Blood irradiators are used to irradiate blood and blood components to prevent the proliferation of T lymphocytes that can inhibit the immune response leading to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The blood irradiators are widely used in various medical and research applications such as preparing blood for transfusion and cancer research. Irradiation procedure is necessary for transfusion recipients at risk for GVHD, including fetuses receiving intrauterine transfusions, patients undergoing hematopoietic transplantation, and individuals receiving platelets. Blood irradiators has applications in irradiation of blood, which is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries.
Irradiated blood is provided to prevent rare complications of transfusion called transfusion- associated graft-versus-host disease, a rare but serious complication of blood transfusion caused by white blood cells in the blood transfused. According to the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, transfusion- associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD) occurs when donor lymphocytes from transfused blood engraft in the recipient, causing diseases such as hepatitis, diarrhea and pancytopenia with clinical features of fever and skin rash and is fatal in more than 90% of cases.
Moreover, support from government organizations for development of novel irradiators to ensure safe blood transfusions is driving market growth. For instance, in 2014, Stellarray, Inc., developer of novel x-ray sources, was awarded the US$ 1.1 Mn grant by the Department of Energy to develop and commercialize new generation irradiators for ensuring the safety of blood transfusions by replacing cesium, 137 which is identified as a national security hazard.
Moreover, the Advancing Transfusion Cellular Therapies Worldwide (AABB) works in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure appropriate irradiation guidance and regulations for blood products, thereby favoring the blood irradiators market by maintaining security and compliance to limit the use of radioactive irradiators.
However, the lack of awareness among population regarding uses and benefits of irradiators in the healthcare facilities and high cost of the irradiators are the factors hindering the market growth. For instance, according to the survey by College of American Pathologists, 2017, the cost of X-ray irradiators is around US$ 250,000 to US$ 300,000, with annual service contract accounting for US$ 15,000 to US$ 20,000.
On the basis of region, the global blood irradiator market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America holds dominant position in the global blood irradiators market, owing to the launch and adoption of novel technologies. For instance, in September 2017, Typenex Medical, launched Rad-Control, a new irradiation indicator tag technology in the blood banks and blood centers in the U.S. and Canada. Rad-control ensures that blood component has received irradiation, thereby preventing life threatening transfusion-associated Graft-vs.-Host Disease (TA-GvHD).
Furthermore, increasing adoption of X-ray irradiators is expected to fuel the blood irradiator market growth. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) partnered with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) to replace the radioactive irradiators with the safer X-ray alternatives.
Moreover, increasing number of cases requiring blood transfusions related to various diseases in the region is a major factor favoring the market growth. According to the American National Red Cross, sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S., and about 1,000 babies are born with the disease annually. The sickle cell patients mostly require blood transfusions throughout their lives. Also, according to the American Cancer Society, about 1.7 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2017, where the patients require blood during the chemotherapy treatment.
Moreover, high adoption of blood irradiators in the medical settings to prevent and control the transmission of transfusion associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD) is expected to propel market growth in the North America. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 2013, around 500 blood irradiators irradiated around 2 million blood units in 2013.
Key players in the global blood irradiator market are focused on strategic mergers and acquisitions to promote the blood irradiators in the global market. For instance, Charter Medical collaborated with RadTag Technologies to distribute the RadTag blood irradiator indicators in the U.S.
Some of the key players operating in the global blood irradiator market include Rad Source Technologies, Sukosol Group, Typenex Medical, Gamma-Service Medical GmbH, Cegelec NDT-PES, and Best Theratronics, Ltd.