Global MRI Market to Reach $4 Billion by 2010

With the development of open systems, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been transformed into the best imaging modality for many organs and structures, including the brain, spine, bones, and joints, leading MRI equipment to become a U.S.$3.5 billion worldwide industry today.

According to a new study from Kalorama Information (New York, NY, USA), the global market is expected to continue to grow with anticipated revenues reaching $4 billion in 2010. Expected increases in the use of interventional MRI in brain surgery, combined with greater use of MRI diffusion imaging to diagnose strokes and other injuries to the brain, should be major growth factors. Furthermore, whereas cardiac MRI is not expected to replace all other interventional cardiology procedures, it is anticipated that the technology will grow considerably in clinical use over the next decade.

According to the report, the future of MRI is evolving towards functional imaging, which images the body in real time, similar to ultrasound. In addition to cardiac and neurologic applications, functional imaging also allows MRI to be used for the study of peripheral blood flow and orthopedics.

"With the introduction of whole-body MRI, which offers better sensitivity and higher specificity in detecting bone metastasis, and black-blood MRI, which produces an image of the artery where blood appears black as opposed to typical MRI scans where blood appears bright, we're moving into the next phase of MRI diagnostic capabilities,” noted Joseph Constance, the report's author. "While these and other advanced technologies come with a high price tag, the benefits to worldwide health far exceed the costs which in time will lessen as the technologies are refined.”

Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, provides independent market research for the life sciences.



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