Market Challenges And Opportunities

Blood Irradiator Market Drivers

Irradiated blood is provided to prevent rare complications of transfusion called transfusion- associated graft-versus-host disease, a rare but serious complication of blood transfusion caused by white blood cells in the blood transfused. According to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, transfusion- associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD) occurs when donor lymphocytes from transfused blood engraft in the recipient, causing diseases such as hepatitis, diarrhea and pancytopenia with clinical features of fever and skin rash and is fatal in more than 90% of cases.

Moreover, support from government organizations for development of novel irradiators to ensure safe blood transfusions is driving market growth. For instance, in 2014, Stellarray, Inc., developer of novel x-ray sources, was awarded the US$ 1.1 Mn grant by the Department of Energy to develop and commercialize new generation irradiators for ensuring the safety of blood transfusions by replacing cesium, 137 which is identified as a national security hazard.

Moreover, the Advancing Transfusion Cellular Therapies Worldwide (AABB) works in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure appropriate irradiation guidance and regulations for blood products, thereby favoring the blood irradiators market by maintaining security and compliance to limit the use of radioactive irradiators.

However, the lack of awareness among population regarding uses and benefits of irradiators in the healthcare facilities and high cost of the irradiators are the factors hindering the market growth. For instance, according to the survey by College of American Pathologists, 2017, the cost of X-ray irradiators is around US$ 250,000 to US$ 300,000, with annual service contract accounting for US$ 15,000 to US$ 20,000.