Microtome Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Microtome Devices, Accessories), By Technology (Fully Automated, Manual), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global microtome market size was estimated at USD 142.4 million in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2023 to 2030. It is mainly driven by the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing geriatric population, and rising healthcare expenditure, especially in developed economies. According to World Health Organization (WHO), one in six people globally will be above 60 years of age by 2030 and around 1.4 billion population is expected to be more than 60 years of age, up from a billion in 2020. Growing commercial availability of high-quality diagnostic technologies in developed economies such as the U.S. that held the majority of the revenue share is one of the key factors anticipated to boost the market growth.

The increase in incidence of chronic disease such as cancer is driving the growth of the market as microtomes are essential for biopsy. In 2020, there were 18.1 million new cases of cancer worldwide. Around 9.3 million of these instances included men, while 8.8 million involved women. Breast, lung, colon, rectum, and prostate cancers are the most prevalent types of cancer. According to Cleveland Clinic in the U.S., more than a million breast biopsies are performed annually.

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 growth over the forecast period. In 2019, there were 21,292 active pathologists and 171,400 histotechnologists working in 9,111 histopathology and 3,995 cytology facilities, according to official U.S. government figures.

The global anatomic pathology market is highly fragmented based on diagnostic test products. 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

Based on product, the market of microtome is segmented into microtome devices and accessories. Microtome devices dominated the market with a significant share in 2022. 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 dominance. Some of the products available in this category includes Sakura Finetek EVO 9000, Leica RM2235, HM 525, and A550.

The accessories segment is anticipated to grow at a fastest CAGR over the forecast period. Growing demand for these accessories in hospitals & clinics due to easy availability is one of the pivotal factors expected to drive the market growth. Sales of accessories in the market are increasing due to the rising demand for fully automated microtomes and the growing requirement of microtomes in the increasing number of labs. 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.

Technology Insights

Based on technology, the market is segmented into fully automated, semi-automated, and manual. The fully automated devices dominated the market in 2022 with a revenue share of 51.5% and is expected to grow fastest at a CAGR of 7.9% over the forecast period, owing to the growing demand for technologically advanced products especially in developed economies such as the U.S., Germany, France, and Japan. The fully automated devices are more accurate and have increased throughput time. The Tissue-Tek Genie, which offers ideal slides with the same turnaround time, utilizing a single procedure and attaining ideal staining quality throughout the full 130+ Sakura antibody line, was introduced by Sakura in September 2022.

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 Microtome A550, Tissue-Tek Genie, and Leica Biosystems HistoCore AUTOCUT 2550.

An increasing number of routine tissue examinations in hospitals and research laboratories due to rising awareness about the early diagnosis benefits of various diseases such as cancer is one of the key factors anticipated to boost the market growth. Moreover, the increasing workload in histopathology laboratories is expected to boost the level of automation in tissue diagnostics to optimize productivity without hampering the 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 growth over the forecast period.

Regional Insights

North America held the largest revenue share of 40.0% in 2022 owing to high-end medical infrastructure paired with readily available high-tech equipment, expanding prospects for sophisticated cancer diagnostic testing and screening, favorable reimbursement policies for pathology labs, and rise in healthcare spending. The U.S. spent USD 4.3 trillion in 2021 on healthcare expenditure, i.e. 12,914 USD per person. The presence of a large number of market players in the region is also driving the growth of the market. In 2020, Sakura Finetek USA acquired Micros Austria, another leading manufacturer of microtomes. This acquisition gave Sakura Finetek a broader product portfolio and expanded its global reach.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.6% over the forecast period. This region is anticipated to witness enormous growth due to increasing per capita income, 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 region. Moreover, diagnostic equipment manufacturers often tend to manufacture in countries with large domestic markets and emerging countries such as Brazil, India, and China. The increasing incidence of cancer in the region is driving the market. For instance, a total of 49.3% of the world's cancer cases in 2020 occurred in Asia, where the cancer incidence rate was 169.1 per 100,000 people.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Key players in the market are focusing on adopting growth strategies, such as mergers and acquisitions, development of existing devices, promotional events, and technological advancements. Thermo Fisher and Leica entered into a technical collaboration in April 2018 with the goal of creating an integrated and thorough cryo-tomography workflow for the life sciences. Leica light microscopes and Thermo Fisher cryo-electron microscopes are meant to be completely integrated by the hardware and software solution, giving researchers and scientists faster and better insight into the causes of illness and accelerating scientific discoveries. Some prominent players in the global microtome market include:

• Diapath S.P.A.

• Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH

• Sakura Finetek Europe B.V.

• MEDITE GmbH

• SLEE medical GmbH

• Boeckeler Instruments

• Nanolytik

• S.M. Scientific Instruments Pvt. Ltd.

• AGD Biomedicals

• Alltion

• Amos Scientific Pvt. Ltd.

• Thermo Fisher Scientific

Microtome Market Report Scope

Microtome Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global microtome market report based on product, technology, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Microtome Devices

    • Rotary Microtome

    • Vibrating Microtome

    • Other Microtome

  • Accessories

• Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Fully Automated

  • Semi-Automated

  • Manual

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • UK

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Sweden

    • Norway

    • Denmark

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • Australia

    • Thailand

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East and Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • South Africa

    • UAE

    • Kuwait