Sterilization Equipment Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027

a) Sterilization is described as a complete elimination or destruction of all microbial life forms, carried out by various methods using sterilization equipment. Medical devices are sterilized in various ways, including using moist heat (steam), dry heat, radiation, ethylene oxide gas, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, and other methods (for example, chlorine dioxide gas, vaporized peracetic acid, and nitrogen dioxide).
b) Sterilization is a fundamental element of infection control measures in hospitals. Many hospitals perform various surgeries every day. More invasive procedures are being conducted at various medical facilities. Medical devices or surgical instruments that encounter the patient's sterile tissue or mucous membranes during different approaches are associated with an increased risk of introducing the pathogen into the patient's body. In addition, there is the potential for patient-to-patient transmission of infection, from the patient or to medical staff and vice versa (e.g., hepatitis B virus), or through improperly sterile or disinfected products, from the patient's environment (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, etc.). Hospitals have reported numerous outbreaks and infections from improperly sterilized equipment. Many infectious diseases have been reported worldwide due to contaminated endoscopes. Therefore, all medical facilities require appropriate decontamination techniques for medical and surgical equipment. Healthcare providers are responsible for reducing and eliminating such infections.
c) The sterilization process is widely used across pharma & biotech companies, medical devices companies, research laboratories, food & beverage companies, ambulatory settings, infection control service providers, etc. In healthcare, there is a huge demand for innovative medicines and therapeutic procedures for disease treatment, leading to a rise in R&D activities in research laboratories and pharma & biotech companies which, in turn, drive the sterilization equipment market growth. In the modern lifestyle, preserved food and beverage consumption is rising. The industry players are following sterilizing procedures to avoid contamination and protect the items for an extended period.

REUSABLE MEDICAL DEVICES

A medical device is used for the diagnosis and treatment of multiple patients. Examples of reusable medical devices are surgical forceps, endoscopes, and laryngoscopes. Reusable medical devices become microbially contaminated when used on patients. Reusable devices are reprocessed to avoid the risk of infection by contaminated devices. Reprocessing is a detailed multi-step process that is cleaned and then disinfected or sterilized. When the labeling instructions for reprocessing are followed entirely and correctly each time the device is used, reprocessing will result in a medical device that can be safely used multiple times with the same patient. Proper reprocessing of reusable medical devices is essential to protect patient safety. The number of growing surgical procedures leads to (re)-use of medical devices on more than one patient. Using unsterile medical equipment in different procedures might spread various infections or hazardous reactions to the patients. The high risk of infections associated with improper sterilization of endoscopes is majorly driving the demand for reprocessing equipment. The endoscope reprocessing market will flourish due to a focus on high cleaning standards and mounting pressures for sterilized and disinfected medical devices in hospitals and clinics.

IMPACT OF COVID-19

Sterilization in hospitals and similar healthcare facilities is a powerful technique that is becoming frequently employed in the ongoing effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus and other drug-resistant bacteria in healthcare institutions. Sterile processing has always had a distinctively important role in the hospital, especially when it comes to containing the spread of harmful pathogens. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed a few things regarding sterile processing operations. The COVID-19 pandemic has replaced hospital processes and made people more aware of the need to sterilize medical instruments between patients thoroughly.

ALTERNATIVES FOR ETHYLENE OXIDE (EO) COMING AS TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN STERILIZATION METHOD

Alternatives to Ethylene oxide (EO) is one of the latest trends in the industry. The FDA supported encouraging the development of new approaches to medical device sterilization. New low-temperature sterilization technologies like hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, and nitrogen dioxide have also come up as advanced technologies in the market. This trend offers a huge opportunity to the sterilization equipment market players in the future to deliver safe and effective methods per the end-users requirements.

STRINGENT REGULATIONS DRIVING THE MARKET GROWTH

The various national government and international healthcare agencies are focusing on introducing standardized guidelines to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAI). The increasing regulatory and stringent measures to reuse and reprocess medical devices across the globe are driving the sterilization equipment market. Also, strict regulations to launch product for medical device sterilization is contributing to the sterilization equipment market growth.

MARKET INSIGHTS BY SEGMENTS

Product Type

The product type segment comprises equipment and consumables. The equipment segment is dominating the market and is predicted to witness healthy growth during the forecast period. As the share of equipment is higher than the consumables, it is evident that the demand for sterilization equipment is increasing. The key vendors are introducing new and innovative advanced technologies in accordance with end-user requirements. However, some key vendors are expanding their growth in the sterilization equipment market by increasing their consumables operations.

Segmentation by Product Type

• Equipment
• Consumables

Sterilization Method Analysis

Sterilization can be achieved by combining heat, chemicals, irradiation, high pressure, and filtration of pressurized steam, dry heat, UV radiation, gas steam sterilant, chlorine dioxide gas, etc. Effective sterilization techniques are crucial for working, and negligence can have serious consequences, even life-threatening. The Sterilization methods comprise chemical, radiation, thermal & filtration methods. The end-users highly adopt the chemical sterilization method integrated with a low temperature in the market. Ethylene oxide contributes a significant share to the chemical sterilization method. As alternatives are coming up to replace and reduce Ethylene oxide emissions, the radiation sterilization method can be seen growing at a competitive rate and is expected to drive the sterilization equipment market.

Segmentation by Sterilization Method:

• Chemical
• Radiation
• Thermal
• Others

End-user

In recent years, epidemics of several infectious diseases have highlighted the importance of large-scale sterilization equipment in hospitals. Therefore, the rise in HAI incidences encourages the hospital segment to adopt innovative and advanced technologies, thereby contributing to the market's growth. After the hospital segment, pharma & biotech companies contribute to the market’s growth as different sterilization methods are applied to materials, equipment, and products of different chemical compositions and physical characteristics. Sterilization processes are being adopted in food and beverage industries to avoid contamination and preserve food items for extended periods. The medical devices companies’ segment is growing at a significant CAGR during the forecast period, as the demand for sterile medical devices to controlling HAI is a more crucial factor.

Segmentation by End-User

• Hospitals
• Pharma & Biotech Companies
• Medical Device Companies
• Laboratories
• Food & Beverage Companies
• Others

GEOGRAPHY ANALYSIS

a) North America represents the presence of key market players in the region. An increasing patient population drives the market in the region, along with a rising number of surgical procedures. The stringent regulations mandate sterilization procedures for end-users, especially hospitals, to avoid HAI incidences. Growing pharma R&D practices in the region are one of the major driving factors for the market. Increasing offsite sterilization services due to the surge of COVID-19 contributes to the adoption of sterilization reprocessing. North America has dominated the sterilization equipment market and is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.
b) Europe is the second-largest market for sterilization equipment. Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and Spain are the major revenue contributor to this region. The presence of prominent market players, better preventive measures/practices, and high expenditure in healthcare are the primary factors for this region's significant sterilization equipment market share. The market is growing significantly with stringent regulatory actions for (re)use of medical devices to avoid HAI cases. Players in the region are focusing on delivering innovative & cost-effective sterilization equipment in the market.
c) In APAC, the increased use of antimicrobial drugs/antibiotics, inappropriate sterilization of medical devices, ICUs, drainage tubes, and the growing geriatric population are the primary sources fueling the growth of the sterilization equipment market in the region. Most of the revenue generators are developing countries in this region. In the region, increasing R&D activities in research laboratories, pharma & biotech companies drive the market’s growth. This region is growing at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.
d) Latin America and Middle & East & Africa represent the low and middle-income countries. The presence of a large, undertreated patient population, rising awareness of advanced management procedures, and non-compliance to the guidelines set up by the government in Latin America and, the Middle East & Africa are the stimulating factors for the sterilization equipment market in the region.

Segmentation by Region

• North America
• US
• Canada
• Europe
• Germany
• UK
• France
• Spain
• Italy
• APAC
• China
• Japan
• India
• Australia
• South Korea
• Latin America
• Brazil
• Mexico
• Argentina
• Middle East & Africa
• Turkey
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa

Key Vendors

• 3M
• Cardinal Health
• Getinge
• Steelco
• STERIS

Other Prominent Vendors

• Acmas Technologies
• Andersen Sterilizers
• Belimed
• B.M. S.r.l. Medical Equipment
• ClorDisys Solutions
• Cosmed Group
• DE LAMA
• Fortive
• GPC Medical
• Hubei CFULL Medical Technology
• MATACHANA GROUP
• MELAG Medizintechnik
• Midmark
• MMM Group
• NovaSterilis
• SCHLUMBOHM Medizin-Labor-Technologie
• Sotera Health
• Sterile Technologies
• Stryker
• Systec
• Tuttnauer

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED

1. How big is the sterilization equipment market?
2. What is the growth rate of the global sterilization equipment market?
3. Who are the key players in the sterilization equipment market?
4. Which region is expected to hold the largest share in the sterilization equipment market by 2027?
5. What are the latest trends in the sterilization equipment market?