This report, Lab Automation Markets analyzes the current and potential world markets for medical laboratory automation systems and equipment - both for clinical diagnostics and drug discovery research laboratories.

Many clinical laboratories are facing a number of issues that are challenging their ability to remain competitive. These challenges have been caused by the reduction of government reimbursement rates for laboratory tests, cost-restraint measures established by the managed care industry, and the continuing trend toward containment of national health care costs. In order to survive in the future, it will be necessary for labs to run more tests; test in fewer sites; operate with less equipment; maintain lower operating costs; hire less skilled labor; and harness additional automation.

Since Kalorama last looked at the market two years ago, new systems have been introduced, market share has shifted and alliances and mergers have concluded. These are some of the recent developments that are assessed in the report and considered in market projections:

• Next-Generation vs. Traditional Systems

• Labcyte and Allegro Combine Operations

• Agilent Acquistion of Velocity

• New Closed-Loop Smart Gripper

• Tecan-VWR Alliance

• New Sample Processing Platforms

• High Throughput Flexibility

• Robotics Research Lab Established

• Hamilton Purchase of TekCel

• Low Temperature Sample Storage

• Automated Microplate Processing

Current Market and Forecasts to 2014 for the following segments are included:

• Sample Transport Systems

• Specimen Handling Systems

• Storage and Retrieval Systems

• Work Stations

• Plate Readers

• Robotics

• Dissolution Testing

• Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

As a report with international focus, markets for North America, Europe and Asia are provided. Revenues for clinical labs and drug discovery labs are broken out.

Market forecasts are based on an examination of current market conditions and on investigations into the development of new products by key companies.

The market data provide multiple year forecasts for different product segments covered in the report.

The information presented in this report is the result of data gathered from company product literature and other corporate brochures and documents, as well as information found in the scientific and trade press. In addition, interviews were conducted with company executives and researchers. This report also reviews the nature and direction of research and trends, and gives insight into some issues facing the industry. The report profiles several companies involved in developing and marketing these systems. Companies profiled in this report include:

• Abbott Diagnostics

• Affymetrix…

• Agilent Technologies Inc.

• Aurora Biotechnologies

• Beckman Coulter Inc.

• BioTrove Inc.

• Caliper Life Sciences

• CyBio AG…

• DKSH

• Dynacon Inc.

• Eppendorf AG

• Hamilton Storage Technologies Inc.

• Hudson Robotics Inc.

• InnovaSystems Inc.

• Labotix Automation Inc.

• LabVantage Solutions Inc....

• Magellan Biosciences Inc.

• Molecular Devices…

• Motoman Inc.

• Olympus Corp.

• PAA Ltd.

• PaR Systems Inc.

• PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences Inc.

• Roche Diagnostics

• RTS plc

• Siemens Healthcare

• Sotax

• The Automation Partnership

• Tecan Group Ltd.

• ThermoFischer Scientific Inc

• Xiril AG

1.0 Executive Summary

• 1.1 Perspective

• 1.1.1 Pressures to Automate in the Clinical Lab

• 1.1.1.1 Variety of Processes

• 1.1.2 Automating the Drug Discovery Lab

• 1.1.2.1 Variety of Processes

• 1.2 Emerging Trends

• 1.3 Advantages and Trade-Offs

• 1.4 World Market Summary

• 1.5 Methodology

2.0 Introduction

• 2.1 Why Automate

• 2.1.1 The Clinical Laboratory

• 2.1.2 The Drug Discovery Laboratory

• 2.2 An Evolving Market

• 2.3 Key Issues

• 2.3.1 Workflow

• 2.3.2 Labor Issues

• 2.3.3 Operating Costs

• 2.3.4 Compatibility

• 2.3.4.1 Middleware and Continuity

• 2.4 Targets for Automation

• 2.4.1 Specimen Handling

• 2.4.2 Automated Decapping

• 2.4.3 Bar Coding

• 2.4.4 Preanalytical Processing

• 2.5 Healthcare Trends Impacting Automation

• 2.6 Automation Equipment Trends

• 2.7 Total Lab Automation

• 2.8 Modular Automation

• 2.9 FDA Regulation

• 2.10 Reimbursement

3.0 Recent Market Developments

• 3.1 Affymetrix, Beckman Coulter Join Forces

• 3.2 Tecan, GE Healthcare Collaborate

• 3.3 FDA Approval for First Fully Automated Blood Screening Test

• 3.4 Beckman Coulter Acquisition

• 3.5 Caliper Platform

• 3.6 Robot Integration

• 3.7 Electronic Notebook

• 3.8 Automated Blood Sampling

• 3.9 Automated Compound Plate Storage

• 3.10 Assay Plate Production System Launched

• 3.11 Liquid Handling Workstation

• 3.12 Open-Track Automation

• 3.13 Cell Factory

• 3.14 Benchtop Tube Sorting

• 3.15 Automated Cell Culture

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4.0 Markets

• 4.1 Overview

• 4.2 Clinical Lab Automation Markets

• 4.2.1 Sample Transport Systems

• 4.2.2 Storage-Retrieval Systems

• 4.2.3 Work Stations

• 4.2.4 Specimen Handling Systems

• 4.2.5 LIMS

• 4.3 Drug Discovery Lab Automation Markets

• 4.3.1 Plate Readers

• 4.3.2 Automated Liquid Handling Systems

• 4.3.3 Robotics

• 4.3.4 Dissolution Testing

• 4.3.5 LIMS

• 4.3.6 Storage-Retrieval Systems

• 4.4 Market Share

5.0 Corporate Profiles

• 5.1 Abbott Diagnostics

• 5.2 Affymetrix

• 5.3 Agilent Technologies Inc.

• 5.4 Aurora Biotechnologies

• 5.5 Beckman Coulter Inc.

• 5.6 BioTrove Inc.

• 5.7 Caliper Life Sciences

• 5.8 CyBio AG

• 5.9 DKSH

• 5.10 Dynacon Inc.

• 5.11 Eppendorf AG

• 5.12 Hamilton Storage Technologies Inc.

• 5.13 Hudson Robotics Inc.

• 5.14 InnovaSystems Inc.

• 5.15 Labotix Automation Inc.

• 5.16 LabVantage Solutions Inc.

• 5.17 Magellan Biosciences Inc.

• 5.18 Molecular Devices

• 5.19 Motoman Inc.

• 5.20 Olympus Corp.

• 5.21 PAA Ltd.

• 5.22 PaR Systems Inc.

• 5.23 PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences Inc.