This Frost & Sullivan research service titled North American Nuclear Medicine Equipment Markets provides an overview of nuclear systems used in molecular imaging and provides forecasts for the unit shipments and market revenues, along with a complete analysis of key market drivers, restraints, and challenges that are impacting this market. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets: SPECT and SPECT/CT nuclear medicine systems.
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SPECT/CT Fast becoming a Mainstream Tool in the Nuclear Medicine Equipment Market
In the nuclear medicine equipment market, which is being increasingly characterized by homogenous hardware technology, the biggest success stories are likely to be the vendors that offer new image acquisition tools, clinical engines, and workstation applications that streamline workflow. For these reasons, the single positron emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) market segment has become a hotbed of activity, especially with the continuing advancements made by molecular imaging.
"The growing demand for CT-based attenuation correction and quantitative SPECT is quickly establishing SPECT/CT as a must-have technology for SPECT users," says the analyst of this research service. Following SPECT/CT’s steady growth, new niche clinical markets such as neuroendocrine tumor imaging are constantly been discovered, creating fresh opportunities for both hardware vendors and radiopharmaceutical agent companies. Market participants are also tapping the unexplored market potential within cardiologists’ and private physicians’ offices in the dedicated cardiac markets.
Vendors Need to Prepare for Multiple Challenges of Operating in Niche Markets
Participants in niche markets have to contend with the peculiar dynamics of such markets as well as prepare to deal with challenges arising from the lack of novel imaging agents. SPECT/CT could experience slow clinical adoption due to reimbursement reductions, tight end-user capital budgets, narrow physician referral bases, and low levels of physician education. Apart from this, they could also be significantly hindered by the inadequate technologist training for specialty markets. "Vendors can sidestep this issue by working with consumers to offer informative training programs," notes the analyst. "Vendors can not only enhance physician education and technologist training levels, but also strengthen its brand loyalty and recognition, which in turn, will translate into increased revenue potential."
Once they manage to convey the importance of SPECT and SPECT/CT equipment to end users, vendors will be looking to phase out traditional product models with scalable system platforms. They expect a bigger market for scalable platforms due to their increased clinical versatility that enables end users to adapt their systems to meet their needs, as workflow demands and imaging operations continuously evolve. "Companies should also look to increase both organic and external R&D investments in solid-state technology and scintillation detection," observes the analyst. "Solid-state technology has proven to have high reliability, low manufacturing costs and less noise, high sensitivity, as well as excellent spatial and energy resolution." In future, the integration of solid-state technology will also advance hybrid technology and drive product innovation, creating novel systems such as SPECT/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
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