Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market Report 2026

Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market Overview

• Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) market size has reached to $3.15 billion in 2025 • Expected to grow to $5.53 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8% • Growth Driver: Elevated Healthcare Expenditure Fueling Growth In The Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market • Market Trend: Advancing In Vivo Small Animal Imaging With Real-Time Kinetic Analysis • North America was the largest region in 2025 and Europe is the fastest growing region.

What Is Covered Under Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market?

Small animal imaging (in vivo) refers to the advanced imaging techniques for monitoring cellular activity, pharmacological effects that have been developed, and disease progression in live animals. Small animal imaging (in vivo) is used to observe, define, and quantify normal and pathologic processes in living animal organs and tissues non-invasively. The main components of small animal imaging (in-vivo) are micro-MRI, optical imaging, nuclear imaging, and other components. Micro-MRI refers to a non-invasive technique that produces detailed 3-dimensional (3D) images of tissues without the use of harmful radiation. The various applications include monitoring treatment response, biodistribution, determining drug/target engagement, cancer cell detection, biomarkers, longitudinal studies, and epigenetics which are used in veterinary clinics, veterinary hospitals, and veterinary institutes and research centers.

What Is The Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market Growth Forecast?

The small animal imaging (in-vivo) market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $5.53 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for precision medicine research tools, rising investments in translational research, expansion of oncology and neurological studies, growing adoption of ai-assisted diagnostics, increasing focus on real-time biological imaging. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing adoption of multimodal imaging systems, rising use of non-invasive in vivo imaging techniques, growing integration of ai-based image analysis, expansion of longitudinal disease monitoring studies, enhanced focus on high-resolution imaging capabilities.

Global Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market Segmentation

1) By Component: Micro-MRI, Optical Imaging, Nuclear Imaging, Other Components 2) By Application: Monitoring Treatment Response, Bio Distribution, Determining Drug or Target Engagement, Cancer Cell Detection, Biomarkers, Longitudinal Studies, Epigenetics 3) By End User: Veterinary Clinics, Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Institutes and Research Centers Subsegments: 1) By Micro-MRI: High-Field Micro-MRI Systems, Low-Field Micro-MRI Systems, MRI Contrast Agents 2) By Optical Imaging: In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging Systems, Bioluminescence Imaging Systems, Optical Coherence Tomography Systems 3) By Nuclear Imaging: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanners, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Systems, Radioactive Tracers 4) By Other Components: X-Ray Imaging Systems, CT Imaging Systems, Ultrasound Imaging Systems

What Is The Driver Of The Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market?

Growing expenditure in the healthcare sector is expected to propel the growth of the small animal imaging (in vivo) market going forward. Healthcare expenditure refers to the overall cost of health care (including public and private expenditures) as a percentage of GDP. Rising healthcare expenditure and increasing healthcare awareness encourage the concept of self-care management, where PET equipment is used in techniques such as small animal imaging. Small animal imaging (in vivo) helps the healthcare sector by enabling noninvasive visualization of biological processes in real time, accelerating drug development, improving disease understanding, and supporting the creation of more effective therapies. For instance, in May 2024, according to a report published by the Office for National Statistics, a UK-based government statistical organization, reported that healthcare spending in the UK increased by 5.6% in nominal terms in 2023, with long-term health and social care expenditure increasing by 2.8% in real terms in 2022. Therefore, growing expenditure for the healthcare sector is driving the growth of the small animal imaging (in-vivo) industry.

Key Players In The Global Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market

Major companies operating in the small animal imaging (in-vivo) market are Bruker Corporation, PerkinElmer Inc., Mediso Ltd., Aspect Imaging Ltd., Spectral Instruments Imaging LLC, Bioscan Inc., Gamma Medica-Ideas Inc., LI-COR Biosciences, Scanco Medical AG, TriFoil Imaging Inc., MR Solutions Ltd., MILabs B.V., Trifoil Imaging Inc., VisualSonics Inc., Fujifilm VisualSonics Inc., Sedecal S.A., Kubtec Medical Imaging, Carestream Health Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Rigaku Corporation

Global Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market Trends and Insights

Major companies operating in the small animal imaging (In‑Vivo) market are increasingly focusing on advanced in vivo imaging software platforms, such as real‑time kinetic analysis modules, to meet the rising demand for more accurate, quantitative, and high‑throughput preclinical studies in fields like oncology and neuroscience. Such software platforms allow continuous capture and automated analysis of dynamic bioluminescent (BLI) signals over time, rather than the traditional static single‑timepoint snapshots, this yields richer kinetic curves, improved reproducibility, and better identification of peak signal phases. For instance, in April 2024, Spectral Instruments Imaging, a US-based preclinical imaging technology company, launched Aura 4.5, the latest version of its in vivo imaging software. Aura 4.5 introduces a Kinetics mode, enabling automated, real‑time acquisition of bioluminescent signals throughout their full-time course, capturing rise, plateau, and decay phases. The software then identifies and reports the peak bioluminescent intensity, helping researchers maximize sensitivity and biological accuracy. It also streamlines data acquisition and reduces manual intervention, enhancing workflow efficiency for longitudinal studies. This feature-rich upgrade is especially useful for longitudinal, time‑sensitive studies such as pharmacokinetics, gene expression, or infection models.

What Are Latest Mergers And Acquisitions In The Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market?

In February 2024, Bruker Corporation, a US-based biotechnology research company, acquired Spectral Instruments Imaging for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to enhance Bruker Corporation's capabilities in imaging technology, specifically in advanced imaging systems for life sciences and materials research. By integrating Spectral Instruments Imaging's expertise in specialized imaging solutions. Spectral Instruments Imaging is a US-based company specializing in advanced imaging solutions.

Regional Outlook

North America was the largest region in the small animal imaging (in-vivo) market in 2025. Europe is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in this market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in this market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain

What Defines the Small Animal Imaging (In-Vivo) Market?

The small animal imaging (in-vivo) market includes revenues earned by PET, X-ray CT, MRI, and SPECT scanners. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

How is Market Value Defined and Measured?

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified). The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.