by John Wallace
Patient temperature management is a vital element in many instances of healthcare. Medical devices to lower or increase body temperature are valuable tools, especially when it comes to surgical settings.
Temperature management can be used for patient comfort and can also improve health outcomes. Therapeutic cooling can reduce fevers and serve a vital role in preserving the functionality of the brain and the nervous system. Devices used to warm patients can provide assistance when treating sports injuries, patients suffering from trauma and is an important element of neonatal care.
A recent report by TechNavio indicates that this market of medical devices is on the rise. The analysts predict that the global patient temperature management market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.4 percent from 2013 through 2018.
“The global patient temperature management market has also been witnessing an increase in mergers and acquisitions among the leading vendors to increase their global presence and to achieve economies of scale,” according to ResearchAndMarkets. “However, the unavailability of adequate scientific support for the systematic and protocol-driven application of these devices could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.”
“The global patient temperature management market is witnessing an increase in the number of mergers and acquisitions among the leading vendors in the market,” an analyst said. “Vendors opt for the mergers and acquisitions strategy to gain more market share, increase their global presence, and to achieve high economies of scale. For instance, GE Healthcare acquired Vital Signs Inc. in 2008; Philips Healthcare acquired InnerCool Therapies Inc., and ZOLL Medical Corp. acquired Alsius Corp. in 2009; Stryker Corp. acquired Gaymar Industries Inc. and 3M Health Care acquired Arizant Inc. in 2010; and C.R. Bard Inc. acquired Medivance Inc. in 2011. These acquisitions by the leading vendors have enabled them to maintain their position in the global patient temperature management market and develop a variety of offerings, which will boost their revenue during the forecast period.
According to the report, one of the major drivers is the increasing prevalence of cardiac and CNS disorders. The rise in cardiac, brain, and spinal surgery is leading to the growth of the market as hot and cold therapy products are used in these surgeries to provide patient comfort and improve outcomes.
Further, the report states that one of the major challenges faced by the market is the unavailability of adequate scientific support for the systematic and protocol-driven application of these devices.
The United States traditionally leads the worldwide market with Europe a close second.
Key vendors dominating this space include 3M Health Care, Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products Inc., Covidien plc, Smiths Medical, and Stryker Corp.
Other vendors mentioned in the report are Augustine Temperature Management LLC, Belmont Instrument Corp., C. R. Bard Inc., Ecolab Inc., EMIT Corp., Enthermics Medical Systems Inc., GE Healthcare Ltd., Geratherm Medical AG, Philips Healthcare, Pintler Medical LLC, The 37 Co., WElkins LLC, ZOLL Medical Corp.
