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The Lens
West End, Queensland, Australia
What it is
The Lens is a research discovery and analysis platform linking patent records with scholarly works to support discovery, decision-making and partnering. Patent search includes Boolean, structured, biological and classification queries, with filtering and sorting. The Lens says its scholarly records number more than 200 million, spanning journal articles, conference proceedings, books, book chapters, preprints, theses and dissertations; citations link these works with patents. PatSeq tools let users search, analyze and share biological sequences disclosed in patents. Users can explore search results through charts and dashboards, then save and share dashboards. Registered accounts can save collections and queries, add notes and receive alerts when new indexed records match. Lens Profiles combine author and inventor records and support linking and synchronizing ORCID records. Web access and APIs are available; API use requires approved access and a token. Anonymous browsing is free, and an academic workspace is free for eligible non-commercial academic users. Individual commercial use requires permissions through a subscription or institution. The Individual Professional Workspace costs $1,000/year.
For and against
For
- Patent search includes multiple query types and filters.
- Scholarly coverage exceeds 200 million records.
- PatSeq supports biological sequence search and analysis.
- Registered accounts can save queries and receive alerts.
- Two-factor authentication is supported.
Against
- API use requires approved access and a token.
- Commercial individual use requires permissions.
- Professional Workspace costs $1,000/year.
- The API Trial is valid for 14 days.
The verdict
The Lens connects patent and scholarly search with analytics, saved work and biological sequence tools. Access terms differ by use: anonymous browsing is free, while commercial individual use requires permission.
Who it suits
The Lens suits researchers, inventors and analysts who need to search across scholarly literature and patent records. It also fits users interested in biological patent sequences, saved searches or API-based retrieval, subject to the access conditions.
Plans and prices
Academic / non-commercial access
Guest browsing · Free registered account for personal, non-commercial use · Search, collections, alerts, dashboards, and exports
Read 20 Sep 2026 · about.lens.org
Individual commercial use
1 user
Read 20 Sep 2026 · about.lens.org
Academic Workspace
For academic users doing non-commercial research · requires an academic institutional email
Read 29 Sep 2026 · about.lens.org
Anonymous access
Browse without an account · anonymous use remains free
Read 29 Sep 2026 · about.lens.org
API Trial
Requires approval · non-commercial or limited academic use · API access valid for 14 days
Read 29 Sep 2026 · support.lens.org
Individual Professional Workspace
Single-seat · non-transferable · for professional or commercial use · no API or bulk data access by default
Read 29 Sep 2026 · support.lens.org
API Member | Custom Access
Paid · for higher or continued API access, automated downloads, integration or commercial use
Read 29 Sep 2026 · support.lens.org
On the record
- Account security
- The Lens supports two-factor authentication by authenticator app or email and recommends enabling it for accounts.support.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Analytics
- Users can visualize search results with dashboards and charts, then save and share dashboards.support.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- API and integrations
- Patent and scholarly APIs provide programmatic search and retrieval; the API guide lists cURL and Postman as client examples and requires approved access and a token.support.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Biological sequences
- PatSeq tools let users search, analyze and share biological sequences disclosed in patents.about.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Commercial eligibility
- Individual users using The Lens for commercial purposes must obtain commercial-use permissions through a subscription or their institution.support.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Organization
- The Lens became a wholly owned subsidiary of SPIE in 2026, operating as The Lens Limited, a non-profit based in Australia.about.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Patent and research search
- Patent search includes Boolean, structured, biological and classification search, with filtering and sorting options.about.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Privacy
- The privacy policy says registered users may opt out of search-history recording and web analytics, and guest use does not require providing an email address.about.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Profiles and ORCID
- Lens Profiles combine author and inventor records with aggregated data, and let users link and synchronize their ORCID records.about.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- The Lens connects scholarly and technological knowledge, including patents and scholarly works, to support discovery, analysis, decision-making and partnering.about.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Saved work and alerts
- Registered accounts can save collections and queries, add personal notes, and receive notifications when new indexed results match saved queries or collections.support.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Scholarly coverage
- The Lens says it serves more than 200 million scholarly records and links scholarly works with patent records through citations.about.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Support
- The Lens lists [email protected] and [email protected] as contact emails and provides a support request form.about.lens.org · read 29 Sep 2026
