An Increase in Endoscopic Procedures as well as a Rising Focus on Contamination and Infection Control Fuel the Demand for Single-Use Endoscope

The increasing number of endoscopy procedures highly drives the market of single-use endoscopes due to the increased need for the instruments both in treatment and diagnostic applications. With the growing incidence of chronic diseases globally, particularly gastrointestinal diseases and cancers, the need for endoscopic procedures to aid immediate detection, diagnosis, and treatment is increasing. Endoscopy is necessary for the treatment of nearly all conditions of the gastrointestinal tract by way of diagnosis and management. As per one of the studies, in 2024, there were over 7.32 billion occurrences and 2.86 billion existing cases of digestive disorders.

The growing acceptance of minimally invasive procedures further enhances the need for endoscopes. For instance, according to the National Institute of Health, of the 344 digestive healthcare professionals in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia, 87 (25.3 %) participated in the survey, providing data for 91 healthcare facilities and recognizing 20 more facilities. Most participants (73.6 %) conduct endoscopy and 59.8 % engage in at least one therapeutic procedure. Facilities maintain a median of two operational gastroscopes and one operational colonoscope each. Minimally invasive operations are more secure, entail smaller cuts, cause less harm to the body, reduce blood loss, and lessen scarring. As medical professionals and patients are progressively favouring these techniques, the volume of endoscopic surgeries carried out globally keeps increasing.

Single-use endoscopes offer an efficient means to address critical concerns about infection control and cross-contamination while meeting the growing demand for endoscopic processes. Furthermore, the extended and extensive disinfection processes used for conventional reusable endoscopes could potentially not be effective in eradicating the risk of pathogenic agent transmission. Single-use endoscopes remove this risk by giving a clean device per treatment while increasing the protection of the patient. With healthcare centres focusing on infection avoidance and infection management protocols, the adoption of single-use endoscopes is likely to develop much faster, propelling considerable growth within the market.

The growing requirement to deal with infection and contamination is a major driver for the single-use endoscope market due to increased awareness of the risks of reusable endoscopes and the requirement to improve the protection of the patient. Contamination and consequent infection have reportedly occurred with reusable endoscopes following extensive cleaning and unknown levels of disinfection protocols. The design intricacies of these instruments, with their equally complex channels and mobile parts, may hinder thorough cleaning and thus increase the risk of surviving microorganisms. Scope sterilization may be rendered ineffective even after disinfection has been attempted. Such concerns were raised among doctors and regulatory bodies regarding infection control practices. Safety issues related to the reprocessing of endoscopes have led to a transition towards single-use alternatives. For instance, in January 2025, the Food and Drug Administration verified a Class 1 recall of an Olympus reusable endoscope accessory associated with 120 injuries and one fatality, approximately six weeks following the notification to the public that the corporation advised healthcare providers to cease using the device. 
 
Single-Use Endoscope Market Report

Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships Presenting Significant Opportunities in the Market

Strategic partnerships enable the company to broaden its market presence and improve sales. Alliances allow the company to leverage its key strengths and capabilities to provide quality single-use endoscope solutions to doctors and patients all over the world. For instance, Scivita Medical Technology allied with Boston Scientific in March 2024 to develop a robust strategic alliance to supply single-use endoscopes and imaging systems to other patients and hospitals in China and other nations. Scivita Medical is a company with a strong background in minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment solutions, with a specialization in research, development, and marketing of endoscopes and associated products.

The strategic alliances and collaboration with other market participants help expand offerings, gain enhanced market presence, and ensure an additional competitive advantage. For instance, in August 2024, KARL STORZ US, a global leader in the integration of the operating room, entered a strategic alliance with FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation, to be Fujifilm, the leading supplier of solutions for endoscopic imaging and end surgery, thus sealing the complete end-to-end solution for both endoscopists and surgeons. Both companies will jointly promote Fujifilm's best flexible gastrointestinal endoscopes paired with KARL STORZ's highest OR integration solutions.

Partnerships between companies help in the development of advanced technology, which also helps in providing diverse offerings. For instance, in October 2023, EndoSound and AdaptivEndo, a frontrunner in single-use endoscopy solutions, declared their collaboration on a new innovative project that seeks to change the field of endoscopy. These two companies have united to enhance unique ultrasound technology for the single-use endoscopy market, consequently boosting patient safety and broadening access to healthcare. The partnership between EndoSound and AdaptivEndo has recently achieved a major milestone with the successful execution of an in-vivo porcine animal laboratory. Throughout this trial, the teams showcased their capability to conduct EUS using a single-use AdaptivEndo gastroscope and an AdaptivEndo duodenoscope.
 

Recent Trends in the Single-Use Endoscope Market

  • Rising concerns about cross-contamination favour single-use endoscopes
  • Increasing adoption of minimally invasive procedures due to benefits such as high patient acceptance rates, reduced pain, cost-effectiveness, and lower chances of complications
  • High-definition endoscopy with narrow-band imaging provides enhanced visualization of the mucosal surface
  • Endoscopic ultrasound as an essential tool for diagnosis
  • AI-powered endoscopic tools are improving diagnostic accuracy.
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High Cost and Limited Availability Hinder the Market Growth

While premium endoscopes equipped with features such as 4K imaging provide various advantages, their steep pricing can greatly influence the market. The high-cost levels will restrain extensive usage among small medical institutions, clinics, and institutions within less-developed countries with constrained healthcare finances. However, the situation can present pricing challenges to manufacturers that will lead them to find a compromise between innovation and affordability to remain competitive. The inability to access contemporary endoscopic procedures due to cost can discriminate against individuals residing within areas with inefficient reimbursement policies, widening healthcare disparities. Financial limitations within healthcare institutions can also retard the modernization of outmoded equipment, slowing the speed of the advancements of technologies and potentially the quality of care to the patient.

Limited access can greatly influence the endoscope market, particularly regarding access to sophisticated technologies and healthcare services. Many elements contribute to this limited access, including high costs, infrastructure unavailability, and regional disparities. Especially, advanced endoscopes have a hefty cost, and those using 4K imaging are mostly inaccessible to small hospitals and clinics and developing nations with poor health budgets. Infrastructure constraints- lack of appropriate facilities and skilled personnel limit access to endoscopic procedures and technologies even further. In numerous areas, especially in developing nations, the lack of sufficient healthcare infrastructure impedes the broad adoption of advanced endoscopy methods.
 

Innovations and Product Advancement Helping Expand the Market Reach

Increased production capacity with substantial investment helps boost market growth. For instance, Precision Optics has obtained a US$340,000 first production order for a novel single-use ophthalmic endoscope from a prominent international medical device firm. Production commenced in January 2025, with shipments scheduled over five months to aid a June 2025 product introduction. Subsequent orders are anticipated at 2-3 times the original rate. This marks the second single-use initiative advancing to production this year, succeeding a US$9 million cystoscope imaging assembly order. The new device substitutes a currently existing reusable endoscope system, offering enhanced image quality and single-use capabilities.

FDA approvals propel innovation and the creation of novel single-use endoscopic devices. More recent iterations of single-use endoscopes with enhanced design and safety characteristics aid in increased product acceptance. For instance, in February 2022, Ambu proclaimed FDA approval of a single-use gastroscope and a next-generation display unit, entering a market with 20 million annual procedures and enhancing its presence in GI. aScope Gastro serves as Ambu’s initial sterile single-use gastroscope and incorporates new advanced imaging and design elements within a unified solution paired with next-generation display and processor technology. With HD functionalities, the aBox 2 aims to establish a new standard for image quality and will be central to Ambu’s endoscopy ecosystem.

The release of endoscopes featuring enhanced image quality performance as 4K Ultra HD has positively impacted the market with better diagnostic precision and accuracy, as well as operating demand for minimally invasive procedures and feasibility for technological innovation. For instance, in November 2022, the medical device company Integrated Endoscopy led the charge in innovation by announcing the launch of its next-generation NUVIS Single-Use Arthroscope, a cost-effective 4K endoscope designed for arthroscopic surgery applications. The Gen II NUVIS introduction comes with a pending patented simplified optical train architecture that minimizes the number of optical elements by over 60% while increasing image quality to 4K. The image quality is not only enhanced, but the Gen II NUVIS will also be significantly quicker and more cost-effective to produce, as well as suitable for high-volume automation.

Companies are launching innovative endoscopes with minimized diameters and advanced resolution. For instance, in May 2022, the company located in Tel Aviv, Israel, created a platform of adaptable, single-use endoscopes intended to convey high-resolution visuals. The company believes that its polymeric fibre represents a significant advancement in the realm of miniaturizing visual fibre optics. Besides greatly minimizing the diameter of the optical component without sacrificing resolution, the two-part endoscope structure enables the same imaging core to be utilized while exchanging indication-specific shells that are tailored for ENT, bronchoscopy, duodenoscopy, urology, gynecology, and additional fields.
 
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The Dominance of North America in Single-Use Endoscope Market Driven by Rise in Number of Endoscopies

Several factors, such as advanced healthcare facilities, spending on new endoscopy technologies, reimbursement policies, and increasing numbers of chronic disease incidences, favor North America in the industry for endoscopes. The well-established healthcare systems in North America favour a fast and wide penetration of medical technologies, with hospitals and healthcare providers rapidly embracing more advanced endoscopic tools to improve diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes. The investments poured in by the market players and hospitals into the new technologies further stimulate the utilization of advanced equipment, thereby fostering growth within the endoscope market in North America. In the United States, more than 20 million endoscopies are performed each year.

The report provides a detailed overview of the single-use endoscope market insights in regions including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The country-specific assessment for the single-use endoscope market has been offered for all regional market share, along with forecasts, market scope estimates, price point assessment, and impact analysis of prominent countries and regions. Throughout this market research report, Y-o-Y growth and CAGR estimates are also incorporated for every country and region to provide a detailed view of the single-use endoscope market. These Y-o-Y projections on regional and country-level markets brighten the political, economic, and business environment outlook, which is anticipated to have a substantial impact on the growth of the single-use endoscope market. Some key countries and regions included in the single-use endoscope market report are as follows:
 
North America United States, Canada
Latin America Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Rest of Latin America
Europe Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Czech Republic, Rest of Europe
Asia Pacific China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia & New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia Pacific
MEA GCC Countries, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Israel, Iran, Kenya, Nigeria, Rest of MEA

Single-Use Endoscope Market Research Report Covers In-depth Analysis on:

  • Single-Use endoscope market detailed segments and segment-wise market breakdown
  • Single-Use endoscope market dynamics (Recent industry trends, drivers, restraints, growth potential, opportunities in the single-use endoscope industry)
  • Current, historical, and forthcoming 10-year market valuation in terms of single-use endoscope market size (US$ Mn), volume (Units), share (%), Y-o-Y growth rate, and CAGR (%) analysis
  • Single-Use Endoscope Market Demand Analysis
  • Single-use endoscope market pricing analysis over the forecast period (by key segment and by region)
  • Single-Use endoscope market regional insights with region-wise market breakdown
  • Competitive analysis – key companies profiling including their market share, product offerings, and competitive strategies.
  • Latest developments and innovations in the single-use endoscope market
  • Regulatory landscape by key regions and key countries
  • Supply chain and value chain analysis in the single-use endoscope market
  • Single-Use endoscope market sales and distribution strategies
  • A comprehensive overview of the parent market
  • A detailed viewpoint on the single-use endoscope market forecast by countries
  • Mergers and acquisitions in the single-use endoscope market
  • Essential information to enhance market position
  • Robust research methodology

- Frequently Asked Questions -

What factors are driving the single-use endoscope market growth?

The market is driven by increasing demand for infection control, cost-effective hospital workflows, technological innovations, and rising adoption of disposable medical devices in minimally invasive procedures.

Which types of single-use endoscopes are most commonly used?

Common types include flexible, rigid, bronchoscopes, ureteroscopes, cystoscopes, and laparoscopes, catering to various diagnostic and therapeutic applications across hospitals and outpatient care centers.

How do single-use endoscopes benefit healthcare providers?

They reduce cross-contamination risks, eliminate reprocessing requirements, streamline procedural efficiency, and provide consistent imaging performance, enhancing patient safety and operational convenience.

What challenges are faced by manufacturers in this industry?

Challenges include high development costs, regulatory compliance, ensuring device reliability, and balancing disposability with environmental sustainability considerations.