes, including membrane filtration), with 16 patent records. C02F (Water and wastewater treatment) is the secondary branch with 4 records. Oasys Water Inc’s portfolio is concentrated in membrane module design, pressure-driven processes, and membrane operation.
WIPO (PCT) leads with 5 patent records, followed by the United States with 3. Australia, Israel, and India each have 2 records. Canada and Singapore also appear. This spread reflects both the technology’s US origins and its target deployment in water-stressed markets.
The field is assessed as being in Decline, with annual filings having eased from their 2021 peak. The overall corpus is small and filing activity has been near zero in most years outside of 2021.
Three branches are sparsely covered: G05B (Control and regulating systems), H04L (Digital information transmission), and A23C (Dairy products), each with a single patent record. Control systems and remote monitoring architectures for containerized deployments are the most technically plausible adjacent directions, though these are observations of sparsity rather than confirmed opportunities.
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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.
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