Elastography Imaging Market By Product Type (Ultrasound Elastography [Shear Wave, Strain], Magnetic Resonance Elastography); By Application (Liver Disease, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Thyroid Nodules, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Others); By End User (Hospitals, Diagnostic Imaging Centers, Specialty Clinics, Academic & Research Institutes); By Geography, Segment Revenue Estimation, Forecast, 2024–2030.

Introduction And Strategic Context

Elastography imaging, an advanced non-invasive imaging modality, quantifies tissue stiffness and elasticity to facilitate early diagnosis and characterization of various pathological conditions — particularly cancers, liver fibrosis, and musculoskeletal disorders. By enhancing the diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of conventional ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), elastography has emerged as a critical tool in precision medicine. Its strategic relevance is further amplified by the global burden of chronic liver diseases, rising cancer incidence, and the increasing demand for minimally invasive diagnostic technologies.

 

The Global Elastography Imaging Market was valued at approximately USD 3.24 billion in 2024, and is projected to reach USD 6.91 billion by 2030, expanding at a robust CAGR of 13.4% during the forecast period.

 

This growth trajectory is driven by several synergistic macroeconomic and clinical forces, including:

• Technological evolution in real-time shear wave and strain imaging modalities

• Favorable reimbursement policies in North America and parts of Europe for liver and breast cancer diagnostics

• Escalating prevalence of liver cirrhosis, NASH, and cancer in APAC and Latin America

• Shift towards value-based imaging in outpatient and ambulatory settings

Moreover, the rising adoption of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) with elastographic capabilities is expanding the addressable market across primary care and emergency settings.

 

Key stakeholders shaping this market include:

• Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as GE HealthCare, Siemens Healthineers, and Canon Medical Systems, who drive product development and innovation

• Hospitals, diagnostic imaging centers, and outpatient facilities as primary end users

• Government bodies and public health agencies funding early detection and screening programs

• Private equity and institutional investors, increasingly acquiring diagnostic imaging assets in high-growth geographies

• AI and digital health startups focusing on software enhancement and image analysis automation

The competitive landscape is transitioning from hardware-focused dominance to integrated platforms that combine AI-driven analytics, elastographic overlays, and remote diagnostics — reshaping how providers diagnose and monitor complex diseases.

 

Market Segmentation And Forecast Scope

The global elastography imaging market (2024–2030) can be comprehensively segmented based on Product Type, Application, End User, and Region. This segmentation reflects both clinical utility and commercial focus, with emerging sub-segments gaining traction through innovation and targeted diagnostics.

By Product Type

• Ultrasound Elastography

  • Shear Wave Elastography

  • Strain Elastography

• Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE)

Ultrasound elastography dominates the market with over 62% share in 2024, owing to its cost-effectiveness, portability, and real-time imaging capabilities. It is increasingly integrated into portable and handheld ultrasound systems for broader point-of-care access.

Magnetic Resonance Elastography, though costlier, is gaining ground in tertiary-care centers due to its superior accuracy in evaluating deeper tissues such as liver, pancreas, and brain. Its adoption is expected to grow at a CAGR exceeding 14.5% during the forecast period.

 

By Application

• Liver Disease Diagnosis

• Breast Cancer Diagnosis

• Prostate Cancer Assessment

• Thyroid Nodule Evaluation

• Musculoskeletal Disorders

• Others (e.g., pancreatic lesions, vascular elasticity)

Liver disease diagnosis remains the largest application segment, driven by the increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatitis B/C globally. However, the breast cancer diagnosis segment is emerging as the fastest-growing, aided by growing awareness and integration of elastography with routine mammography/ultrasound workflows.

 

By End User

• Hospitals

• Diagnostic Imaging Centers

• Specialty Clinics

• Academic & Research Institutes

Hospitals account for the lion’s share of usage, given their access to high-end MRE and integrated ultrasound systems. Meanwhile, diagnostic imaging centers are rapidly increasing their adoption, especially in urban Asia and Europe, where outpatient diagnostics are expanding.

 

By Region

• North America

• Europe

• Asia Pacific

• LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, and Africa)

 

While North America remains the most mature market, Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing region, supported by:

• Increasing liver cancer incidence in China and Southeast Asia

• Expanding imaging infrastructure in India and South Korea

• Strategic public-private partnerships and favorable import policies

Strategically, companies are increasingly focusing on dual-modality systems that combine elastography with AI-driven diagnostics and cloud-based data sharing to appeal to research centers and private imaging labs.

 

Market Trends And Innovation Landscape

The elastography imaging market is undergoing rapid transformation, fueled by advances in imaging technology, AI integration, and clinical application diversification. Innovations are not only enhancing diagnostic precision but also making elastography more accessible across varied healthcare settings.

Technology Convergence: AI Meets Elastography

One of the most prominent trends is the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in elastographic imaging. AI algorithms are now being embedded into ultrasound consoles and MRI platforms to:

• Automate stiffness quantification and fibrosis scoring

• Differentiate benign vs. malignant lesions with higher accuracy

• Provide real-time image quality assessment and feedback

For example, GE HealthCare and Canon Medical have launched next-gen ultrasound platforms with built-in AI-assisted elastography that significantly reduces operator variability.

 

Hardware Evolution and Portability

Manufacturers are increasingly shifting from bulky, cart-based systems to handheld and portable devices equipped with shear wave elastography. These compact platforms enable broader point-of-care use — particularly in:

• Primary care settings

• Emergency departments

• Remote and underserved regions

This shift supports the trend of decentralized imaging — bringing diagnostic capabilities closer to the patient.

 

Cloud Connectivity and Teleradiology Integration

Elastography devices are now being equipped with cloud-syncing capabilities, allowing seamless transfer of imaging data for:

• Remote specialist interpretation

• Multidisciplinary collaboration

• AI-assisted second opinion engines

Philips and Siemens Healthineers have both launched platforms that integrate elastography data into centralized diagnostic clouds, improving interdepartmental workflows.

 

Modality Hybridization

There is growing interest in dual-modality systems, where elastography is combined with:

• Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)

• 3D ultrasound

• MRI/PET integration

These innovations offer richer tissue characterization and are being increasingly adopted in oncology diagnostics.

 

Partnerships and Academic Collaborations

Leading OEMs are partnering with universities, CROs, and AI startups to accelerate:

• Real-world validation of elastography biomarkers

• Development of AI-based fibrosis grading tools

• Cross-specialty clinical trials (e.g., liver, prostate, breast)

For instance, Siemens Healthineers has formed a multi-year partnership with academic research hubs in Europe to validate elastographic imaging biomarkers in chronic liver disease and musculoskeletal health.

 

R&D Pipeline: What’s Coming Next?

Several companies are developing automated quantification software, wearable ultrasound patches, and robotic elastography systems for minimally invasive procedures. These could radically reshape how elastography is used in interventional radiology and intraoperative settings.

Experts predict that within the next five years, AI-enhanced elastography will become a standard diagnostic protocol for liver disease staging and tumor surveillance in many healthcare systems.

 

Competitive Intelligence And Benchmarking

The global elastography imaging market is moderately consolidated, with a mix of multinational conglomerates and specialized imaging companies competing across ultrasound and MRI-based modalities. The competition is not solely on hardware but increasingly on workflow integration, AI capabilities, and cross-specialty adaptability .

GE HealthCare

GE HealthCare is a dominant player in ultrasound-based elastography, offering both shear wave and strain imaging within its premium and mid-tier ultrasound systems. The company’s strategic edge lies in its:

• Integration of AI-powered lesion detection

• Expanding handheld ultrasound portfolio

• Global service network across North America, Europe, and emerging Asia Pacific markets

Its LOGIQ series has been frequently updated to include liver stiffness quantification and breast elastography , offering excellent versatility in outpatient diagnostics.

 

Siemens Healthineers

Siemens remains a technological leader in both ultrasound and MRI elastography. It leverages its flagship Acuson and Magnetom platforms to deliver integrated stiffness mapping for liver, prostate, and musculoskeletal evaluations. Its competitive strategy revolves around:

• Cutting-edge 3D shear wave algorithms

• Collaborations with academic and cancer research centers

• Strong regulatory and reimbursement expertise across Europe and the U.S.

Siemens' innovations in MRI elastography have set benchmarks for quantitative liver fibrosis scoring.

 

Canon Medical Systems

Canon offers high-resolution ultrasound elastography systems that appeal to hospitals and high-throughput diagnostic imaging centers. Known for:

• User-friendly UI/UX interfaces

• Deep penetration imaging (e.g., for abdominal and prostate)

• Aggressive pricing strategies in Asia and Latin America

Canon’s recent product lines are increasingly being integrated with AI-assisted workflow enhancements to support liver cancer surveillance.

 

Philips Healthcare

Philips focuses on premium elastography solutions embedded with radiology PACS systems and AI diagnostics. The company’s strength lies in:

• Interoperability across elastography , CT, and MRI

• Focus on telehealth and teleradiology ecosystems

• Broad global reach with installed base in over 100 countries

Philips is also investing in elastography for musculoskeletal and vascular imaging applications — expanding beyond traditional liver and oncology use cases.

 

Esaote

An emerging player, especially in Europe and Latin America, Esaote targets niche markets through:

• Compact and mobile ultrasound elastography systems

• Attractive pricing for small clinics and research use

• Growing involvement in sports medicine and rheumatology applications

 

Resoundant Inc.

A pioneer in MR elastography software, Resoundant’s proprietary MRE technology is licensed to many OEMs and used in top-tier academic centers. It offers:

• Non-invasive liver stiffness quantification via MRI

• Applications expanding into brain and cardiac MRE

Their partnership with Mayo Clinic has driven research-led adoption of MRE in chronic liver and neurodegenerative disease diagnostics.

 

Hologic , Inc.

While primarily a leader in women’s health imaging, Hologic has begun to integrate elastography within its breast ultrasound platforms. Their strategic vision is:

• To elevate cancer screening accuracy

• To complement their existing breast biopsy and mammography solutions

The future competitive edge will lie in cross-specialty elastography tools integrated with radiology software ecosystems, AI-based auto-reporting, and cloud-based collaborative platforms — rather than standalone imaging features.

 

Regional Landscape And Adoption Outlook

The adoption of elastography imaging varies significantly across regions, shaped by healthcare infrastructure maturity, disease epidemiology, reimbursement policies, and availability of trained professionals. While North America and Europe remain innovation hubs, Asia Pacific and parts of LAMEA are driving the next wave of volume growth.

North America

North America holds the largest share in the global elastography imaging market, supported by:

• High prevalence of chronic liver disease (especially NAFLD and hepatitis C)

• Widespread deployment of advanced imaging systems

• Well-established reimbursement pathways, especially in the U.S. under CMS guidelines

The United States leads the global market due to aggressive adoption by hospitals, large imaging centers, and research institutions. Canada also contributes significantly, benefiting from centralized diagnostic imaging funding and provincial liver screening programs.

Example: The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) recommends elastography as a non-invasive method for fibrosis staging, accelerating institutional adoption.

 

Europe

Europe follows closely behind North America, driven by:

• Standardized imaging protocols and supportive national guidelines (e.g., EASL)

• Rapid uptake of breast and thyroid elastography in France, Germany, and the UK

• Strong OEM presence, including Siemens, Esaote, and Philips

Countries like Germany and France lead in MRI elastography deployment, whereas Italy, Spain, and Nordic nations are growing users of shear wave technology in oncology and musculoskeletal care.

Reimbursement for elastography procedures is more consistent across Western Europe than in emerging Eastern European markets, which still rely heavily on conventional ultrasound.

 

Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing regional market, expanding at a projected CAGR exceeding 16% due to:

• High burden of hepatitis B/C and liver cancer, especially in China, India, and Southeast Asia

• Government initiatives for early disease detection (e.g., China’s Healthy China 2030 agenda)

• Expansion of private diagnostic imaging chains across urban centers

China is the regional heavyweight, with hospitals rapidly upgrading to shear wave-capable ultrasound systems. India, while still cost-sensitive, is seeing elastography adoption among top-tier hospitals and metro-based diagnostic labs.

Japan and South Korea are mature imaging markets where real-time elastography is already embedded into routine workflows, particularly in hepatology and oncology.

 

LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East & Africa)

This region presents a mixed adoption landscape, with growing demand tempered by infrastructure gaps and limited reimbursement.

• Brazil and Mexico are the most advanced in Latin America, showing demand for liver fibrosis and prostate cancer imaging via ultrasound elastography .

• In the Middle East, especially UAE and Saudi Arabia, private hospitals are investing in elastography as part of broader diagnostic suite upgrades.

• In Africa, adoption is mostly restricted to academic hospitals in South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria, where donor-funded programs or NGO collaborations drive limited access.

 

End-User Dynamics And Use Case

The adoption of elastography imaging varies significantly across healthcare settings, largely influenced by infrastructure, operator training, diagnostic demand, and procedural throughput. Each end-user category plays a distinct role in expanding the global footprint of elastographic modalities, whether through routine screening, advanced diagnostics, or research-oriented applications.

Hospitals

Hospitals are the primary end users, accounting for over 50% of global market revenue. Their adoption is driven by:

• Availability of capital-intensive systems (e.g., MRE-capable MRI, high-end ultrasound platforms)

• Access to multi-specialty departments ( hepatology, oncology, radiology)

• Integration into inpatient and emergency workflows

Tertiary hospitals often deploy elastography for both routine screening (e.g., liver fibrosis staging) and advanced assessments (e.g., tumor stiffness characterization).

 

Diagnostic Imaging Centers

Diagnostic imaging centers are rapidly increasing their adoption due to:

• Demand for outpatient-based liver and breast cancer screening

• Faster return-on-investment with high patient volume

• Competitive differentiation by offering AI-assisted elastography services

These centers often opt for mid-tier ultrasound systems with shear wave elastography for cost-effectiveness and versatility.

 

Specialty Clinics

Specialty clinics, especially in gastroenterology, endocrinology, and oncology, are beginning to adopt portable ultrasound systems with integrated elastography. The focus is typically on:

• Thyroid nodules, prostate evaluation, or breast lump differentiation

• Immediate, point-of-care diagnosis without referral delays

• Private-pay models or corporate screening programs

 

Academic & Research Institutes

These institutions are critical for:

• Clinical validation of new elastography algorithms

• Longitudinal studies on disease progression (e.g., fibrosis staging, musculoskeletal degeneration)

• Training and education of radiologists and sonographers

Many global OEMs partner with such institutes to evaluate AI-based image enhancement, quantitative stiffness thresholds, and new anatomical applications.

 

Use Case Highlight

“A tertiary care hospital in Seoul, South Korea, integrated real-time shear wave elastography into its liver clinic workflow for patients with hepatitis B and NASH. Over 12 months, the center reduced the need for liver biopsies by 42%, enhanced staging accuracy in 87% of chronic liver disease cases, and shortened time-to-treatment initiation by 23%. The team noted that the reproducibility and quantitative output of elastography allowed for better multidisciplinary decision-making and improved patient compliance.”

This example underscores the procedural value of elastography — not just in diagnosis but in streamlining clinical pathways, reducing invasive interventions, and driving evidence-based care.

 

Recent Developments + Opportunities & Restraints

Recent Developments (2023–2025)

• Canon Medical launched its new Aplio i800 ultrasound system in early 2024, featuring advanced shear wave elastography and AI-assisted liver stiffness measurement tailored for fatty liver and cirrhosis screening.

• Philips partnered with the Mayo Clinic in 2023 to integrate its elastography modules with cloud-based diagnostic platforms, enabling remote reading and collaboration for liver and oncology evaluations.

• Siemens Healthineers received CE approval in mid-2024 for its next-gen 3D elastography platform embedded within Acuson Sequoia systems, enhancing precision in breast and thyroid lesion assessments.

• Esaote expanded its MyLab X9 product line with elastography capabilities for musculoskeletal and sports medicine use, targeting European outpatient clinics and private practices.

• Resoundant and GE HealthCare announced a research collaboration to validate brain stiffness biomarkers via MRI elastography in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

 

Opportunities

• Expansion in Emerging Economies : Rapid diagnostic infrastructure growth in countries like India, Vietnam, Brazil, and Egypt creates demand for affordable and portable elastography devices — especially in liver disease surveillance.

• AI and Workflow Automation : The integration of automated fibrosis grading, lesion segmentation, and remote reporting is attracting outpatient diagnostic chains and teleradiology providers looking to scale efficiently.

• Non-Invasive Cancer Screening Programs : With global emphasis on early detection, breast, prostate, and thyroid elastography is gaining inclusion in government and corporate screening initiatives, opening doors for wider adoption.

 

Restraints

• High Equipment Cost and Maintenance : Advanced elastography -enabled MRI and premium ultrasound systems can be prohibitively expensive, limiting adoption in community hospitals and rural clinics, especially in LAMEA.

• Lack of Trained Operators and Interpretation Expertise : Elastography output, while rich in information, often requires specialized training for accurate interpretation — a challenge in under-resourced settings.

 

7.1. Report Coverage Table

Report Attribute	Details
Forecast Period	2024 – 2030
Market Size Value in 2024	USD 3.24 Billion
Revenue Forecast in 2030	USD 6.91 Billion
Overall Growth Rate	CAGR of 13.4% (2024 – 2030)
Base Year for Estimation	2024
Historical Data	2019 – 2023
Unit	USD Million, CAGR (2024 – 2030)
Segmentation	By Product Type, By Application, By End User, By Region
By Product Type	Ultrasound Elastography, Magnetic Resonance Elastography
By Application	Liver Disease, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Thyroid Nodules, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Others
By End User	Hospitals, Diagnostic Imaging Centers, Specialty Clinics, Academic & Research Institutes
By Region	North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa
Country Scope	U.S., Canada, Germany, U.K., France, China, Japan, India, Brazil, South Korea, GCC
Market Drivers	- AI-integrated diagnostic tools - Rising liver and cancer burden - Demand for non-invasive alternatives
Customization Option	Available upon request