A new report estimates that the reusable medical device market will reach $4 billion, with 12.9 percent annual growth, by 2012.
The report, by industry analysts at Kalorama Information, says hospitals are increasingly turning to reusable medical devices to cut back on the 7,200 tons of waste produced each day in 2007.
The convenience of low cost disposables has made their use widespread, but after medical waste washed up on East Coast beaches in the late 1980s, Congress tightened regulations with the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988. Then, in January 2007, the EPA proposed to reduce the use of infectious medical waste incinerators, citing environmental concerns.
In response, waste disposal costs have increased, and the medical disposables trend is reversing.
"Developments in newer materials, better design and manufacturing, and advances in minimally invasive surgical and diagnostic procedures, have stimulated the development of new and improved reusable medical devices," said Bruce Carlson, Kalorama Information's publisher.
Orthopedic and general surgery represents 68 percent of the reusable medical instrument market, with the orthopedic market alone estimated to increase to 44 percent by 2012.
The Kalorama report examines reasons for moving to reusable devices, and provides detailed information by product category including cardiovascular, ear, nose and throat, neurosurgical, orthopedic, urological and gynecological products.