Ophthalmic Equipment Market

Market Overview

The global ophthalmic equipment market size was valued at USD 62.03 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 92.18 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period (2023–2031). The global market is expected to grow rapidly due to increased eye disease prevalence and a rise in the patient population. Also, new product launches and technological advances by the key players to thrive in the highly competitive market boost market growth. Moreover, surging government initiatives, funding for eye care programs, and other initiatives will expand the global economy and improve market growth opportunities.

The term "ophthalmic equipment" encompasses a diverse array of specialized medical devices and instruments utilized within the realm of ophthalmology, a medical discipline dedicated to identifying and managing ocular ailments. These instruments are imperative for eye care practitioners, encompassing ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians, to execute a diverse range of diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical interventions.

Ophthalmic equipment is pivotal in the timely identification, assessment, and management of diverse ocular ailments and disorders, significantly contributing to the holistic maintenance of ocular health and visual well-being in persons. Moreover, these instruments are employed to conduct comprehensive assessments and facilitate identifying and treating glaucoma, cataracts, and other ocular ailments. Therefore, ophthalmic equipment is extensively employed in hospitals, diagnostic centers, and ophthalmology clinics.

Market Dynamics

Global Ophthalmic Equipment Market Drivers

Increasing Patient Population with Eye Disorders

A surge in the prevalence of eye diseases across the globe drives the demand for ophthalmic equipment. According to WHO, Near or far vision impairment affects at least 2.2 billion individuals worldwide. Age-related eye disorders like age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, according to the CDC, are the prominent causes of reduced vision and blindness in the United States. AMD affects 1.8 million Americans under 40, and another 7.3 million with big drusen are at high risk of developing AMD. Therefore, there is a high demand for the treatment of these conditions.

Furthermore, a 2020 BMC Health Services Research report states that many eye exams were performed in high-income and upper-middle-income countries. Eye examinations in the U.S. are highly prevalent among the adult and older populations. In Australia, around 65% to 69% of the population aged 50 years and above visit ophthalmologists to treat severe eye disorders, and 62% visit eye care professionals annually. Therefore, the large patient pool with eye disorders drives the ophthalmic equipment market growth.

Rising Product Launches

The key market players are introducing new products to enhance their market share. For instance, in September 2022, As the creator of the ZEPTO IOL Positioning System™, Centricity Vision Inc., a global ophthalmic technology company, introduced ZEPTO Plus™, an innovative new addition to its handpiece line. Designed with the same clinically validated technology as the current ZEPTO® handpiece, ZEPTO Plus offers surgeons an alternative when they desire a marginally larger capsulotomy.

Similarly, in August 2022, Sight Sciences, Inc., an eyecare technology company dedicated to developing and commercializing groundbreaking solutions that enhance patients' lives and revolutionize healthcare, unveiled SION. This surgical instrument embodies a paradigm shift in goniotomy practice and innovation. The SION Surgical Instrument is a manually operated device that excises trabecular meshwork during ophthalmic surgical procedures. Thus, launching new products is anticipated to boost the market growth.

Global Ophthalmic Equipment Market Restraint

High Cost of Eye Surgeries and Equipment

The cost of ophthalmic equipment, including advanced diagnostic and surgical devices, can be substantial. The substantial initial capital investment necessary for acquiring and maintaining this equipment may be an enormous challenge for smaller healthcare establishments or those in underdeveloped areas with constrained financial means.

Additionally, LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses) eye procedures are expensive. In India, on average, LASIK procedures for both eyes cost between USD 2,000 and USD 2,500. LASIK eye surgery is priced between USD 1,280 and USD 3,800 per eye in the United Kingdom and USD 1,500 to USD 3,000 per eye in the United States. This is expected to restrict market expansion.

Global Ophthalmic Equipment Market Opportunities

Rising Government Programs and Eye Care Delivery Initiatives 

Approximately two billion individuals worldwide have vision impairment or blindness, with 1.1 billion suffering from vision loss due to inadequate eye care access. In recent years, several governments have implemented measures to alleviate the impact of these diseases, which has increased the need for eye protection. The integration of eye care services within national health systems was advocated through resolutions adopted by the 74th World Health Assembly in 2021.

Various stakeholders, including government services, the private sector, intergovernmental organizations, civil societies, and international organizations, undertook initiatives to reform the eye care system. By 2030, effective coverage for refractive errors and cataract surgery will be attained, per the World Health Assembly. This will be allocated as follows: 40% for refractive error and 30% for cataract surgery. This is anticipated to increase market opportunities since myopia, hypermetropia, and presbyopia occur in 800 million individuals.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global ophthalmic equipment market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant global ophthalmic equipment market shareholder and is expected to expand substantially during the forecast period. North America is a developed region with advanced and smart healthcare services, excellent infrastructure, and a high adoption rate of advanced products in eye care services, which drives the market growth in the region. The market in the region is projected to be propelled by an aging population. Cataract and glaucoma surgeries are becoming more common as the population ages. According to the NIH National Eye Institute, the risk of cataracts increases every 40-10 years. By 2050, the number of cataract patients in the U.S. is expected to double from 24.4 million to about 50 million. This increase in prevalence is accelerating the demand for ophthalmic equipment in the region.

Furthermore, introducing the product in North America will also aid market penetration. April 2023, Bausch + Lomb, a Canadian eye health firm, has just introduced two new products in the United States market: the StableVisc cohesive ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) and the TotalVisc Viscoelastic System. Introducing two novel ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs), namely StableVisc OVD and TotalVisc, presents eye surgeons with additional choices to safeguard against potential complications during cataract surgery effectively.

In the Asia-Pacific region, an increase in eye disorders and large geriatric populations in China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and other countries drive market growth. The growing elderly population and increasing adoption of digital screens has increased the share of the blind population in the region to 17.9% from 1990-2015. Over 20 countries have been actively engaged in VISION 2020 since its launch in 1999. VISION 2020 is focused on accelerating eye care services in 20 countries associated with VISION 2020. Similarly, in June 2022, the European leader in laser technologies, LUMIBIRD, inaugurated Lumibird Medical India, a new subsidiary in Mumbai. This organization aims to increase the sales of Ellex and Quantel Medical products in India by utilizing a common portfolio of ultrasound platforms, ophthalmic lasers, and dry eye diagnosis and treatment equipment. Such factors boost the regional market expansion.

Europe is expected to expand at a significant rate. Vision impairment is a prevalent ocular condition that is on the rise in Western Europe. One in every 8.5 million individuals in Western Europe has vision loss ranging from moderate to severe. The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration is 3.5% among those aged 55 to 59 and 17.6% among those aged 85 and older. The prevalence of late AMD is projected to increase from 3.9 million in 2019 to 4.8 million in 2050, while the incidence of AMD will rise from 14.9 million in 2019-2020 to 21.5 million in 2040. In 2020, diabetes affected approximately 64 million individuals in Europe, and nearly one-third of them had vision impairment.

In Europe, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy has risen in tandem with the epidemic spread of diabetes. Age-related macular degeneration is a prevalent and serious condition among the elderly population of Europe. A growing technological advance in ophthalmology and diagnosis, an aging population, and a surging prevalence of eye diseases all contribute to the expansion of the ophthalmic equipment market.

Segmental Analysis

The global ophthalmic equipment market is segmented by product, application, and end-user.

Based on the product, the global market is bifurcated into vision care products, ophthalmic microscopes, refractive surgical devices, vitreoretinal surgical devices, cataract surgical devices, and diagnostic and monitoring devices. 

The vision care products segment dominates the global market. Vision care products cover various items specifically formulated to promote and sustain ocular well-being while addressing vision-related concerns. The vision care products segment is further bifurcated into spectacles and contact lenses. Spectacles consist of clear or tinted lenses affixed to a frame and positioned in front of the eyes (orthoscopes, spectacles). Commonly, hinged arms over the ears—called temples or temple pieces—and a bridge over the nose are used to hold the frames in place.

Contact lenses are thin lenses applied in direct contact with the ocular surface. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices that serve various purposes, including vision correction, aesthetic enhancement, and therapeutic implementation. The contact lens segment is further bifurcated into soft, rigid, gas-permeable, and hybrid contact lenses.

Based on application, the global market is divided into glaucoma, amblyopia, cataract, retinal detachment, and others. 

The cataract segment is the largest revenue contributor to the market. A cataract is the clouding of the transparent eye lens. Cataract sufferers perceive vision through cloudy lenses as if penetrating a fogged or icy window. Cataracts can impair vision, making it challenging to read, operate a motor vehicle at night, or discern the facial expression of a companion. The increasing prevalence of cataracts, rising demand for diagnosis, and growing availability of eye care services drive the demand for eye testing and eye examinations.

Approximately 2.2 billion individuals experience some form of vision impairment. One of the major causes of vision impairment is cataracts. Approximately 94 million people have cataracts across the world, according to the WHO estimation in 2020. Lower- and middle-income countries witness a high prevalence of cataracts. Slit lamps, biometers, and tonometry are the main tools utilized in cataract analysis.

Based on the end-user, the global market is segmented into ophthalmology clinics, hospitals, and diagnostic centers. 

The hospital segment owns the highest market share. The surging prevalence of eye disorders such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration drives the demand for diagnosis. Comprehensive eye exams or routine eye examinations, consisting of a series of tests to measure the eye's overall health, are mostly performed at private or group practice eye clinics or free-standing or large hospital-based clinics, thus propelling the segment's growth.

Hospitals are a major source of eye care in lower-middle-income countries as hospitals charge less. An increase in the prevalence of eye diseases and the availability of eye care services through government and private hospitals/eye clinics will boost the rate of eye examinations, positively impacting the ophthalmic equipment market.

Recent Developments

• June 2023- Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE/TSX: BLCO) ("Bausch + Lomb"), a renowned multinational eye health organization committed to enhancing individuals' vision for a more fulfilling life, unveiled its INFUSE® Multifocal silicone hydrogel (SiHy) daily disposable contact lenses in the United States today.
• April 2023- Nova Eye Medical Limited, a medical technology company dedicated to developing cutting-edge ophthalmic treatment technologies and devices, announced that its new canaloplasty device, iTrack™ Advance, has been granted 510(k) certification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For microcatheterization and vasodilation to decrease intraocular pressure (IOP) in adult patients diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma, the iTrack™ Advance has received approval.