Global Slide Stainer Market - 2022-2029

Market Overview

The global slide stainer market size was valued at US$ 3704.2 million in 2021 and is estimated to reach US$ YY million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period (2022-2029).

A stainer is used to separate tissues or cells, to carry microscopic study and identification. A slide stainer automates the staining of prepared cytology or histology tissue specimens by diffusing dyes into the samples through direct or indirect staining, surface adsorption, or mordant staining. An automated slide stainer uses two processes, rotating transport and linear transport.

Market Dynamics

The global slide stainer market growth is driven rising prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases, technological advancements, and growing demand for automation in diagnostics and clinical research are among the key factors driving the market growth.

The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is expected to drive growth in the forecast period

The growing prevalence of chronic and life-threatening diseases is driving pharmaceutical companies and research firms to focus on R&D activities to develop effective therapeutics. Strides made in lab instrumentation automation have led to the application of slide stainers in disease diagnosis and oncology research.

As per the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes patients spent US$ 760 billion in 2019, of which, most was spent by Type-1 diabetes patients on insulin drugs. Around 463 million adults (20-79 years) are living with diabetes currently, and by 2045 this is projected to rise to 700 million. The proportion of type 2 diabetes people is increasing in most countries. Also, as per the American Heart Association, in 2015, approximately 41.5% of the U.S. population was suffering from some form of cardiac disease, it is further estimated that this prevalence is likely to increase to 45% by 2035. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S., about half of the population (47%) of the United States have at least one of these three risk factors. According to the National Cancer Institute, the most common cancers are prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung and bronchus cancer, colon and rectum cancer, melanoma of the skin, bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney and renal pelvis cancer, endometrial cancer, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, and liver cancer.

Hence, the growing health burden of chronic and infectious diseases is a major factor boosting the demand for slide stainers, especially in developed countries. In developing countries, the prevalence of infectious diseases has increased the spending of the population on regular health checkups, which has encouraged healthcare providers such as hospitals to automate lab processes. This has increased the demand for high-performing slide stainers.

Concerns associated with automated slide stainers are likely to hinder market growth

There are some concerns associated with the use of autostainers such as the initial expense, space availability, and repair issues, which are slow the adoption of slide stainers. A routine stainer may have only a manual method as a backup, but the stainer may be occupying the only space in the laboratory where a manual stain system can fit.

The downtime for repairs is lengthy if service technicians with lack of professional technicians in developing countries. Some technologists object to being limited to the dedicated reagents required by some systems.

Another concern is that the technologist is now removed from the staining process. When doing a manual stain, the technologist can observe each step; if he or she sees that something is wrong, the procedure can often be stopped to correct the problem.

A staining problem on an automated system may not be noticed until the finished product is reviewed, and sometimes troubleshooting at this stage is difficult. In training situations, learning the principles of staining is important, and the use of a machine instead of human eyes and hands may impair the trainee's ability to understand the actual process of staining.

Industry Analysis

The global slide stainer market provides in-depth analysis of the market based on various industry factors such as porter's five force analysis, supply chain analysis, regulatory analysis, pricing analysis, reimbursement analysis, unmet needs.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold everyday with severe impact on people, communities, and businesses. The growth in several industries are impacted significantly while numerous other markets may remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. The global slide stainer market has received immense impetus from the COVID-19 pandemic, as stakeholders are increasingly searching for newer approaches towards diagnosing and curing patients affected by the COVID-19.

Increasing research and development is being undertaken by several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Thus, rising demand for clinical research is expected to generate several opportunities for the slide stainer manufacturers, hence, expected to boost the market growth over the forecast period. The dramatic explosion of the novel coronavirus is affecting lives globally. Hospitals and labs need access to reliable COVID-19 test kits, and several companies are coming up to support the medical professionals on the front lines working to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Diagnostic or molecular tests answer whether a person has active SARS-CoV-2 infection or not. In contrast, serological or antibody tests reveal if a person had COVID-19 by assaying for the presence of antibodies to COVID-19 in a person's blood. Over 100 COVID-19 diagnostic tests with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

Segment Analysis

The hematoxylin and eosin segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period (2022-2029)

Hematoxylin and Eosin have been used for recognizing various tissue types and morphologic changes. Hematoxylin has deep blue to purple color and stain nuclei of the cells, against pink background counterstained by Eosin. Moreover, hematoxylin and eosin are the key ingredients in stains used by biological laboratories and pathologists. Hematoxylin is an excellent nuclear stain that is used widely in cytology and histology, two of the most important uses being as a nuclear stain in the Papanicolaou procedure for the diagnosis of vaginal cancer and in combination with the contrast stain Eosin, which is the chief diagnostic tool for most other cancers.

Rising demand for the hematoxylin and eosin for the various diagnostic test and laboratories uses is expected to fuel the growth of the segment over the forecast period. Moreover, increasing technological development such as the expansion of high throughput hematology analyzers and the introduction of basic cytometry techniques analyzers have been propelling segment growth and the trend is expected to continue over the forecast period.

However, intense competition among existing players and the high cost of hematoxylin and eosin are supposed to restrain the market in the forecast period. Also, time-consuming and stringent regulatory policies are projected to hamper market growth over the forecast period.

Geographical Analysis

North America region holds the largest market share of the global slide stainer market

North America is anticipated to account for a major share of the global slide stainer market. This can be ascribed to the region leading in a wide array of diagnostic and research capabilities and in the adoption of automation for the same. Histological and cytological examinations are a routine part of diagnostics and drug discovery research, an arena in which North America are frontrunners. Key players operating in the global slide stainer market in the region are collaborating, partnership, acquisition and product launch, that will drive the growth of the market in the region.

For instance, in February 13, 2020, Biocare Medical LLC Launch of seven novel IVD IHC antibody markers for clinical diagnostics and research applications. The most recent launch focuses on several immuno-oncology markers, critical in aiding early-stage cancer drug developments and patient treatment.

Also, in the USA, favorable national regulatory mechanisms along with presence of large patient pool further accelerates overall business growth. Moreover, increasing use of dignostic services with enhanced support for research and ethics augments the demand for slide stainer in the region.

Competitive Landscape

The slide stainer market is moderately competitive with the presence of local as well as global companies. Some of the key players which are contributing to the growth of the market include Agilent Technologies Inc., Danaher Corp., Sakura, BioGenex, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Biocare Medical, Merck Group, General Data Company, and Hardy Diagnostics, among others. The major players are adopting several growth strategies such as product launches, acquisitions, and collaborations, which are contributing to the growth of the slide stainer market globally. For instance, in March 2020, ELITechGroup Inc. launched the Aerospray Cytology Slide Stainer Cytocentrifuge which automates the preparation and staining of liquid-based cytology specimens to facilitate the examination of an array of cell differentiations utilizing Papanicolaou staining techniques. The device performs two functions of sample preparation through cytocentrifugation and sample staining.

Key Companies to Watch

Sakura Finetek

Overview: Sakura Finetek, was founded in 1986 with the U.S. office based in Torrance, California. It is the global leader in continuous innovation for pathology by providing integrated solutions for anatomic pathology and patients through best-in-class innovation, quality, and customer care. Sakura Finetek is a leading industry in the development and commercialization of automated histology instrumentation and consumables for anatomic pathology. The company specializes in pathology, histology, smart automation, tissue processors, tissue embedders, H&E stainers, cover slippers - film & glass, advanced staining - IHC & ISH, microtomes, cassette & slide printers, blades, grossing, storage systems - blocks & slides, cryostats, digital microscopes, histopathology, cancer diagnostics, tissue-Tek, accu-edge, and histology consumables

Product Portfolio: Histo-Tek SL Slide Stainer: The Histo-Tek SL Slide Stainer is an automated slide stainer offering a new level of convenience and standardization for your low-volume laboratory needs, all at a low total cost of ownership.

The global slide stainer market report would provide an access to an approx. 40+ market data table, 45+ figures and 180 pages.