U.S. MRI Scanners and Coils Markets

Abstract

Research Overview

This Frost & Sullivan research service entitled U.S. MRI Scanners and Coils Markets provides an overview of the entire MRI scanners and coils markets in the U.S., with extensive discussions on the market drivers, restraints, challenges, strategic recommendations and end-user adoption analysis for both the scanners and coils markets. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets/applications/technologies: Low Field Strength Scanners (less than or equal to 1T), High Field Strength Scanners (1.5T), Ultra High Field Strength Scanners (3T), third-party coil manufacturers, tiers of end-users (hospitals, imaging centers etc) and utilization rate and procedural volume analysis.

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Market Sectors

• �EMRI Scanners
• �EMRI Coils
• �EEnd-user groups
• �EProcedural Volume
• �ECompetitive Structure

Technologies

• �ELow Field Scanners
• �EHigh Field Scanners
• �EUltra High Field Scanners
• �EVolume Coils
• �ESurface Coils

Market Overview

The U.S. MRI scanners and coils markets are generating more excitement in 2005 than in any year previously. The range of clinical applications that can be performed on an MRI scanner is nothing short of astounding: from traditional head and extremity scans to angiography studies to visualize blood vessels in the brain and heart to identifying cancerous tissue in the breast or prostate without the need for invasive procedures. Although a mature technology since its introduction in 1980, MRI has developed significant clinical diagnostic capabilities that have only recently been demonstrated.

In the MRI scanners market, systems are segmented according to field strength of the magnet. Low field scanners include all systems under 1 Tesla (1T) in field strength, with the most common scanners ranging from 0.3 -- 0.6T. High field scanners are only 1.5T systems that dominate the market in terms of demand and unit shipments. Ultra high-field systems include 3T systems that are growing in increasing numbers each year. MRI scanners for research use are also available in 7-9T field strengths, but will not be discussed here since these scanners are not commonly used for diagnostic purposes. For the base year 2005, total market revenues for MRI scanners market was $1.40 billion. The price ranges for MRI scanners $500,000 to $2 million, depending on magnetic field strength and diagnostic capabilities.

The MRI coils market entails third-party coil manufacturers that supply coils to leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which account for 60 to 70 percent of revenues for coil manufacturers. OEMs also produce their own coils in-house as well as after-market participants that buy coils directly from third-party coil manufacturers. Technological improvements in both volume and surface coils now enable imaging of both soft tissue and lesions at greater image resolution than ever before. For the base year 2005, revenues generated by coil sales to OEMs were $118.2 million, with prices of coils ranging from $10,000 to $60,000. The coils market has also witnessed consolidation of players through mergers and acquisitions: (1) GE Healthcare acquired leading player USA Instruments in 2002 and (2) MRI Devices and IGC Medical Advances have combined to form Invivo. The majority of coil manufacturers concentrate their product offerings for the dominant 1.5T systems and the fast-growing 3T markets.