Through the continual advancements in electronics and optics, healthcare diagnostics is transforming at a breakneck pace. Medical imaging is commonly perceived as the volumetric assessment of a patient’s body by X-ray, computed tomography (CT), MRI, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine while optical imaging element is virtually ignored. This is partly because most market research, instruction, or field analysis of medical imaging focuses on the radiologic perspective of imaging tools. However, optics has a dominant role in medical imaging, highlighted by its position as one of the most commercially viable sectors with a diverse array of products. According to leading surveys, the optical imaging market is expected to witness a CAGR of 11.4 percent, during the forecast period of 2021 to 2026.
Optical imaging offers the potential to differentiate between healthy and infectious tissues, creating a huge opportunity for caregivers to make timely interventions or care plan changes. Furthermore, with its non-ionizing radiation-driven approach medical optics significantly minimizes a patient’s radiation exposure, enabling a safe avenue for repeated studies over time. Despite its unmatched potential, these solutions are hindered by factors like stringent regulatory approval procedures, high costs of instruments, scarcity of skilled operators, and insufficient reimbursement policies for optical imaging procedures.
In this edition of Healthcare Tech Outlook, we present to you some of the most promising medical optical imaging solution providers that are bypassing these hurdles to deliver consistently positive outcomes. This issue features thought leadership articles from Julie Singewald, Vice President of Radiology at Essentia Health and Dr. Ethan Bachrach, MD, Chief Medical Informatics Officer at TeamHealth. It also showcases innovative solutions from companies like ML Optic, which provides precision optics, and focuses on R&D, design, and manufacture of precision, high-end, and advanced optical lenses and instruments.
