Lab Instrumentation Goes Portable, and It Is a $1.5 Billion Market
Strategic Directions International releases new report on Portable Lab Instrumentation Market.
LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The total portable instrumentation market was just under $1.5 billion in 2018, according to a new report from Strategic Directions International. These instruments are popular in a variety of industries, including government testing and pharmaceuticals, where mobility is important. The report, "The 2019 Market for Portable Instrumentation: In the Lab & In the Field" expects future growth to be driven by security and pharmaceuticals applications, with specific growth rates detailed in the report.
Among the arsenal of portable instruments scientists use in the laboratory or in the field are x-ray fluorescence (XRF), arc/spark spectroscopy, laserinduced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy, color measurement, Raman spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography (GC), mass spectrometry (MS), and electrochemistry. Each is covered in the report by various geographies and forecasted for the next five years.
The applications for these industries are broad:
- Government and security testing: Many security and law enforcement agencies utilize single-use color-based tests for testing drugs and other unknown substances in the field. While cheap, thousands of these tests can be used in a year. Another downside is subjectivity, as the color readings can vary person to person. The U.S. and China are among the nations increasing spending on equipment for security, according to the report. Alternatively, portable analytical instrumentation can be used for many years before needing replacement, and these instruments are more accurate and average out to be cheaper in the long term. IR, Raman, MS, and GC are the most common portable technologies used for government and security testing applications.
- Environmental testing: The most common use of portable instruments in environmental testing is testing related to pollution and water quality. Photometers and various electrochemistry meters for things like pH are the most common instruments used, but others like IR or even MS also are used.
- Pharmaceuticals: Raw material testing is the main purpose for portable instrumentation in the pharmaceutical industry. Oftentimes, they are used in warehouses to quickly check incoming materials for use in production. Portable Raman analyzers can even analyze materials through their packaging.
SDi provides forecasts by application and geography in its report.
About Strategic Directions International
Strategic Directions International (SDi), part of Science and Medicine Group, is the leading business intelligence firm in the highly specialized field of analytical and life science instruments. Its client list includes virtually every major analytical instrumentation company in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Founded in 1981, the Los Angeles-based company has published hundreds of market reports and provided proprietary consulting services for a multitude of clients.
SOURCE Strategic Directions International
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