Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an effective extracorporeal life support measure that played a crucial role in the treatment of critically patients with COVID-19. However, its core component, oxygenation membrane for ECMO, has been monopolized by foreign countries for a long time. This study used the Incopat and retrieved form it the patents in the field of oxygenated membranes for ECMO worldwide, which were then analyzied as the original data to disclose the trend and trajectory of technology development, the layout of global market and technology from the perspective of patents. The result shows that COVID-19 has stimulated the development of technology. China becomes the world's third largest source and distribution of patent applications in the field as well as an important target market, but its high-value patents account for a small proportion. Except for a few patents related to membrane preparation and its device, membrane modification, and membrane module, most of the Chinese patents involve the optimal design of oxygenator and related auxiliary technologies, and most of them are utility model patents. The preparation method and optimization process of hollow fiber membrane for ECMO, new polymer materials, membrane modification and composite membrane research are the current hot research topics. Recently Chinese patents reported the preparation technology of PMP hollow fiber membranes for ECMO and related devices, which are expected to achieve a breakthrough in the preparation technology of high-performance PMP hollow fiber membranes. Innovations can be made for the existing defects of polymer material synthesis technology and membrane preparation technology. Meanwhile, it is necessary to increase the research of biocompatibility modification technology and find new materials with better performance to achieve technological breakthrough. Promoting the localization of oxygenation membranes for ECMO will help the localization of ECMO systems.

extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)  /  membrane oxygenation  /  patent analysis