Compact Revolution to Fuel Ultrasound Market

Highlighting the growing trend towards the use of compact ultrasound, an ultrasound imaging equipment report predicts that the world market for ultrasound imaging equipment will reach US$5.7 billion by 2010, and moreover, exceed $5 billion by 2008. This ‘compact revolution' has increased the use of ultrasound in new applications, and in addition, is driving additional growth for ultrasound in its traditional markets such as cardiology and obstetrics and gynecology.

"There is a clear trend towards miniaturization in the ultrasound industry being driven by several manufacturers,” reported Diane Wilkinson, market research analyst from InMedica (Wellingborough, UK), a market research company. "This equipment is being used by an increasing number of physicians beyond the traditional applications, in areas such as emergency medicine and anesthesiology. Both hand-carried and portable ultrasounds are outperforming the cart-based segments of the market, and by a considerable margin. Of the cart-based sector, it is only the mid-range segment of the market that is presenting significant growth. Increased functionality and picture quality in a price sensitive market have contributed to the mid-range segment showing strongest growth for cart-based systems. With image quality comparable to high-end systems at much lower prices, a top-down shift in the product mix is being created, away from premium and high-end systems.”

Further opportunities for growth in the ultrasound imaging equipment market are also presenting themselves in rapidly developing economies of the world, and most notably China, India, and Russia. Moreover, the cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and flexibility of ultrasound have contributed to its rising favor in comparison to other imaging modalities in price-sensitive markets. In an environment where the cost of healthcare is out pacing government healthcare spending, there is an ongoing change in the way that ultrasound is being used, not only in hospitals but also in clinics and private practices. The market share for procedural, diagnostic, and physical examinations that include ultrasound are increasing.

InMedica is the medical research division of IMS Research, a specialist supplier of market research and consultancy services on a wide range of global electronics markets. The company is supported by headquarters in Wellingborough, UK, and offices in Austin, TX, USA, and Shanghai, China. InMedica regularly publishes detailed research on professional point of care markets such as ultrasound and x-ray equipment, and consumer medical devices such as blood-pressure monitors and heart-rate monitors.


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