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Strategic Analysis of Semiconductors in the Global Medical Imaging Market
Frost & Sullivan, Feb 2005
Accurately Meeting the Needs of Medical Imaging Modality Market Crucial for Semiconductor Vendors
While the medical imaging modality market is a relatively stable one, the semiconductor industry is in a state of transition from a technology standpoint, especially in regard to meeting the demands of medical imaging modality vendors. The critical challenge facing semiconductor vendors, therefore, is to understand the dynamics of the medical imaging modality market as well as its unique needs in order to address those requirements with the relevant technology. Demand from the medical imaging modality market is on the rise as semiconductor content in medical imaging systems such as ultrasounds and computed tomography (CT) scanners continues to increase and is likely to continue to do so until 2008.
This Frost & Sullivan research is a valuable resource for semiconductor vendors looking to establish themselves in the medical imaging modality market. With the help of detailed revenue forecasts provided for the total semiconductor market in this research service, vendors can evaluate exactly where they stand in the market. Since the forecasts are segmented on technology basis, vendors can also assess the future development of each technology and their potential.
Keeping Pace with the Demand for Constant Upgradation a Major Challenge for Semiconductor Vendors
Semiconductor vendors today have a vast range of technologies to choose from when catering to the needs of their medical imaging clients. However, vendors need to work with the various options available to determine if they can arrive at a combination of two or three technologies. By collaborating with other vendors, they might be able to achieve the best possible technology for all concerned.
Moreover, since high-end medical imaging instruments such as ultrasound systems and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are often extremely expensive, end customers view these systems as a long-term investment. The quality of imaging is therefore, very crucial in this market, making it imperative for semiconductor vendors to come up with regular upgrades and cut down on the time-to-market, remark the analysts of this research service.
FPGA Technology Gains Ground
Field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology is likely to be one of the fastest growing segments, note the analysts. Revenues for FPGA vendors from the medical imaging modality space are expected to increase from $118 million in 2004 to $204 million in 2008 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.7 percent.
Although this technology is relatively new, it has slowly begun replacing other well-established technologies in some major modalities. FPGA is reprogrammable, flexible, and reusable since any upgrade involves merely a change of software. This gives it a major advantage over, for instance, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) since ASIC vendors find it difficult to meet frequent upgrade demands from medical imaging modality vendors.
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