Portable Medical Electronic Products: Technologies and Global Markets -- Focus on First Aid and Other Markets

Report Highlights

Report Includes

• Examination of portable medical electronic products, with a focus on first aid and other markets
• Analysis of market trends, with data for 2010 and 2011, estimates for 2012, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2017
• An outline of current technical issues, detailing new technological developments and providing examples of significant patents that have been recently issued or for which applications have been submitted
• A list of the leading suppliers of portable medical electronic products and technology developers, with descriptions of their products
• Detailed company profiles of the top industry players and relative market shares.

INTRODUCTION

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Miniaturization in electronics has been affecting a wide variety of markets, including healthcare.  A number of medical devices are being manufactured that are more compact, lightweight, portable, and with more features due to the incorporation of microprocessors.  Portable Medical Electronic Products (PMEPs) are experiencing greater demand within the healthcare industry, not only in terms of applications (respiratory products, blood testing meters, heart monitors, and others), but also in terms of the number and type of users (hospitals, nursing homes, physicians’ offices, homecare patients, and others). 

The primary goal of this report is to provide new insights on portable medical electronic products, outlining technological and industry trends and supplying a market analysis for these products.

Specifically, the major objectives of this study are:

• To identify various commercially available portable medical electronic products, including a description of their types and fabrication technologies.
• To highlight new technological developments in PMEP manufacturing, while outlining technical issues. 
• To review current fields of application for portable medical electronic products and investigate emerging applications.
• To estimate current global markets for PMEPs based on application, portability, end–user, and region, with growth forecasts through 2017 for each market segment.
• To identify important technology and industry trends within each market segment.
• To offer an updated review of current producers of portable medical electronic products.
• To determine trends in recently issued U.S. patents. 

REASONS FOR DOING THIS STUDY

The term Portable Medical Electronic Products (PMEPs) refers to equipment and devices used in the healthcare industry whose functions are controlled by electronic circuits that contain at least one microprocessor (MPU) or microcontroller (MCU).  The other main characteristic of these products is that they are portable, that is, they are lightweight and can be easily transported by a single person, typically the caregiver or the patient. 

PMEPs are becoming an increasingly important segment of the very large medical electronics industry.  Traditionally, the term “Medical Electronics” is used to indicate not only electronic equipment and devices (including implants) used to care for a patient, but also a variety of related electronic healthcare services (such as remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, and wireless technologies). 

The medical electronics market is estimated to reach approximately $190 billion in 2012.  However, until now PMEPs’ share of the medical electronics market has not been well defined; therefore, the principal reason for performing this study is to provide an accurate assessment of the PMEP market.  Given the rapid advances in component miniaturization and dramatic cost/benefit improvements in digital device technology, coupled with increasing pressure to contain healthcare costs, it is not unreasonable to expect that PMEPs will grow in popularity within the healthcare industry.  As a result, there is a need to track the progress of this important segment of the medical electronics industry and outline future trends and key developments. 

There is also a need to evaluate the current status and future trends of the PMEP market from a global standpoint.  As the use of portable medical electronic products expands and new fields of application emerge, information on regional production, sales, and type of suppliers becomes more valuable. 

An equally important reason for undertaking this study is to provide technical insights into PMEP manufacturing by:

• Providing a review of fabrication technologies.
• Identifying current technical issues.
• Providing an overview of the main global R&D activities related to PMEPS, resulting in the issuance of patents.
• Illustrating the latest technological developments. 

This information can assist companies in identifying opportunities for process and productivity improvements and new product development, resulting in a positive impact on future market growth. 

INTENDED AUDIENCE

This study will be of primary interest to all organizations that:

• Manufacture, sell, and distribute portable medical electronic products.
• Fabricate semiconductors for healthcare applications.
• Perform laboratory testing for the healthcare industry.
• Coordinate the work of physicians, nurses, or other medical care providers.
• Provide technical services to the healthcare industry. 
• Offer marketing services for medical products.
• Provide health insurance.

This study applies to industry segments such as medical electronics, medical semiconductors, healthcare services, and laboratory testing.

The study is mainly directed toward executives, directors, operations managers, sales and marketing managers, and strategic planners working within the above industries.  Universities and research facilities may also find this study to be a good source of technical information regarding PMEP technology, devices, and applications, which can be used as a baseline for new or expanded R&D activities.  Librarians of technical information and research centers can also use this report to provide critical data to product managers, market analysts, researchers, and other professionals needing detailed and updated analysis of the PMEP industry. 

SCOPE OF REPORT

This study provides an updated review of PMEP technology, including basic design and fabrication process, and identifies current and emerging applications for this technology. 

BCC Research determines the current market status of portable medical electronic products, defines trends, and presents growth forecasts for the next five years.  The PMEP industry is also analyzed on a global basis from the standpoint of both manufacturing and consumption.  In addition, technological issues, including key events and the latest process developments, are discussed. 

More specifically, BCC’s market analysis is divided into eight sections.

In the first section, a historical review of PMEP technology is provided, including an outline of recent events.  The report also offers a description of current and emerging applications for portable medical electronic products.

The second section provides a technological review of PMEP design, components, and their fabrication process.  This section concludes with an analysis of the most important technological developments and improvements since 2010, including examples of significant patents recently applied for or issued.  

The third section entails a global market analysis of PMEPs.  Global revenues (sales data in millions of dollars) are presented by application, degree of portability, end–user, and region, with actual data referring to the years 2010 and 2011, and estimates for 2012.  This section concludes with a presentation of market growth trends, based on industry growth, technological trends, healthcare trends, and regional trends.  Projected revenues for portable medical electronic products are reported, with forecast compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) for the period 2012 through 2017. 

Next, three optional sections are offered.  These sections provide a more focused discussion of the PMEP market for the three main segments in which PMEPs find application: diagnosis and testing, therapy, and first–aid and others.  In these optional sections, additional segment details on products, current market breakdowns, industry growth, and key trends and developments are provided, in addition to a market summary for the last three years and growth projections for the next five years.  Market data are organized by product, degree of portability, end–user, and region for each segment evaluated.

In the next section of the study, which covers global industry structure, the report offers a list of the leading manufacturers of PMEPs, together with a description of their products.  The analysis includes a description of the geographical distribution of these suppliers and an evaluation of PMEP production versus consumption, always from a geographical standpoint.  Detailed company profiles of the top industry players are also provided.

The final section includes an extensive U.S. patent analysis, with a summary of patents related to PMEP materials and components, fabrication processes, and applications, issued during the period 2010 through 2012.  Patent analysis is performed by region, country, assignee, patent category, application, and PMEP type.

METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES

To analyze the overall market and market segments, both primary and secondary research methodologies were used to obtain market data.

The technology section of this report is based on information derived from technical literature, related BCC reports, professional journals, the author’s field experience and online sources.

Global market analysis was performed by analyzing 264 manufacturers and developers of portable medical electronic products, accounting for at least 90% of the global market.  Data were obtained from the direct contribution of primary sources, including company executives, managers, engineers and other technical personnel representing manufacturers, developers, and users of PMEPs; representatives of academia and trade associations; and industry market analysts. 

Additional data for each company were obtained by thoroughly analyzing Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, Internet websites, annual reports, industry directories, industry magazines and catalogs, government sources, and other public sources. 

Secondary sources of information include, but are not limited to:

• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Filings.
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• European Patent Office.
• Company websites.
• Company annual reports.
• Thomas Register.
• Moody’s Directory.
• S & P Industry Survey.
• Dun & Bradstreet Business Directory.
• Foreign Chamber of Commerce Directories.
• Foreign Stock Exchange Listings.

In addition to utilizing the above primary and secondary sources, market growth trends and forecasts were compiled by gaining additional insights from relevant financial and market information, relevant BCC reports, and the author’s own in–depth and comprehensive analysis of the collected information. 

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DISCLAIMER

The information developed in this report is intended to be of a professional nature and is as reliable as possible at the time of publication.  This information does not constitute managerial, legal, or accounting advice, nor should it be considered as a corporate policy guide, laboratory manual, or an endorsement of any product, as much of the information is speculative in nature.  The author assumes no responsibility for any loss or damage that might result from reliance on the reported information or from its use.

Analyst Credentials

Margareth Gagliardi, Chief Research Analyst in Advanced Materials for BCC Research, has more than 30 years of experience in the field of advanced materials, specializing in ceramic formulations, materials processing, and new product development. After receiving her degrees in Chemical and Ceramic Engineering, she worked in both manufacturing and R&D holding senior management positions within U.S. and European firms producing electronic, mechanical, chemical, and structural components.

She is currently focusing on market intelligence and advanced technologies analysis for organizations and research institutions that operate within a range of high-tech industries.