Thanks to technology advances in miniaturization and the adoption of portable and handheld systems, the market for medical ultrasound systems grew to reach $6.5 billion in revenues in 2015, according to a new report by Kalorama Information.
Handheld and portable systems have opened up new market niches for ultrasound in areas such as emergency medicine and anesthesiology, according to the company. Continued growth will be driven by ultrasound's flexibility, ease of use, and relatively low cost, Kalorama said.
Compact ultrasound systems are increasingly being used to provide basic healthcare services in remote areas, a trend that's expected to boost adoption in Brazil and other countries such as China, according to the firm. While ultrasound is increasingly used in a variety of clinical settings, many manufacturers are also focused on expanding use of the modality in radiology.
Increased use of ultrasound in radiology is being driven by advances in image quality and workflow, as well as the growing awareness of the risks of radiation dosage with other imaging modalities, Kalorama said.
In other trends, Kalorama noted that many group practices and hospital departments are now using data analytics software to streamline their workflow and improve efficiency for ultrasound and other imaging modalities.
