The global market for X-ray Detectors is projected to reach US$3.5 billion by 2025 supported by the key role played by imaging and diagnosis in managing the global burden of chronic diseases. Under-diagnosis of chronic diseases is a key reason for rising disability-adjusted life years (DALY), emergency healthcare costs & increased in morbidity and mortality. In the United States, alone over 30% of emergency department visits by the chronically ill are preventable resulting in avoidable costs of over US$9 billion each year. The epidemic rise in chronic diseases is pushing up the importance of aggressive screening techniques for right & timely treatment and care. X-ray continues to play a key role in chronic disease diagnosis such as diseases of exocrine pancreas, lungs (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bones (osteoporosis, arthritis); abdomen (digestive tract diseases). X-ray detectors are devices designed for measuring the flux, spectrum, spatial distribution and other properties of X-rays. These detectors are used in a broad range of applications in various fields including medical/dental, industrial, homeland security and veterinary. Besides medical field, x-rays are also finding increasing use in security, industrial, and veterinary care sectors. X-ray detectors are of two types, including imaging and dose measurement detectors, with the former devices being increasingly replaced by digital solutions like flat panel detectors or image plates. X-ray detectors detect and measure individual X-ray photons, and gradually accumulate sufficient measurements for creating an accurate image of the source. Based on their higher energy, X-ray photons can be easily noticed and counted. In addition, majority of sources of X-ray photons have low count rates. Apart from capturing energy information, these detectors also focus on position and timing information. While position information allows users to differentiate several parts of the source, timing information is important as various X-ray sources undergo rapid changes with time. In order to accurately measure short time scales, a detector needs to precisely determine the time when X-rays hit the detector as well as feature a large collecting area for receiving more X-rays in a short time span. The latter approach is termed as sampling, and offers deliver accurate results.

The increasing use of radiology diagnostics has played an important role in driving global market for X-ray detectors. The market growth is also facilitated by increasing incident of cancer, trauma and sports injuries along with the resulting need for medical imaging techniques, especially in emerging countries. For instance, healthcare facilities in the US performed 80 million computed tomography (CT) tests in 2015. The increasing number of radiography tests like CT has boosted the adoption of digital radiography detectors like a-Si detectors, fuelling growth of the medical X-ray detectors market. The rising demand for medical X-ray detectors is also attributed to strong focus on early diagnosis and prevention of diseases and technological advancements. The market growth is fuelled by increasing preference for digital X-ray systems over retrofit options. By 2029, digital systems are estimated to capture 70% share of the market. While high cost of sophisticated medical imaging systems is limiting market growth, particularly in low-/mid-income countries, continuing innovations to improve image quality and reduce unit costs are slated to benefit the market and drive global demand for X-ray detectors. Going forwards, the market growth is expected to be fuelled by availability of advanced detectors with enhanced operational and design efficiencies and adoption of sophisticated manufacturing and digital electronics. The market expansion is likely to be facilitated by rising focus of healthcare industry on valued-added services and increasing investment in R&D for product innovation. Global demand for medical X-ray detectors is poised to be impelled by increasing incident of orthopedic injuries, growing geriatric population, rising disposable incomes and government initiatives. The increasing use of X-rays in the field of dental diagnosis is expected to further drive the market growth.