Global X-Ray Market Hits USD 10 Billion in 2012 and Forecast to Reach USD 12 Billion in 2017

The global market for X-ray equipment used for medical, dental, veterinary applications and other purposes expanded to more than USD 10 billion in 2012, and is set to climb by 18% and predicted to reach USD 12 billion in 2017.

Growth will be fueled by the sustained digitalization of X-ray systems and increasing healthcare investment in emerging regions, according to the medical service at IMS Research, an international market research company, now part of IHS, Inc. (Englewood, CO, USA).

The global X-ray market includes the categories: general radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, interventional, mobile C-arm, veterinary, and dental. “General radiography is undergoing a major transition away from film and toward digital flat-panel detector [FPD] technology, with more affordable solutions such as retrofit kits driving this migration in many cash-strapped regions,” said Sarah Jones, analyst for medical electronics at IHS. “Shipments of FPD and retrofit FPD systems accounted for an estimated 15% of annual general radiography shipments in 2012. That total is expected to rise to 25% in 2017.”

The mammography market is already overshadowed by FPD full-field digital mammography (FPD-FFDM) equipment, led by adoption in mature regions. FPD-FFDM, by contrast, uptake in emerging regions is relatively low, with few healthcare providers able to buy the expensive equipment and demand for breast screening being very low.

Interventional and mobile C-arm equipment, in the meantime, is benefiting from a growing trend toward minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery decreases patient hospital stays and increases patient throughput. More cutting-edge systems with digital technology and advanced navigation software are driving growth in mobile C-arm X-ray. Interventional X-ray is already dominated by digital technology and is being spurred by new installations of hybrid operating hybrid operating rooms that combine multiple imaging modalities and full surgical equipment in one room.

Hospitals, for their part, are becoming more receptive to new procedures like transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), with the use of medical imaging as an alternative to open-heart surgery. These procedures now are being performed using high-end mobile C-arm X-ray equipment, requiring FPD technology.

The dental X-ray segment currently is dominated by analog film. However, a major shift to digital sensors and photo-stimulable phosphor (PSP) imaging is occurring. Extraoral imaging is also increasing in popularity, with more complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-based FPD detectors being used.

Challenging global economic conditions have substantially impacted the X-ray market. In the short term, delayed purchasing and slower demand are predicted to continue. However, hard times are also creating an opportunity for lower-cost digital solutions, such as retrofit FPD panels/kits, to penetrate the market. This is because such products offer viable, low-cost stopgap solutions for healthcare providers affected by spending cuts.

Over the longer term, the global X-ray market is predicted to recover. Emerging regions will be the key market drivers, especially in China, Latin America, India, and parts of Southeast Asia. FPD also will become the most widespread technology type, due to increased efficiency, image quality, and lower lifetime cost of ownership.

Moreover, the continued digitization of healthcare will maintain demand for digital X-ray, with FPD X-ray systems globally forecast to grow the fastest out of all product types.

IHS provides information, insight, and analytics in key areas that shape the business environment.

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