RO In-Situ Fouling Characterization Patent Snapshot
The RO in-situ fouling characterization field is in a Growth stage with annual filings still rising, dominated by academic and quasi-academic applicants concentrated in China and Singapore. Nanyang Technological University holds the leading position, and the field remains small enough that a focused entrant could meaningfully reshape the competitive map.
Nanyang Tech University leads a highly concentrated, academically driven field
Nanyang Technological University is the clear leader in RO in-situ fouling characterization, ranked first with 15 patent records, followed by Taoee Qingdao Water Purification Equipment Manufacturing at 12 and the Regents of the University of California at 9. The top three applicants together account for the majority of activity visible in the ranking.
The top five filers hold 45% of the combined total among the ranked applicants visible in this query, signaling a highly concentrated field where a handful of institutions define the technical agenda. The gap between the third-ranked applicant (9 patent records) and all subsequent filers (2 or fewer) is sharp, creating a clear two-tier structure.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanyang Technological University | 15 | |
| 2 | Taoee Qingdao Water Purification Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | 12 | |
| 3 | Regents of the University of California | 9 | |
| 4 | Nanjing CEC Automation Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 5 | Xiao Bin | 2 | |
| 6 | Navshali Innovations Pte Ltd | 2 | |
| 7 | ACWA Power Company | 2 | |
| 8 | Ionics Inc. | 2 | |
| 9 | ABB (Schweiz) AG | 2 | |
| 10 | BG NEGEV TECHNOLOGIES & APPLICATIONS LTD | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Katz Water Technologies LLC | 2 | |
| 12 | Tianjin Polytechnic University | 1 | |
| 13 | University of Southern California | 1 | |
| 14 | Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) | 1 | |
| 15 | Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering | 1 | |
| 16 | V. V. S. Kesavarao | 1 | |
| 17 | D. Gowthami | 1 | |
| 18 | Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering | 1 | |
| 19 | Chengdu Zhihe Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 20 | Mirae ST Inc. | 1 |
The dominance of universities and research organizations — Nanyang Tech, University of California, Tianjin Polytechnic, and several Indian engineering institutions — indicates that commercial applicants have not yet fully engaged with in-situ characterization as a distinct IP priority. This creates both a window for academic-industry collaboration and a risk that foundational patents from these institutions could become licensing bottlenecks.
The most recent 18–24 months of filing data are subject to publication lag and likely undercount actual activity; the 2025 and 2026 figures in particular should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A sharp 2024 surge and filtration-dominant technology mix define the field’s trajectory
Two signals characterize the field’s current state: a pronounced acceleration in annual filings peaking in 2024, and a technology composition anchored in separation processes with meaningful secondary activity in water treatment and analytical testing.
Annual filing trend
Filing volume was minimal from 2017 through 2023, rarely exceeding two or three records per year. A pronounced surge to 15 records occurred in 2024, consistent with the 567% recent-window growth figure. The 2025 and 2026 values (6 and 2, respectively) are understated due to publication lag and should not be read as a reversal.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B01D (Separation processes, including filtration) is the visible IPC class, reflecting the membrane-system core of the field. C02F (Water and wastewater treatment) is the second-largest branch, capturing applied system-level work. G01N (Material analysis and testing) is the third branch and represents the sensing and characterization dimension most specific to in-situ monitoring. Lower-share branches — G01R (electrical/magnetic measurement), A01N (biocides), G05B (control systems), and G06N (AI computing) — indicate adjacent technical directions that remain sparsely covered.
↗ 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.
Method and System For Monitoring Reverse Osmosis M…
A monitoring system and a method for monitoring a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane in an RO unit is capable of detecting the formation of mineral salt crystals on the surface of the RO membrane. The monitoring system includes a reverse osmosis monitoring cell coupled to the RO unit so as to receive a sample stream taken from either the feed stream to, or the… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Control of water treatment system with low level b… | 50 |
| 2 | Method and System For Monitoring Reverse Osmosis M… | 44 |
| 3 | Apparatus system and method to separate brine from… | 39 |
| 4 | Control of water treatment system with low level b… | 32 |
| 5 | 纯水机产水量及水质监测报警器 | 14 |
| 6 | 一种水质检测设备 | 13 |
| 7 | Method and apparatus for assessing a state of foul… | 11 |
| 8 | Method and system for monitoring reverse osmosis m… | 10 |
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 Technological University leads with 15 patent records, focused predominantly on B01D 61 (membrane separation processes) and B01D 65 (membrane maintenance and fouling), with secondary coverage in C02F 1 (water treatment). This concentration in core membrane characterization IPC codes reflects a deliberate research program rather than incidental coverage. No momentum data beyond the baseline ranking is available for NTU in the evidence.
15 patent recordsTaoee Qingdao Water Purification Equipment Manufacturing
Taoee Qingdao ranks second with 12 patent records and covers B01D 65, C02F 9 (integrated water treatment systems), and B01D 61 with consistent depth across all three codes, suggesting a systems-integration orientation rather than a pure research focus. This commercial equipment manufacturer is the closest to a vertically integrated industrial player in the top tier. No recent-window momentum data is available for Taoee Qingdao beyond its ranking position.
12 patent recordsFrequently asked questions
The corpus as analyzed contains 33 patent families in scope. This is a small, specialized field, which means individual filings can have an outsized effect on the assignee snapshot.
Nanyang Technological University leads with 15 patent records, concentrated in IPC codes B01D 61 and B01D 65 (membrane separation and maintenance) and C02F 1 (water treatment). Their portfolio reflects a systematic research program in membrane fouling characterization.
The field is classified as Growth stage. Annual filings are still rising, with the 2024 peak at 15 records and a 567% growth rate over the recent measurement window. The most recent years (2025–2026) are understated due to publication lag.
China is the lead office with 27 patent records, followed by India (13) and the United States (10). WIPO PCT applications (7) and European filings (5) indicate international protection ambitions among some applicants.
Yes. The evidence shows two co-filing pairs, both centered on the Regents of the University of California: Michal Uchymiak with UC (3 joint records) and Yoram Cohen with UC (3 joint records). No commercial co-filing partnerships are visible in the current evidence.
G01R (electrical and magnetic measurement, 8 records, 5% share) and G05B (control and regulating systems, 4 records, 2% share) are the two sparsest branches with plausible technical relevance to in-situ fouling monitoring and adaptive RO control. A01N (biocides, 7 records) and G06Q (business data processing, 3 records) are also sparse but have less direct connection to core characterization methods.
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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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