A Doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive test. It is used to estimate the flow of blood through blood vessels by using high frequency of sound waves i.e. ultrasound on the circulating blood cells. A Doppler ultrasound may help to diagnose various conditions such as blood clots, poor functioning of valves in leg veins, congenital heart disease, heart valve defects, blocked artery, decrease of blood circulation in legs, bulging arteries, narrowing of an artery for example carotid artery stenosis. Doppler ultrasound can estimate the rate of flow of blood by measuring the rate of change in the frequency of sound waves. It is a pain free test as it only involves high intensity sound waves. Doppler ultrasound is also commonly used in pregnancy, and is used to study the blood circulation in baby, uterus, and placenta. An alternative to non- invasive Doppler ultrasound test is a more invasive procedure such as angiography, in which dye is injected into the blood vessels so their images are clearly seen on X-ray. Doppler Ultrasound can be classified into two types i.e. trolley-based and hand-held based. Hand held based Doppler ultrasound is comparatively cheaper than trolley-based as it consumes less electricity.

Doppler Ultrasound Market Drivers:-

Major drivers for growth of the Doppler ultrasound market are advancement in technology of Doppler ultrasound devices and rising awareness about improved gynecological care for pregnant women. In 2009, Mindray Medical International Limited launched DC-8 Mindray, a portable color Doppler echo machine. It provides a unique scanning experience, can be used for fetal biometry analysis, aids in ovarian mass examination, offers a crystal image quality, is user friendly interface, offers comprehensive analysis, has echo enriched beam forming, provides phase shift harmonic imaging, iBeam, iClear, 3D/4D imaging, and others. DC-8 Mindray’s is majorly used for application in OB-GYN (Obstetrician-gynecologist). In 2013, Mindray launched DC-N3 Pro, which has an inbuilt tutorial software, auto measurement of fetal parameters, multiple beam foundation, IVF Package, and Elastography to measure the stiffness and elasticity of soft tissue. Other factors expected to aid in growth of this market are rising prevalence of chronic diseases and life style diseases in geriatric population, advancements in technology in Doppler ultrasound devices making it more affordable and reliable, and increasing awareness about therapeutic and non-invasive treatments. Doppler ultrasound can also be used to detect breast cancers. According to a study conducted by National Cancer Institute in 2017, the U.S. has over 266,120 cases of breast cancer.

Dearth in trained and qualified technicians to use newly developed equipment and preference of male child in countries such as India has to development of stringent government regulation such as The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act and Pre –Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act and these factors are expected to negatively affect growth of the market. Due to such laws, registration of laboratories, counselling centers, and clinics such as sonography centers, mobile sonography vans, and others is mandatory. Such laws can be a restraint for adoption of such medical equipment.

Key Developments in Doppler Ultrasound Market

In January 2016, SIMnext, LLC, a medical simulation research and development company, launched its first DR Doppler Dynamic Ultrasonography Training System (DR Doppler) in the U.S. Moreover, in January 2016, SIMnext, LLC partnered with Limbs & Things, Inc., company based in Bristol, United Kingdom, to distribute the DR Doppler globally.
In November 2016, Neural Analytics, a U.S.-based medical device company, launched its Lucid M1 Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound System. It is a portable brain monitoring system intended to measure cerebral blood flow velocities within the head and neck.
In October 2018, BMV Technology Co., Ltd. launched its BPU60 Hand-Carried Portable Color Doppler Ultrasound System. The novel systems features advanced imaging platform, high-performance image, processing chips to obtained more powerful data. Moreover, technologies such as imaging technology, speckle noise reduction technology, new image enhancement technology, and multi-beam parallel processing technology are in-built in the system for better imaging outcome.
In January 2019, Konica Minolta Healthcare, India, launched the AeroScan range of digital ultrasound systems in India. The AeroScan range includes entry level B&W ultrasound systems to high-end colour Dopplers such as portable colour Doppler CD10 and CD20, and both with 15” LCD displays. Moreover, for mid-range, company offers CD30 featuring high density probe and wide angle transvaginal probe, and 8” touch screen LCD display. CD 30 has inbuilt battery back up in a compact mobile system.
In February 2019, Kiran Medical Systems, a radiology division of Trivitron Healthcare, launched its Kiran SonoRad V9 Color Doppler in India. SonoRad V9 can be used in nursing homes, diagnostic centers and large & mid-size hospitals.

Doppler Ultrasound Market Regional Analysis:-

Asia Pacific region is expected to exhibit significant growth in the global Doppler ultrasound market, due to increase of geriatric population and advancements in technology such as development of portable Doppler ultrasound. According to survey conducted by Ministry of statistics and program implementation in 2016 geriatric population is increasing at the rate of 8.6% out of which more than 50 million are suffering from heart disease. Mindray Medical International Limited is China’s largest medical equipment developer, manufacturer, and also does marketing of a variety of medical equipment both for human and veterinary use. They have a wide range of Doppler ultrasound products like Mindray M6 Ultrasound machine, Mindray Zonare Resona 7 Ultrasound Machine, Mindray DP-20 Portable ultrasound Machine, etc. North America is also expected to exhibit high growth rate in due to new product launches by key players in the region. For instance, in 2014, ZONARE Medical Systems—a U.S.-based company—introduced new feature in its Z3 product. Zonar continues their product Z3 with the introduction of a new advancement Z.ONE PRO. This covers all applications ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics, built on ZONE SONOGRAPHY Technology. Its applications are cardiac, breast, anesthesia, emergency medicine, OB-GYN (Obstetrician-gynecologist), and venous and vascular. According to a study conducted by OECD (The Organization of Economic Corporation and Development) in 2016, prevalence of chronic diseases in U.S. is rising due to changes in lifestyle by 7% and prevalence of dementia in geriatric population is also rising gradually in the country, which is expected to support the Doppler ultrasound market growth in North America.

Doppler Ultrasound Key Players:-

Key players operating in the global Doppler ultrasound market include Toshiba Corporation, Mindray medical international limited, General Electric Company, Hitachi Limited, Samsung electronics, FUJI FILM Holdings Corporation, Koninklijke Philips, Seimens, and Analogic Corporation.

Doppler Ultrasound Market Taxonomy:-

The global Doppler ultrasound market is segmented based on portability, application, end user, and region.

By Portability:-