A novel composite thermo-responsive membrane system for improved controlled-release is successfully developed. The membrane is composed of a porous membrane with grafted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) gates acting as functional valves, and a cross-linked PNIPAM hydrogel inside the reservoir acting as the solute carrier. The thermo-responsive controlled-release characteristics of the proposed system are studied when the ambient temperature is continuously increased from 20 to 45 degrees C (across the LCST of PNIPAM) at a constant rate of 1.5 degrees C/min. The experimental results show that the prepared system exhibits significantly better performance for thermo-responsive controlled-release than single-functional systems currently in existence, due to the cooperative action of the gating membrane and the inner cross-linked hydrogel. Furthermore, due to the distinctive composite architecture, the proposed system can overcome some inherent disadvantages of current systems, such as the drug security problem of the reservoir-type systems and the mechanical strength problem of the hydrogel matrix-type systems. The system proposed in this study provides a new mode for thermo-responsive controlled-release.