Intravascular ultrasound imaging system (IVUS) is a catheter-based imaging technique, which allows visualization and assessment of the morphological properties of blood vessels and heart. It provides observation of the real-time aortic diameter assessment. This technique is especially useful when other techniques such as computed tomography and angiography does not provide adequate imaging details.

Intravascular ultrasound imaging is performed by directly cannulating a miniature catheter into the arteries (mostly into coronary artery) to check plaque inside artery that results in coronary artery disease. Intravascular ultrasound system has been increasingly used for clinical investigation purposes such as in guiding the placement of stent or evaluation of therapy strategies and the follow-up examinations in heart transplant recipients.

Intravascular Ultrasound System Market - Market Dynamics

Key players are launching new products in the global intravascular ultrasound system market to provide better visualization of arteries. This is expected to expand the overall market of intravascular ultrasound system. For instance, in August 2018, Infraredx, Inc., a Nipro company, announced the Japanese launch of the Makoto intravascular imaging system and accompanying Dualpro intravascular ultrasound and near-infrared spectroscopy (IVUS+NIRS) catheter for mapping coronary artery disease. The launch follows a Spring 2018 limited market release that included more than 10 hospitals in Japan and this system has received approval from Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency in 2017.

Increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases is one of the significant factors driving growth of the intravascular ultrasound system market. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which narrowing of the arteries leads to ischemia of the heart, which is a main consequence of cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis leads to myocardial infarction (heart attack) if it is left untreated.

Plaque is considered to be the main determinant of luminal narrowing in atherosclerosis. Examination of plaque can be done using intravascular ultrasound system market. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) factsheet in 2017, globally 17.7 million people die due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) annually, which accounts for around 31% of all deaths worldwide. 80% of all CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes. This can be prevented if these disease are diagnosed on time with the help of different approaches including intravascular ultrasound system.

However, the image quality of standard-definition intravascular ultrasound can make identification of structures challenging. The thin fibrous cap thickness cannot be visualized using this imaging technique and it becomes difficult to characterize plaque composition. Physician who utilize this system needs expertise to examine the image and diagnose presence of abnormality if any. These factors are expected to limit the adoption of the intravascular ultrasound system, thereby hindering growth of the market.

Furthermore, cost of the imaging technique and lack of uniform reimbursement policy for IVUS are factors restraining growth of the market.

Intravascular Ultrasound System Market - Regional Insights

On the basis of geography, the global intravascular ultrasound system market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America is expected to hold dominant position in the global intravascular ultrasound system market over the forecast period, owing to increasing product launches and rising incidence of cardiovascular diseases in the U.S. In May 2019, Philips announced the launch of the new IntraSight interventional applications platform in the U.S. The secure, application-based platform offers a comprehensive suite of clinically proven instant wave-free ratio (iFR), fractional flow reserve (FFR), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and co-registration modalities to simplify complex interventions and speed routine procedures.

Over 8 million people in the U.S. are affected by peripheral arterial disease, according to the National Institutes of Health, Facts about Peripheral Arterial Disease published in September 2017. Furthermore, cardiovascular disease accounts for around 800,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. According to statistics given by the American College of Cardiology in February 2017, over 90 million people in the U.S. get diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. This high diagnosis rate is expected to drive growth of the intravascular ultrasound system market. Emerging economies in Asia Pacific is expected to witness high CAGR over the forecast period due to high death rate due to cardiovascular diseases in the region. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2017, 75% of CVD deaths occurred in low-income and middle-income economies.

Intravascular Ultrasound System Market - Competitive Landscape

Key players operating in the global intravascular ultrasound system market include Philips Volcano, Boston Scientific Corporation, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Infraredx, Medtronic plc, Samsung Madison, Silicon Valley Medical Instruments, and Abbott Healthcare.
Companies are launching novel products, in order to overcome present challenges associated with intravascular ultrasound systems and gain larger market share in the intravascular ultrasound systems market.
In July 2018, Conavi Medical was granted with the U.S. FDA clearance for its Novasight hybrid imaging system, which allows simultaneous imaging of coronary arteries with both intravascular ultrasound system and optical coherence tomography. IVUS or OCT are used by interventional cardiologists to image coronary anatomy during angioplasty and stenting procedures.
In June 2017, Royal Philips re-launched its Pioneer Plus catheter, which is the first and only re-entry device with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) capabilities and needle deployment designed to assist arterial vessel intervention. This system captures images of vessels in the peripheral vascular system from inside the artery, thereby helping physicians to identify the targeted area and place catheter in a specific location. This helps to treat arterial blockage efficiently.
Even, in December 2014, Royal Philips completed its acquisition of Volcano Corporation. Volcano is a leader in intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) catheter measurements used in the interventional cardiology cath lab. This acquisition complements Philips’ existing portfolio of interventional X-ray and ultrasound imaging equipment.
In July 2014, Boston Scientific launched the Polaris imaging system, a device used with the company’s intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter and this system has received both FDA clearance and CE mark approval and has already been used in no. of clinics in the US and Europe.
In October 2013, GE Healthcare and Boston Scientific Corporation announced a collaboration that enables improved intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) workflow between the GE Healthcare Innova Cardiovascular X-ray System and the Boston Scientific iLab Ultrasound Imaging System

Intravascular Ultrasound System Market - Taxonomy

On the basis of product, the global intravascular ultrasound system market is segmented into: