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With the increasing number multiple infection outbreaks from contaminated endoscopes, resulting primarily due to faulty endoscope reprocessing and manual errors in cleaning, automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) have a high growth potential as it offers high level disinfection in endoscope reprocessing. But with the complex design and faulty reprocessing of reusable endoscopes, specifically duodenoscopes, there have been a recent shift towards single-use duodenoscopes which requires no reprocessing. Moreover, with the advent of the pandemic, there have been increased awareness and government recommendations on endoscope manufacturers to simplify endoscope design or to shift to disposable ones. This pose as a major threat to the endoscope reprocessing stakeholders, specifically the AER device manufacturers, as these devices would become completely obsolete. For this reason, AER OEMs are on the lookout as how to continue with or strengthen their market share in the endoscope reprocessing market. In order to tackle this threat from single-use endoscopes, AER OEMs around the world is innovating and introducing latest features in their AERs, along with strategic collaborations with different stakeholders in the endoscope reprocessing chain.

The global AER device space has been segmented into two basic types: single-chamber AERs, and dual/multi-chamber AERs. Dual-chamber AERs would continue dominating the market from rising needs in big hospitals and CSSDs, but there will be a rise in the adoption of single-chambered AERs over the forecast period. While the North American (NA) and European (EU) market would witness a gradual shift towards single-use endoscopes (specifically duodenoscopes), the Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Rest-of-the-World (RoW) regions would experience a transformation in endoscope reprocessing when AERs would replace manual soak methods. Moreover, AER makers are increasingly innovating their devices for integration and connectivity capabilities, which would boost adoption and differentiate their offerings from competitors.