This report originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News

Ultrasound has come a long way from the foundation it built up in the field of medicine. No longer is it strictly tied to prenatal care. Today, it can be used in conjunction with other medical modalities to provide a more thorough overview of a patient's health. However, that doesn't mean there aren't challenges ahead.

Competition from other newer imaging procedures - CT, MRI, and PET - takes the spotlight from ultrasound's relatively low-cost, non-invasive, and easy-to-use appeal. The decreased reimbursement from Medicare and other insurance providers and the increased competition for patient revenues are also factors in ultrasound's future survival and growth.

In hospitals, an accredited diagnostic medical sonographer handles the equipment. Through 2016, the diagnostic medical sonographer field is expected to increase by 19%, as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) web site. Although the high costs of certain diagnostic medical equipment and lengthy approval procedures for the adoption of new diagnostic techniques may delay the growth of the field, the BLS forecasts a "faster-than-average" employment growth for sonographers -- perhaps a marker of the future health of ultrasound equipment, as more people staff a field that is slated for growth.




"The ultrasound market is valued at $1.3 billion, excluding service revenues," states Dr. Harvey Klein, President of Klein Biomedical Consultants, Inc., (KBC) in New York. KBC is a strategic marketing consulting firm specializing in the medical diagnostic ultrasound industry. Dr. Klein issues tailored forecasts on the ultrasound industry, using skills garnered from academia, lobbying, and Wall Street work.

"The overall market leaders in ultrasound are Philips and GE," says Dr. Klein. "In the handheld and laptop ultrasound market, the leaders are Sonosite and GE," notes Dr. Klein.

In terms of equipment upkeep, standard service agreements or warranties are generally granted for one year on parts and labor. These can be renewed on an annual basis. Replacement parts and service can be provided by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), such as Philips, GE, Siemens, or Toshiba, or by an independent service organization (ISO). ISOs sell new or refurbished parts and equipment, in addition to service contracts for out-of-warranty ultrasound scanners.

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