Small Animal Imaging Market Size, Share, and Industry Analysis By Product (Equipment (Optical Imaging Systems, Nuclear Imaging Systems, MRI Systems, and Ultrasound Systems) and Reagents & Consumables), By Application (Drug Monitoring, Cancer Cell Detection, Epigenetics, and Others), By End User (Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Clinics, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2026-2034

The global small animal imaging market size was valued at USD 1.31 billion in 2025. The market is projected to grow from USD 1.42 billion in 2026 to USD 2.59 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.84% during the forecast period.

The global small animal imaging market is growing courtesy of increasing demand for advanced diagnostics and technological advancements. Clinical research developments are increasingly establishing the necessity for novel non-invasive imaging modalities as a result of the ever-increasing investments in drug discovery and development. MRI, PET, SPECT, CT, OP Imaging, and ultrasound are the vital imaging modalities, of which most have an application in oncology and others find uses in the field of neurology and cardiology.

• According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, small animal imaging technology in North America is growing at 9.8% annually.

The market has become robust due to advancements in imaging technologies. These advances in PET, SPECT, MRI, and optical imaging technologies tend to improve the resolution, sensitivity and the ability to image animals in real time during small animal studies. Improved modeling related to disease conditions, evaluation of drug efficacy, and the field of translational research are now pushing the market forward.

Small Animal Imaging Market Driver

Increasing Preclinical Research in Drug Development

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations have been undertaking noninvasive imaging studies for assessing drug pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and responses to therapy in small animal models. All these will further spur investments in this market since drug development investment is ever increasing in oncology, neurology, and cardiovascular studies.

Small Animal Imaging Market Restraint

High Cost of Imaging Systems May Hamper Industry Growth

These imaging modalities, such as PET, SPECT, and MRI, have such high initial costs that the systems require regular maintenance and are operationally complex. These factors, in turn, create demand for specialized facilities for such procedures and, hence, trained personnel to operate them, adding to the costs and deterring adoption even in smaller research labs. This cost barrier now strikes hard against the academic institutions and smaller biotech firms, creating further obstacles in the development of the market.

Small Animal Imaging Market Opportunity

Integration of AI and Machine Learning in Imaging to Create New Opportunities

These give rise to the accuracy automation efficiency in small animal imaging being displayed by the computer image analysis system because it has increased speed in the processing of images and reduced errors made by human agents. On similar grounds, predictive modeling and machine learning have also shown potential in early disease detection and better quantification in preclinical studies. This opens up a special window for getting into the drug-discovery and translational medicine market with AI.

• The U.S. National Science Foundation indicated that around USD 350 million has been provided as funding for small animal imaging research in 2023.

Key Insights

The report covers the following key insights:

• Growth of Industry, By Key Countries
• Drivers, Restraints, Trends, and Opportunities
• Increased Investment in Research, By Key Countries
• Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players
• Key Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, Partnerships)

Segmentation

Analysis by Product

By product, the market is divided into equipment (optical imaging systems, nuclear imaging systems, MRI systems, and ultrasound systems) and reagents & consumables.

Optical imaging refers to employing light techniques such as fluorescence and bioluminescence in high-resolution real-time imaging of very small animals in preclinical research. This segment would probably have slow growth with the advent of high-sensitivity cameras, multiplex imaging, and real-time in vivo analyses.

Bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging from a noninvasive source offer ample means to study cancer, gene expression, and infectious diseases cellular and molecular dynamics. This area will harness the optical sector, down-to-the-earth, user-friendly and its emerging applications in preclinical drug development.

Analysis by Application

Based on application, the market is subdivided into drug monitoring, cancer cell detection, epigenetics, and others.

At the time of periclinal drug trials, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and efficacy evaluations demand reliable data from small-animal imaging biosafety aspects. This arena is expected to exhibit unprecedented growth owing to a multiplicity of applications in the current environment such as precision medicine, automated image analysis, and the myriad regulations surrounding drug safety and efficacy.

Advanced imaging techniques such as PET, MRI, and optical imaging have been extensively used to detect cancer cells and capture progressive tumor stages and responses to treatment using perturbation of animal models. This segment is expected to take away the largest share in the market due to increased affords in cancer research, increased funding in oncology drug development, and its adoption of multimodal imaging techniques.

Analysis by End User

Based on end user, the market is divided into veterinary hospitals, veterinary clinics, and others.

An advanced imaging system will be deployed to the veterinary hospitals for small animal diagnosis, treatment follow-ups, and surgical planning. This has to be a quite lucrative sector with the growing number of pets, increase in spending on veterinary health care, and incorporating high-quality imaging modalities such as CT and MRI into the service provision.

This segment must turn into a very profitable one because of the increasing number of pets, rise in expenditure on veterinary healthcare, and assimilation of high-grade imaging technologies such as CT and MRI. Most standard imaging techniques such as ultrasound and X-ray scanning, and also portable imaging devices, are for use in a veterinary practice.

Regional Analysis

Based on geography, the market has been studied across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The small animal imaging market in North America is mainly characterized by high investments in biomedical research, growing infrastructure in health care, and the concentration of major developers in imaging technology. There is heavy demand in the U.S. from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for preclinical evaluation of drug candidates. The market is predicted to rise steadily due to increased funding for life sciences research from government and private sources. It is estimated that North America will maintain its dominance in the global market for the coming few years.

This small animal imaging market holds a considerable share in Europe owing to fast-rising preclinical research, government funds, and highly active academic collaborations. Of these, Germany, the U.K., and France lead the pack, thanks to their strong research infrastructure and regulatory policies. Adoption of AI in imaging and multimodal imaging systems propels the area. Steady growth has also been witnessed through Europe, as more pharmaceutical R&D investments come into light.

Asia Pacific is expected to show the highest growth potential for the market for small animal imaging within the world because of increasing research activity contributions of academies and commercial organizations. The situation is guided by accelerating biotechnology research activities and the hastening of pharmaceutical industries, increasing amounts of funding for research, and healthcare infrastructures developing into the region.

Key Players Covered

The report includes the profiles of the following key players:

• PerkinElmer (U.S.) 
• Bruker (U.S.) 
• FUJIFILM Corporation (Japan) 
• Mediso Ltd. (Hungary) 
• MILabs B.V. (Netherlands) 
• MR Solutions (U.K.) 
• Aspect Imaging Ltd. (Israel) 
• TriFoil Imaging (U.S.)

Key Industry Developments

• In December 2024, Siemens Healthineers completed the acquisition of Advanced Accelerator Applications Molecular Imaging from Novartis.
• In November 2024, United Imaging announced the installation of the world's first uMI Panvivo PET/CT system at Pueblo Medical Imaging in Nevada, U.S.
• In November 2021, Bruker Corporation acquired MOLECUBES NV, a Belgian innovator in benchtop preclinical nuclear molecular imaging systems.