Market Profiles

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a broadly used analytical technique that is often combined with some form of chromatography to provide a second dimension of separation. However, vendors recently have begun incorporating ion mobility separation (IMS) into high-end LC–MS instruments, thus providing an additional level of ion separation.

The coupling of HPLC with ICP-MS is a relatively new technique that combines two very well established analytical methods. The combination of these analytical methods provides what could prove to be a very useful technique in clinical analysis. The total LC-ICP-MS market amounts to only a few percent of the overall ICP-MS market, but it is rapidly developing into a significant niche market.

The handheld and portable Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) market is a very new and rapidly growing market thanks to the intersection of technological advancements and new demand. Relative to other portable analytical technologies, the range of applications for the technology is more diverse. Despite the rapid growth and potential for this market, however, only a handful of competitors currently dominate the market.

Although the market for dedicated single-tube luminometers now pales in comparison to multimode fluorometers and microplate readers, such luminometers continue to satisfy a niche market. The relative simplicity and therefore low cost is their major advantage, which is appealing to smaller life science laboratories.

Ellipsometry is the analysis of the change in the state of polarized light after it has reflected from the surface of a thin film sample. Laser ellipsometry, which has certain advantages and disadvantages, is a subset of this market. Applications for laser ellipsometry prinarily are related to the semiconductor and electronics industry, but its use in the life sciences could offer significant new demand.

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) is one of the primary analytical tools used in the cement industry for a variety of related applications. The principle of XRF is relatively simple; a source directs X-rays onto the atoms of the sample, ejecting electrons from the inner electron shells.

The continuing pace of technological advancements in scientific instruments has recently led to a wide range of commercially viable portable and handheld instruments, and the Raman spectroscopy market is no exception. While security applications have received much of the early attention in relation to handheld instruments, other applications are beginning to replace demand from the security markets.

The adoption of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for imaging applications is a major recent development in the market. Applications lie squarely in the life sciences area, being primarily in histopathology. The market for MALDI imaging products already accounts for a significant and rapidly growing portion of the aftermarket for MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

First developed in the mid-1980s, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) added a complementary mass spectrometry ionization technique to others that were already on the market, such as electrospray ionization (ESI).

While the overall laboratory UV and Visible spectroscopy market was worth well over $700 million in 2007, the UV/Vis/NIR segment represented less than 10% of it. UV/Vis/NIR instruments utilize multiple detectors to cover a broader spectrum of analysis, and typically are among the highest-end systems in the UV-Vis market.

The concept of portable mass spectrometry has been around for some time, but the realization of such technology has been largely limited until very recently. More than ever before, recent technological advances now make smaller, lighter, and more effective mass spectrometers possible. Such advances will lend themselves to a growing spectrum of applications as well.

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy is an important optical emission technique, with strong applications in environmental testing and related areas. The basic principle of ICP involves the introduction of a liquid sample into an argon plasma torch, which provides the excitation energy required to stimulate atomic emission in the sample. The geometry of the torch with respect to the optical components provides one source of control over the analysis. The axial mode, with the optics directed toward the plasma jet, provides better detection levels, although the radial (side-on) mode generally is less problematic.

Fourier transform–infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy technology has progressed considerably over the past two decades, and it is now a relatively established analytical technique for process monitoring in addition to being a standard tool in the laboratory. The inherent design of FT-IR systems makes them preferable for use as a process monitoring and analysis tool, particularly in the life science industries, which is a promising market.

Although overshadowed by other technologies, demand for fluorescence microscopy is already strong and is growing rapidly. The technology is proving to be very useful for specific life science applications.

The high-flying field of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which is continuing to see strong growth as it approaches the $1 billion mark in annual market revenues, overshadows the market for low-field and fixed magnet NMR. These systems are far simpler and less expensive than the larger systems many have come to think of when they hear the term NMR. The range of applications for low-field and fixed magnet NMR is vast, which is contributing to strong growth in demand.

While Fourier transform–infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is commonly thought of as a laboratory analytical technique for which annual demand tops $200 million worldwide, it is also becoming an important technique in the post-9/11 era of heightened security measures. FT-IR has several advantages over dispersive infrared that make it highly advantageous for most security applications. There are a fair number of application areas for FT-IR within the security instrumentation market.

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has become one of the more widely utilized analytical methods for both laboratory and process applications as a result of its ability to characterize a wide range of compounds, and the relative ease with which samples can be analyzed. These characteristics are now leading to the rise of the market for handheld and portable NIR instruments.

The market for process Raman spectroscopy is becoming established as a standard process analytical technique. The inherent traits of the technique make it among the best-suited analytical techniques for online usage. The diverse range of applications for process Raman ensures that growth in demand will continue to be robust well into the future.

Electron transfer dissociation, generally referred to as ETD, is a new fragmentation technique that is associated with ion trap LC–MS instrumentation. Despite being widely introduced less than two years ago, demand for the technique is increasing rapidly.

Spectroscopic analytical techniques accounted for more than 10% of the process water analysis market in 2006. The two technologies that essentially make up this market segment are turbidimeters and UV photometers. Use of direct online spectroscopic methods is limited to a few relatively large application areas.

Raman is a category of molecular spectroscopy that has achieved widespread commercial development over the past decade or so for laboratory applications. However, such technological development has helped to make Raman into a viable analytical technology for other applications, such as in the security market. Although this market is only in its infancy, it is expected to see very rapid growth.

Although X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) has long been a tool of the laboratory, the past few years have seen a meteoric rise in the use of handheld XRF units for applications in which a portable unit can increase the speed and efficiency of the testing process. Some years ago, handheld instruments required the use of radioactive materials to provide a source of X-rays, but the development of low-power X-ray tubes has enabled this market to flourish by removing any apprehension about using regulated materials.

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, or ICPMS, is one of the most sensitive atomic spectroscopy techniques now on the market. There is considerable demand for ICP-MS in a diverse range of water analysis applications, which is driven both by governmental regulations and industrial processing needs.

Fourier Transform Near Infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy is the most recent addition to laboratory NIR technologies. This technological advancement is heavily utilized in the most modern and fastest growing industries, examples of which include pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Lifetime fluorescence is a significant niche market within the larger category of fluorescence spectroscopy. Although the current scope of application is fairly limited, the potential is quite significant. The range of competition in this area is fairly small, but is expanding.

The worldwide market for absorbance colorimeters was worth close to $90 million in 2005. Colorimeters also are referred to as photometers and should not be confused with other fundamentally different types of instruments that are also referred to as colorimeters. They are commonly found at the heart of water testing kits that can be configured for numerous applications. Although the market is mature, demand for the technique remains cogent.

Double-beam UV–Vis spectrophotometers include the most advanced instruments in the UV–Vis market today. They allow more rapid and greatly simplified UV–Vis analyses for users. The market for double-beam UV–Vis instruments is dominated by the major diversified scientific instrument manufacturers.

The market for X-ray inspection in security applications has quickly developed from being virtually nonexistent three decades ago to becoming a market worth over $1 billion in 2005. Airport security accounts for the majority of the demand for this market, which consists of a number of variations of X-ray technology.

The world of mass spectrometry has been evolving at an astounding rate as developers push what is an inherently powerful analytical technique to even higher levels of capability. Numerous configurations of tandem mass analyzers have been commercialized, with one of the most recent being ion-trap time-of-flight.

While mass spectrometry has long been a high-powered and expensive analytical technique for laboratory, improved technical development, combined with post-9/11 demand for advanced security technologies, is leading to the development of the market for mass spectrometry in security applications.