Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) posted record sales during the fourth quarter, but full-year sales suffered from the downturn in the capital expenditures market earlier in 2009.

The Waltham, Mass.-based lab instruments and services provider posted sales of $2.84 billion during the three months ended Dec. 31, 2009, up 7.3 percent compared with $2.65 billion during the same period in 2008. Net income slipped 4.8 percent to $273 million, or 65 cents per diluted share, compared with $287 million, or 67 cents per share, during Q4 2008.

Sales were off 3.7 percent to $10.11 billion for the full year, compared with $10.5 billion during 2008. Net income reached $850 million, or $2.01 per diluted share, down 13.3 percent compared with $981 million, or $2.25 per diluted share, during the prior year.

The full-year results reflect a 7 percent slump for Thermo Fisher‘s analytical technologies segment, which posted sales of $4.15 billion in 2009, compared with $4.47 billion in 2008. Sales for the unit picked up during the fourth quarter, rising 5 percent to $1.19 billion from $1.14 billion during the year-ago quarter. The companies lab products and services section reported flat sales for the full year at $6.43 billion, compared with $6.46 billion during 2008. Fourth-quarter sales for the segment rose 9 percent to $1.77 billion, compared with $1.62 billion during Q4 2008.

President and CEO Marc Casper said the company expects 2010 sales to grow between 5 percent and 7 percent, to $10.6 billion to $10.8 billion. Adjusted earnings per share are expected to rise 8 percent to 13 percent, to between $3.30 and $3.45.