Diagnostic display monitors have experienced slow growth since 2007 due to picture archiving and communication system installations across radiology departments of European hospitals having reached saturation.

However, favorable regulations mandating the sales of 5MP displays for digital mammography have ensured high-volume sales in several European countries. The increasing demand for clinical review display monitors from private practitioners has also ensured very high growth rates for medical imaging display monitors.

New analysis from Frost and Sullivan, European Medical Imaging Display Monitors Market, finds that the market earned revenues of US$207.2million in 2007 and estimates this to reach $520.4million in 2014. The following segments are covered in this research: acquisition display, diagnostic display, surgical display, clinical review display and mammography display.

"A favorable reimbursement scenario combined with an improving regulatory environment for digital mammography has resulted in the large volume sales of 5MP mammography display monitors," said Frost and Sullivan Research Analyst Krishanu Bhattacharjee. "PACS installations are set to expand beyond their conventional deployment in radiology departments with the market for diagnostic display monitors poised to grow steadily in the cardiology and surgical departments of European hospitals."

The mounting demand to include color images in the daily workflow of radiologists has supported sustained market growth in the past two years. Display manufacturers will also benefit from the steady increase in PACS installations across cardiology departments.

The sales of acquisition displays suffered in 2007 due to most imaging modalities such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging reaching maturity. Market growth has also been adversely affected by the saturation in radiology PACS installations in European hospitals. The lack of stringent standards and mandates will affect volume sales of clinical review display monitors in the coming years.

"A cost-cutting spree amongst European hospitals has directly affected the sale of imaging equipment, hampering the sales of acquisition display monitors attached to these systems," said Bhattacharjee.

"Revenue channels from PACS installations have also started closing down owing to saturation of PACS in large and medium-size hospitals. With hospitals hesitating to invest in high definition displays for surgical suites, market penetration of surgical displays is projected to be low in the near future."

Vendors should target small and medium-sized hospitals where PACS installations are yet to be made in order to ensure sustained revenue generation from slow growing market segments such as diagnostic displays. They also need to establish efficient distribution channels to be able to reach private practitioners and boost volume sales of clinical review display monitors.

"Display manufacturers will have to come up with competitive promotional offers for surgical display monitors to encourage higher adoption rates," said Bhattacharjee. "Also, as hospitals reduce their outlay on display monitors and other large imaging modalities, vendors need to develop innovative post processing and 3D image reconstruction software. This will enable sustained revenue generation."