TEST PHANTOM MARKET ANALYSIS

Test phantoms or imaging phantoms are specially developed objects used in the field of medical imaging for testing, evaluation, and calibration of various imaging devices. Medical test phantoms are artificial tissue-equivalent materials used as replacement for human tissues to ensure that methods and systems used for imaging human body are working appropriately.

A test phantom is readily available and offers more reliable results than the use of human volunteers. Various test phantoms are available in the market such as CT test phantom, mammography test phantom, ultrasound test phantom, radiation oncology test phantom, and MRI test phantoms. Each type of the test phantom offers diverse information about the body part being examined for injury or disease treatment. Recent advances in test phantom techniques provide a better non-invasive solution for identifying various chronic diseases and treatment associated with it.

Test Phantom Market – Dynamics

Increasing prevalence of various chronic diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and cancer is expected to contribute to significant growth of the test phantom market. For instance, according to the World Health Organization key fact 2018, cancer was the second leading cause of death worldwide and was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. Moreover, medical imaging is one of the important parts of healthcare industry, as nearly all the diagnostics and treatment are based upon the analysis provided by the imaging techniques.

Increasing use of imaging techniques in the healthcare sector is expected to propel growth of the test phantom market. For instance, according to National Health Services (U.K.) diagnostic imaging dataset statistical release, around 41 million medical imaging tests were reported in England in 2017, 3.49 million imaging tests were recorded in January 2017, with radiograph being performed 1.89 million times, followed by diagnostic ultrasonography (Ultrasound, 0.77 million), computerized axial tomography (CT scan, 0.40 million), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, 0.28 million). Furthermore, government funding for enhanced imaging solutions is expected to significantly boost the market growth. For instance, in 2014, the U.K Government funded US$ 27,327,000 to build an Imaging Center for Excellence (ICE) at the University of Glasgow. However, high maintenance cost related with medical test phantoms is expected to hamper the market growth.  

Test Phantom Market – Regional Insights

Based on the region, the global test phantom market is segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America held dominant position in the global test phantom market during forecast period. This is owing to increasing research and development activities in imaging technologies in the region. Moreover, increasing use of diagnostic services by healthcare facilities is expected to propel growth of the market. For instance, according to National Science and Technology Council 2017 report, 79 million CT scans, 39 million MRI scans, and 1.7 million PET scans were performed in the U.S in 2015.

Furthermore, Asia pacific is expected to witness significant growth in the test phantom market followed by Europe, owing to increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in the region. For instance, according to the World Health Organization report 2011, around 35% of nutritional deficiencies, 37% of perinatal conditions, 30% of respiratory infections, 27% of infectious and parasitic diseases, and 33% of maternal conditions of the global burden are widespread in Asia Pacific region.

Test Phantom Market – Competitive Landscape

Major players operating in the test phantom markets include, Fluke Corporation, IBA, Sun Nuclear Corporation, Biodex Medical Systems, Standard Imaging, Capintec, Pro-Project, The Phantom Laboratory, RaySafe, Carville, CIRS, Kyoto Kagaku Co., Ltd, Modus Medical Devices, Radiology Support Devices, and 3-Dmed. Key players are focused on adopting market strategies such as collaboration, mergers, and new product launch in order to retain dominant position in the market. For instance, in 2014, Kyoto Kagaku Co., Ltd launched Female Pelvis Ultrasound Phantom US-14a and US-14b, it has features such as accurate cerebral anatomy just like human brain.

Test Phantom Market – Taxonomy

On the basis of product type, the global test phantom market is segmented into:

• CT Test Phantom
• Mammography Test Phantom
• Ultrasound Test Phantom
• Radiation Oncology Test Phantom
• MRI Test Phantom
• Others

On the basis of end user, the global test phantom market is segmented into:

• Research Institutes
• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Others

On the basis of geography, the global test phantom market is segmented into:

• North America
• Latin America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Middle East
• Africa