Nondestructive Testing Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
Nondestructive testing patents: mapping filers, technology branches and open claim space
Filing peaked in 2017 at 141 records and 2021-2024 volume fell 15% (54 to 46), a real cool-off but not a collapse — recent years are still filling in as publications catch up. Filings peaked in 2017 at 141 records. The 2021-2024 window shows a 15% decline, from 54 down to 46 records — a genuine slowdown from peak, though the tail years are still incomplete due to publication lag and should not be read as a sharper drop than the data supports.
- 1RGT UNIV OF CALIFORNIA6.2%
- 2JENTEK SENSORS INC3.6%
- 3GENERAL ELECTRIC CO3.0%
- 4THE BOEING CO2.3%
- 5SQUARE ROBOT INC2.2%
See the full nondestructive testing patent landscape 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 this landscape
How many nondestructive testing patents are there?
This dataset identifies 1,623 published records matching nondestructive testing methods combined with transducer, sensor or signal-conditioning claim elements, filed between 2015 and the 2026 data cut-off. The true figure for the field as a whole depends on how narrowly or broadly the search terms are drawn, since NDT overlaps with material testing, medical diagnostics and radar/sonar sensing. Treat this as the scope of this particular search, not an absolute count of every NDT-related filing worldwide.
Who are the leading patent filers in nondestructive testing?
The ranked field covers 100 assignees, with the leader holding 100 records against a fifth-place figure of 35 and a tenth-place figure of 21. The top 5 assignees combined account for 17.1% of all 1,623 records in scope, and the top 10 for 24.5%, which means ownership is fragmented rather than dominated by one or two firms. A long tail of single- and few-filing entrants makes up the majority of the field.
Is nondestructive testing patent filing growing or shrinking?
Filing peaked in 2017 at 141 records and has eased since; the 2021-2024 window, the most recent period that can be read as complete, shows a 15% decline from 54 to 46 records. That is a genuine slowdown rather than a sharp collapse. Figures for 2025 and 2026 will rise as pending applications publish, since publication typically lags filing by around 18 months.
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 Nondestructive Testing Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. 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.