24 May 2011

ElectroniCast releases forecast of LEDs used in medical & biophotonic devices

ElectroniCast Consultants has released a new market research study of the global consumption value of packaged light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used in medical and biophotonic devices, covering devices which transfer energy via light (such as therapy or surgery) as well as applications which excite matter via light and transfer information back to the operator (such as diagnostics).

The report segments the market into the following sub-application categories: Sensing/Detection and Analytical/Monitoring; Phototherapy/Sanitation/Cell Regeneration/Curing; Instrumentation Light Source and Imaging; and Operating Theater (OT)/Surgical/Dentistry Lighting.

Sensing/Detection and Analytical/Monitoring applications represented 43% of the global consumption value of packaged LEDs used in medical and biophotonic devices in 2010, according to ElectroniCast. In particular, capillary electrophoresis (CE) has a wide range of applications in analytical chemistry. “CE detectors based on LEDs as light sources have gained considerable attention due to their exceptionally high stability, high intensity, low cost, and a variety of wavelengths in the UV and visible spectrum,” says Stephen Montgomery, president- International Business at ElectroniCast. By 2017, the value of LEDs used in Sensing/Detection and Analytical/ Monitoring applications is forecast to fall in relative market share, but rise by a multiple of 3x in consumption.

Consumption of LEDs in Phototherapy/Sanitation/Cell Regeneration/Curing — including water treatment, medical, health & beauty photodynamic therapy (PDT), as well as curing methods (especially in dentistry applications) — is forecast to grow strongly at 49.4% per year during 2010–2017. In particular, LED skin rejuvenation is the interaction of light (delivered through LEDs) to activate cell receptors, causing them to produce collagen or to multiply. “The use of yellow LEDs for PDT is making advances in the marketplace,” notes Montgomery. “LED yellow light is used in the cosmetic treatment of burns (such as sunburn) to reduce the appearance of redness, swelling, as well as other inflammation,” he adds.

LEDs used in Instrumentation Light Sources and Imaging devices are forecast to increase in value at an annual growth rate of 26.1% during 2010–2017. “Typically, high-pressure mercury or xenon light sources are used for fluorescence microscopy; however, often these sources are too bright and harmful for the living organisms being studied,” says Montgomery. “Excessive brightness can destroy cells or otherwise affect them, as well as several other drawbacks; therefore LEDs are increasing in use.”

The use of LEDs for illumination in the Operating Theater (OT)/Surgical/Dentistry Lighting application category is forecast to grow at a very impressive rate of 76.4% per year during 2010–2017.

The market data in the report is also segmented by the following colors (type): red, green, blue, white, multiple color/multiple chip, and UV & other.

See related items:

LED shipments growing 40% to 165bn in 2011

Tags: LEDs market Medical LEDs

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