RO Permeate Quality Control Patent Snapshot 2026
The RO permeate quality control field is moderately concentrated, with Desalitech and NanoH2O holding the top two positions and the five largest filers accounting for one-third of the hundred largest filers’ combined total. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis — recent three-year filings outpace the prior three-year window by 233% — though annual volume has eased from its 2018 peak and the most recent years remain understated by publication lag.
Desalitech leads a moderately concentrated field with a clear tier gap below the top two
Desalitech sits at the top of the applicant ranking, followed closely by NanoH2O Inc, Culligan International Company, EcoWater Systems, and Abbott Laboratories — the five together account for one-third of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined patent records.
The gap between the top two applicants and the rest of the field is visible but not extreme, suggesting a competitive tier of water-treatment specialists rather than a single visible incumbent. Applicants ranked sixth and below each hold five or fewer patent records.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desalitech | 14 | |
| 2 | NanoH2O Inc | 12 | |
| 3 | Culligan International Company | 10 | |
| 4 | EcoWater Systems LLC | 8 | |
| 5 | Abbott Laboratories | 7 | |
| 6 | MIOX Corporation | 5 | |
| 7 | Haddock, Marvin E. | 5 | |
| 8 | Burk, Robert Leon | 4 | |
| 9 | Hospira Inc | 4 | |
| 10 | Kurth, Christopher James | 4 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Koehler, Jeffrey Alan | 4 | |
| 12 | A.O. Smith Corporation | 3 | |
| 13 | NaPro BioTherapeutics Inc | 3 | |
| 14 | OceanWell Co | 3 | |
| 15 | NCH Corporation | 2 | |
| 16 | Kurth, Michael J. | 2 | |
| 17 | Jamar Technology Co | 2 | |
| 18 | Pacific Process Ltd | 2 | |
| 19 | JMAR LLC | 2 | |
| 20 | Keefer, Bowie Gordon | 2 |
Desalitech’s and NanoH2O’s positions reflect sustained investment in membrane separation and water-treatment processes; Abbott’s presence signals that pharmaceutical-grade permeate quality — particularly for body-fluid devices and drug delivery — is a distinct and active sub-segment within this evidence snapshot.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are under-counted due to standard patent publication lag and should not be interpreted as a slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth is strong; separation and water-treatment branches dominate the technology mix
The annual filing trend and technology-composition charts together show a field that has grown substantially over the recent window while remaining anchored to two core IPC classes. Adjacent branches account for a small but meaningful share and point toward under-served application areas.
Annual filing trend
Filings were sparse through 2017–2021, with a notable gap in 2019 and 2021, then accelerated through 2022–2026. The three-year recent window outpaces the prior three-year window by 233%, confirming genuine multi-year expansion; however, 2025 and 2026 counts will rise further as pending applications publish, so the apparent plateau should not be read as saturation.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B01D (Separation processes, including filtration and membrane technology) and C02F (Water and wastewater treatment) together account for the overwhelming majority of patent records, confirming that RO membrane operation and water-chemistry control are the field’s technical core. A61M (Devices for body fluids) is the third-largest branch, reflecting pharmaceutical and dialysis applications; G01N (Material analysis and testing) is a smaller but strategically relevant branch for inline permeate monitoring.
↗ 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.
Water purification using reverse osmosis device fo…
Medical drug formulation and delivery system includes a reverse osmosis device for purifying water from a source comprising a housing having an inlet for passage of water from the source, a first outlet for passage of purified water from the housing and a second outlet for passage of waste water remaining after purification. A first reverse osmosis… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peritoneal dialysis system using reverse osmosis p… | 348 |
| 2 | Water purifying and dispensing system | 175 |
| 3 | Water vending system | 165 |
| 4 | Flow control module for RO water treatment system | 137 |
| 5 | Medical drug formulation and delivery system and r… | 103 |
| 6 | Improved TFC membranes with hydrolized additives | 96 |
| 7 | Water purification using reverse osmosis device fo… | 84 |
| 8 | Medical drug formulation and delivery system | 61 |
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.
Desalitech
Desalitech holds 14 patent records, the highest count in the corpus. Its technology emphasis centers on C02F water and wastewater treatment and B01D membrane separation processes, reflecting a systems-level approach to RO permeate quality that spans feed-water chemistry control and membrane operation. Applicant momentum data is not available in the current evidence.
14 patent recordsNanoH2O Inc
NanoH2O Inc holds 12 patent records and is the most membrane-material-focused applicant in the ranking, with its portfolio concentrated in B01D 61 (membrane separation processes), B01D 65 (membrane cleaning and performance), and B01D 67 (membrane manufacturing). A co-filing relationship with Zhou Meijuan — covering four joint records — adds a collaborative dimension absent from other top-tier applicants. Applicant momentum data is not available in the current evidence.
12 patent recordsFrequently asked questions
The corpus covers 30 patent families. This is a focused, specialist field rather than a broad category, so the family count reflects a genuine niche rather than an incomplete search.
Desalitech is the top-ranked applicant with 14 patent records, followed by NanoH2O Inc with 12 and Culligan International Company with 10. These three form the leading tier in the applicant ranking.
Recent three-year filings outpace the prior three-year window by 233%, placing the field in a Growth lifecycle stage. Annual volume has eased from its 2018 peak, and the most recent years are further understated by patent publication lag.
B01D (Separation processes, including filtration and membrane technology) and C02F (Water and wastewater treatment) together account for the large majority of patent records. A61M (Devices for body fluids) is the third-ranked class, reflecting pharmaceutical and dialysis applications.
The United States leads with 34 patent records, followed by the European Patent Office with 22 and WIPO PCT with 21. Further coverage exists in Australia, Canada, China, and India, though Asian market coverage is relatively limited given the scale of water-treatment deployment in those regions.
G01N (Material analysis and testing) and A61M (Devices for body fluids) are the two most technically relevant adjacent branches with low filing counts — 10 and 13 patent records respectively. G01N is relevant to inline permeate sensing; A61M covers pharmaceutical-grade and medical-device permeate quality. Both are observations of relative sparsity and would require further validation before being treated as confirmed commercial 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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