3D Imaging Transforming the Face of Medical Imaging in North America

Business Wire, Oct 12, 2007

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c71394) has announced the addition of the new Frost & Sullivan Report "North American Advanced 3D/4D Visualization for Medical Imaging" to their offering.

3D Imaging Transforming the Face of Medical Imaging

3D imaging has become an essential tool for radiologists, as recent clinical applications using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), and other imaging modalities have revitalized radiology. 3D imaging is consolidating its role in daily clinical practice among other user groups such as cardiologists and surgeons. Accordingly, customers' expectations from advanced visualization are growing rapidly, as they demand more workflow efficiency and enterprise-wide access to help create a truly profitable business model for 3D imaging. Independent advanced visualization vendors have brought about the enterprise-wide deployment model for advanced visualization through the use of server-client technology, and market developments hint at further blending with image management systems as the next phase in the advancement of technology.

However, workflow-related concerns remain a crucial market restraint as 3D imaging needs to be properly integrated into the practice with minimal disruption to the clinical workflow in place. "Using stand-alone 3D workstations implies a workflow for advanced visualization that is separate from the picture archive communication system (PACS) workflow, often requiring that radiologists physically move from a workstation seat to another several times, which yields time inefficiencies in the interpretation process," notes the analyst of this research service. "Although it integrates better in the PACS environment, the workflow incurred by enterprise-wide advanced visualization solutions remains sub-optimal since it requires the use of two different systems that are only integrated at the application level."

Cardiovascular Imaging Constitutes an Active Growth Area for Advanced Visualization

The advances in image acquisition technologies, particularly the recent leaps forward made with CT, have opened the way to robust cardiovascular imaging capabilities. Cardiovascular imaging is attractive in that it constitutes a less-invasive alternative to the current standard procedures, eliminating in many cases the need for an invasive procedure in order to exclude coronary artery disease. Cardiac CT angiography (CCTA), which has skyrocketed with the advent of 64-slice CT, has been driving the adoption of advanced visualization technology since 2004. Accordingly, the vessel analysis package has been the single best-selling set of clinical applications for all advanced visualization vendors. Such applications have the potential to change clinical guidelines and be adopted as standard screening procedures, which will further increase their utilization. Cardiovascular MR is also a contender to CT that displays significant growth potential.

Among modalities, CT technology was dominant and accounted for 68.0 percent of the total revenues in 2006. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represented 20.0 percent of revenues during that year, while the remaining 12 percent are attributable to other imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) or PET-CT, X-Ray Angiography, advanced (3D/4D) image fusion and other imaging modalities." Frost & Sullivan estimates that in 2006, imaging equipment OEMs accounted for about 55.3 percent of the total revenues," says the analyst. "These revenues are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12 percent from 2006 to 2013, which is below the 15.3 percent growth rate in the overall market and is roughly in line with the increase in sales of new imaging equipment."

Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:

- Advanced visualization and clinical applications software packages

- Clinical applications

- OEM sales

The following technologies are covered in this research:

- Scanner workstations

- Enterprise server-client systems

- Embedded software and hardware

For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c71394