To cut costs, healthcare companies are seeking out single-use alternatives to certain medical devices that require a lot of time and money to reprocess, according to GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company gives the example of the bronchoscope market, within which single-use flexible video bronchoscopes are gaining ground over traditional multi-use options.
A bronchoscope is an endoscopic device that is inserted into the airway, usually through the nose or mouth. Bronchoscopes are traditionally reusable devices that need extensive sterilization cycles between each use.
Single-use flexible video bronchoscopes value increases
According to research by the medical team at GlobalData, the popularity of single-use flexible video bronchoscopes is increasing. Their market value rose by 17% each year between 2015 and 2022. One benefit is that single-use varieties of bronchoscopes save healthcare companies from investing in expensive sterilization equipment, disinfecting reagents and the need for additional reprocessing staff.
Brian Hicks, Senior Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Single-use flexible video bronchoscopes are driving the bronchoscopes market as healthcare organizations seek ways to not only improve patient safety and outcome, but minimize operational costs related to medical device reprocessing. This is particularly interesting because many industries are moving away from single-use items in a bid to be more sustainable. However, the extensive cleaning that these devices require means high use of cleaning chemicals, so it is likely that, when it comes to environmental concerns, it is a little bit like being between a rock and a hard place. With the population rising, and more patients expected through the door, the cost factor is vital, so single use wins out this time.”
Flexible video bronchoscopes have been leading the pack in a growing market
Several types of bronchoscopes exist on the market today, namely rigid bronchoscopes, mobile bronchoscopes, flexible fiber (non-video) bronchoscopes, and flexible video bronchoscopes. The last of these, the repeatable version of the flexible video bronchoscopes, have dominated the market share in recent years. Looking forward, the global market for bronchoscopes is forecasted by GlobalData to grow from over $530 million in 2022 to nearly $830 million by the end of the decade.
Hicks continues: “Flexible video bronchoscopes have been so successful because of their technological advantages, wide range of indications of use, and continuously improved visualization capabilities. That the move towards single-use varieties occurred within this particular type of bronchoscope first is not a surprise.”
Single-use flexible video bronchoscopes maker Ambu rapidly gaining share
The bronchoscopes market was traditionally led by top Japanese medical device manufacturers, including Olympus, Fujifilm, and Hoya (Pentax), alongside Karl Storz, a German company that also manufactures other endoscope types. However, since the onset of single-use bronchoscopes in 2009, Ambu, a Danish company that pioneered this technology, has rapidly gained market share with its aScope Broncho series.
Hicks adds: “Despite more manufacturers now launching their own single-use video bronchoscopes, Ambu will likely remain the top player within this segment, given that it has a more than a ten-year advantage in product development, established sales channels, and physician familiarity. I expect more established competitors like Pentax and Karl Storz to develop their own single-use bronchoscopes soon.”
