REUSED MEDICAL DEVICE MARKET TO SEE $70 MILLION GROWTH OVER NEXT FOUR YEARS

The reprocessed device market is expected to reach $200 million by 2011 -- a $70 million increase over its 2006 value -- according to an analysis by Millennium Research Group (MRG).

Reprocessed instruments are sold back to healthcare facilities for up to 60 percent less than the cost of new units, the group said.

However, not all devices can simply be sterilized. In 2000 the FDA revised its regulations and issued guidelines on in-house hospital reprocessing, making reprocessing of some devices too expensive and time-consuming for most hospitals, MRG said.

The group predicts that FDA regulations on reprocessing will only become "increasingly stringent in coming years." As a result, many hospitals are using third-party reprocessing companies for their devices.