I. Industry overview and market size
Phototherapy equipment is a medical device that uses light of specific wavelengths (such as ultraviolet light, blue light, LED light, etc.) to treat skin diseases, neonatal jaundice and other diseases. According to the latest research data, the global phototherapy equipment market size in 2024 is about US$3.17 billion to US$4.41 billion (different institutions have different statistical calibers), and is expected to grow to US$4.48 billion to US$6.1 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5%-5.4%. The Chinese market is growing faster, reaching RMB 12.5 billion in 2023, and is expected to exceed RMB 18 billion in 2025, with a CAGR of about 12%.
Core driving factors:
High incidence of skin diseases: About 1 billion people worldwide are affected by psoriasis, eczema, etc., and there are 7.5 million psoriasis patients in the United States alone
Neonatal jaundice treatment needs: 60% of newborns worldwide require phototherapy intervention
Technology upgrade: LED phototherapy equipment accounts for 48% (2023), due to high energy efficiency and good safety
Policy support: China's "14th Five-Year Plan" includes phototherapy in the key areas of innovative medical devices
II. Market segment analysis
By product type:
LED phototherapy equipment: fastest growth (CAGR 8.3%), accounting for 40% of the global market, mainly used in home and medical beauty fields
Traditional UV phototherapy equipment: still accounts for 30% of the market, but is gradually being replaced
Fiber optic therapy: emerging technology, suitable for precision treatment
By application scenario:
Dermatological treatment (50% share): mainly psoriasis and vitiligo
Neonatal jaundice (45%): core equipment in hospital NICU
Medical beauty field: China's LED phototherapy medical beauty scale will reach 5.17 billion yuan in 2022, driven by anti-aging demand
End user distribution:
Hospitals account for 60%, and the home market growth rate is 18% (2023)
III. Regional competition pattern
North America (35% share): leading technology, dominated by GE Healthcare and Philips
Europe (25%): Herbert Waldmann and other companies focus on high-end equipment
Asia Pacific (fastest growth, CAGR 12%): Chinese manufacturers such as Fudan Zhangjiang and Mindray Medical have risen, accounting for 60% of global production capacity
Other regions: Latin America and Africa have great market potential, but are constrained by medical infrastructure
Competition among leading companies:
The top three in the world (GE Healthcare, Atom Medical, Herbert Waldmann) account for a total of 19% of the market, and the top five Chinese companies account for 60% of the market 910. Local companies are accelerating import substitution through cost-effective advantages, such as Ningbo David Medical has entered the top ten in the world in the field of neonatal phototherapy equipment.
Ⅳ. Technology development trends
Intelligence: integrated AI algorithms to achieve personalized treatment plans (such as Guangpu Co., Ltd. AIOT system)
Portability: home equipment weight is reduced by 50%, and operation is simplified
Multimodal fusion: phototherapy + radio frequency/ultrasound combined treatment equipment has become a research and development hotspot
Narrowband UVB technology: side effects are reduced by 30%, and clinical acceptance is improved
V. Challenges and opportunities
Main challenges:
High-end equipment costs are high (more than 100,000 US dollars per unit), and it is difficult to popularize in low-income areas
Long-term use of UV equipment may increase the risk of skin cancer (stricter supervision)
Shortage of professional talents, especially in emerging markets
Development opportunities:
China's home phototherapy equipment market has great potential, with a penetration rate of less than 5%
The medical beauty phototherapy track is growing rapidly, and it is expected that China's scale will exceed 10 billion in 2025
The demand for medical equipment upgrades in "Belt and Road" countries
