Microtome Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Microtome Devices, Accessories), By Technology (Fully Automated, Semiautomated, Manual), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025

Industry Insights

The global microtome market size was estimated at USD 48.6 million in 2016. It is mainly driven by the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, the increasing geriatric population, and rising healthcare expenditure, especially in developed economies. Growing commercial availability of high-quality diagnostic technologies in developed economies that held the majority of the revenue share is one of the key factors anticipated to boost growth. Yet, owing to lower per capita disposable income and lesser commercial availability in developing nations, there is unmet demand for technologically advanced diagnostic equipment. Moreover, diagnostic equipment manufacturers often tend to manufacture in countries with large domestic markets and emerging countries such as Brazil, India, and China.

Based on various research papers, the growth rate of the overall anatomic pathology market in terms of equipment, diagnostics, and accessories has declined. However, the growing number of histology labs in the U.S. and other international countries is one of the crucial factors anticipated to drive the market over the forecast period. According to the estimates of the World Cancer Report 2014, approximately 14 million new cancer cases were reported in 2012 and this number is anticipated to rise to 22 million annually in the next two decades. Increasing incidences of cancer and growing awareness regarding early diagnostic procedures are some of the crucial factors anticipated to boost the usage rate.

U.S. microtome market revenue by product, 2014 - 2025 (USD Million)

The global anatomic pathology market is highly fragmented based on diagnostic test types. Several instances of forwarding integration have been found. Physicians are merging ancillary services to maintain income levels. A growing number of in-office histopathology labs receiving CLIA certification is one of the key factors anticipated to boost demand for microtome and their accessories. Increasing competition amongst larger commercial laboratories is also one of the factors propelling advancements in diagnostic equipment.

Product Insights

Microtome devices emerged as the leading product category and accounted for over 71% of the total revenue in 2016. Commercial availability of these systems and their high adoption due to ease of handling are some of the key factors that can be attributed to the revenue share in 2016. The market is majorly dominated by a few products such as Semi-Automatic Rotary Microtome M530 by MEDITE GmbH, Cryostat Microtome SMI-3010 by S.M. Scientific Instruments Pvt. Ltd., CUT 4062 manual precision microtome by SLEE medical GmbH, and CR-X Cryo System by Boeckeler Instruments, Inc.

Rotary microtome held the majority of the revenue share in 2016 owing to its huge commercial presence as compared to other types of devices. More than 60% of the commercial device is rotary, which is one of the key factors that can be attributed to the growth of this segment. On average, typical manual rotary equipment costs approximately USD 5,900.

The accessories segment is anticipated to exhibit the highest growth. Growing demand for these accessories in hospitals & clinics due to easy availability is also one of the pivotal factors expected to drive the market. Technological advancements in microtome such as portability and some other features such as user-friendly operability and low maintenance cost are also expected to propel growth over the next few years.

Global microtome market shares, by technology, 2016 (%)

Technology Insights

In 2016, fully automated devices held the majority market share of approximately 42% owing to the growing demand for technologically advanced products, especially in developed economies such as the U.S., Germany, France, and Japan. Moreover, this segment is also expected to be the fastest-growing segment over the forecast period. The presence of huge commercially available fully automated systems and increasing demand for digitalization in tissue diagnostic procedures are some of the crucial factors anticipated to boost the market in the next few years. Some of the key automated products are Tissue Surgeon, Tissue-Tek AutoSection Automated Microtome, and PT-PC PowerTomes.

An increasing number of routine tissue examinations in research laboratories and hospitals owing to rising awareness about the benefits of early diagnosis of various diseases including cancer is among a few factors anticipated to boost the market growth. Some of the commercialized automated equipment are Leica RM2255, Tissue-Tek AutoSection, CR-X Cryo System, AEM 480 Fully-automatic Rotary Microtome, and HM 355S Automatic Microtome. Moreover, the increasing workload in histopathology laboratories is expected to boost the level of automation in tissue diagnostics to optimize productivity without hampering sample quality.

The growing prevalence of cancer, increasing geriatric population, and rising demand for early disease diagnosis are a few key factors anticipated to boost the histopathology industry, and, in turn, propel the market over the forecast period. Manual equipment was the first type to be launched. These systems are mainly preferred in developing economies as their prices are low. However, the growing demand for technologically advanced diagnostic equipment and the higher commercial presence of fully automated systems are some of the crucial factors anticipated to boost growth.

Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest market share of 50.1% owing to healthcare infrastructure facilities, an increase in the investments by public & private sectors in in-vitro diagnostics, the presence of a large number of market players, and the adoption of technologically advanced products. Furthermore, the increasing prevalence of cancer in North America is boosting the demand for biopsies, which is leading to increased demand.

The U.S. was the leading market in 2016 and is also anticipated to hold the largest revenue share over the forecast period. This can be attributed to the increasing demand for technologically advanced diagnostic equipment and growing automation in laboratories. The presence of a large number of local players in this country is driving the growth of this industry. Continuous extension in product lines coupled with new product launches in the market is further expected to boost demand for these devices. Sakura, a leading manufacturer of these devices, launched the world’s first automated and programmable Tissue-Tek Auto section Automated Microtome in 2014. However, stringent state privacy laws for the reuse of tissue samples may restrict the development of new tests or improvements in current tests undertaken by laboratories and manufacturers.

However, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region over the next few years. This region is anticipated to witness enormous growth due to increasing per capita income, the growing medical tourism industry, and rising public awareness regarding the benefits of early diagnosis. As compared to Japan, China is anticipated to witness faster growth in the Asia Pacific region.

Pharmaceutical Robots Market Share Insights

Some of the key players in this market are LLS ROWIAK LaserLabSolutions GmbH; Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH; Sakura; MEDITE GmbH; SLEE medical GmbH; Boeckeler Instruments; Nanolytik; S.M. Scientific Instruments Pvt. Ltd.; MICROS Austria Produktions-und Handelsges.m.b.H; AGD Biomedicals (P) Ltd; Alltion; Amos Scientific Pty Ltd; and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Various other trends expected to propel growth include strategic alliances between some of the key players who are majorly focused on product expansion and penetrating the emerging economies through increased investment. This is also likely to strengthen their position in the global market.

Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, & country levels and provides an analysis on the industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global microtome market on the basis of product, technology, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Microtome Devices

    • Rotary Microtome

    • Vibrating Microtome

    • Other Microtome

  • Accessories

• Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Fully Automated

  •   Semiautomated

  •  Manual

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • The U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Afric

    • South Africa