According to the Insight Partners report, the diagnostic ultrasound devices market (covering the period 2025-2031) is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period.
The report segments the market by technology (2D, 3D/4D, Doppler), portability (trolley/cart‐based vs compact/hand­held), application (general imaging, cardiology, obstetrics/gynecology) and end-user (hospitals, maternity centres) across regions (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South & Central America, Middle East & Africa).

The key drivers include rising preventive care and disease screening, broader access to imaging services, and the shift from invasive diagnosis to non-invasive ultrasound imaging.

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Key market segments

By Technology

• 2D ultrasound remains the base technology, widely used for general imaging and routine diagnostics.
• 3D & 4D ultrasound are gaining traction, especially in obstetrics/gynecology and fetal imaging, providing enhanced anatomical detail.
• Doppler ultrasound is critical in vascular and cardiology diagnostics (blood flow, cardiac function) and holds a substantial share.

By portability

• Traditional trolley/cart-based ultrasound units remain common in hospitals and imaging centres.
• A growing trend is compact or hand-held/point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) devices for bedside, emergency, rural and mobile screening settings — these enhance accessibility and speed of diagnosis.

By application

• General imaging (radiology) is a major application.
• Cardiology (echocardiography), Obstetrics/Gynecology (fetal and maternal imaging) are strong growth applications. For example, the Insight Partners report lists obstetrics/gynecology as a key application segment.
• Other segments include vascular, oncology imaging, urology, musculoskeletal, and emergency/critical care settings.

By end-user

• Hospitals account for the largest share of device deployment, owing to their imaging departments, diagnostics units and higher investment capability.
• Maternity centres and imaging/diagnostic centres are also important, especially for fetal/maternal applications.
• Ambulatory care, mobile diagnostic units and rural screening initiatives are emerging as meaningful outlets for portable ultrasound systems.

By region

• North America and Europe continue to dominate in terms of installed base, advanced imaging infrastructure, and investment in newer technologies.
• Asia-Pacific is expected to see faster growth given rising healthcare investment, increasing awareness, large population base, improving access to diagnostic services and growth in maternal/child and cardiovascular health programmes.
• Middle East & Africa and South & Central America present opportunities in underserved markets, although lower penetration and cost constraints remain challenges.

Top players

The Insight Partners report identifies several key companies actively shaping the market:

• SIEMENS
• SONOSCAPE
• SAMSUNG MEDISON
• SONOSITE (FUJIFILM)
• GENERAL ELECTRIC (GE)
• TOSHIBA
• HITACHI MEDICAL
• CHISON
• PHILIPS

These players deploy strategies including:

• Launching advanced imaging systems (3D/4D, Doppler, AI-enabled)
• Expanding hand-held/portable product lines to address point-of-care and rural diagnostics
• Collaborations/acquisitions to integrate AI/software and broaden portfolios
• Geographic expansion into emerging markets
• Service models, remote monitoring and software platforms to complement hardware

Growth strategies & opportunities

1. Technological innovation

Innovation in imaging resolution, portability, connectivity and AI integration is a major driver. According to the Insight Partners report:

• The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into diagnostic ultrasound systems is a key trend, enabling faster, more accurate image interpretation and workflow automation.
• The trend toward portable and point‐of‐care ultrasound devices is growing rapidly, allowing imaging outside traditional radiology departments (bedside, emergency, rural clinics) and enabling faster decision making.
• Advances in 3D/4D imaging modalities and Doppler technologies continue to strengthen the value proposition of ultrasound in specialist applications (e.g., fetal imaging, cardiac/vascular, oncology).

2. Market expansion & access

• Emerging regions such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa present untapped growth. Market players focusing on affordability, local service infrastructure, training and partnerships can gain traction.
• Point-of-care ultrasound adoption, mobile screening units, tele-imaging and remote diagnostic services (especially relevant in rural or low-resource settings) are growth enablers.
• Upgrades and replacement of legacy ultrasound systems in developed markets also provide steady revenue streams.

3. Partnerships, acquisitions & service models

• Strategic alliances and M&A to acquire AI/software capabilities or expand into low-cost portable segments are critical.
• Service and subscription models (hardware + software + remote services) help differentiate offerings and build recurring revenue.
• Training, after-sales support, cloud connectivity and remote diagnostics are becoming important value‐adds in a competitive market.

4. Application Diversification

• Expanding ultrasound use beyond traditional radiology and obstetrics into cardiology, vascular diagnostics, oncology imaging, musculoskeletal and critical care will broaden market scope.
• Developing specialized probes, connectivity solutions and workflow optimization tools for niche applications (e.g., fetal cardiac, vascular intervention, emergency medicine).

Challenges & risks

While growth prospects are solid, several hurdles remain:

• Cost constraints: Advanced ultrasound systems are expensive, and smaller clinics or emerging‐market institutions may struggle with procurement and maintenance.
• Training and operator dependence: Ultrasound imaging is highly operator-dependent. A shortage of skilled sonographers (especially in emerging markets or rural settings) limits adoption and utilisation.
• Regulatory & certification hurdles: Particularly with AI-enabled systems, regulatory clearance and validation impose time and cost burdens.
• Competition from other imaging modalities: While ultrasound has advantages (non-ionising, real‐time, relatively lower cost), other modalities like CT, MRI are still dominant in certain diagnostics; ultrasound vendors must continue to improve image quality and expand use cases.

Outlook & key take-aways

• The diagnostic ultrasound devices market is set for moderate, sustained growth (CAGR 4.9% per The Insight Partners) through 2031, underpinned by technology advancements and increasing demand for non-invasive imaging.
• Major players are leveraging innovation (AI, portability, advanced imaging modalities) as well as strategic geographic expansion and partnerships to maintain competitive advantage.
• Hand-held/POC ultrasound, AI-enabled image interpretation, 3D/4D imaging and expansion into emerging markets represent the most promising growth vectors.
• For decision-makers (manufacturers, investors, service providers), the key is balancing innovation with cost-effectiveness, building service/education ecosystem (to address operator challenges), and partnering to expand into under-penetrated geographies.
• From a segmentation standpoint, focusing on emerging high‐growth applications (e.g., maternal/fetal imaging in Asia-Pacific, cardiology/vascular imaging globally) and portable modalities (for point-of-care/bedside use) will likely yield higher returns.