"The combination of artificial intelligence technology (AI) and endoscopy is indeed a long-term trend, but it still faces significant uncertainty in its application. Especially in the field of soft endoscopy, according to the feedback we have received, the acceptance of AI technology by clinical doctors is not particularly high. We are still observing and continuing to follow up on research and development." Recently, in an interview with Securities Daily, The person in charge of a well-known domestic soft mirror enterprise said.
On the news, global medical device giant Medtronic recently announced that it will expand its partnership with Cosmo Intelligent Medical Devices to apply artificial intelligence to endoscopic care. Medtronic stated that this strategic alliance consolidates Medtronic's position in artificial intelligence integrated healthcare solutions, representing a significant leap in integrating artificial intelligence into endoscopic care.
Many investors believe that this move will reshape the pattern of gastrointestinal screening. The reporter further learned that currently, most endoscopic manufacturers have gradually combined computer-aided diagnostic technology with hardware equipment. In the long run, the competition in the field of endoscopy in the future may shift from hardware to hardware and software. However, in the short term, AI still has shortcomings in addressing clinical pain points, and commercial implementation still requires time.
Medtronic Expands AI+Medical Devices
In fact, Medtronic is not considered the absolute king in the field of endoscopy. According to data, endoscopes can be divided into two categories: soft lenses and hard lenses. Among them, in terms of soft lenses, three Japanese companies, Olympus, Fuji, and Pentax, lead the global soft lens market; Karlstos, Olympus, and Stryker have led the hard mirror market.
In recent years, Medtronic has frequently focused on AI, perhaps aiming to achieve "overtaking on the bend" in the endoscope market through AI.
The reporter noticed that in 2021, Medtronic has partnered with Cosmo to develop the AI assisted colonoscopy system GI Genius, which is the first colonoscopy approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to use AI algorithm support and can assist surgeons in detecting colon polyps; In 2023, AI chip giant Nvidia announced that it will collaborate with Medtronic to accelerate the application of AI in the medical industry. The two plan to use Nvidia AI technology to build GI Genius, helping doctors obtain AI enhanced diagnostic images and develop more accurate treatment plans for patients.
Zhao Xilong, Senior Investment Advisor at Jufeng Investment Consulting, told reporters that the application of AI in the field of endoscopy is very promising. It can improve the detection accuracy of lesions, provide real-time auxiliary diagnosis and treatment advice, and is known as the "third eye of doctors". For manufacturers, seizing this field will bring a competitive advantage in the market and is expected to drive technological innovation. "AI+endoscopes are seen as a key area for medical technology companies to compete for market share and increase product added value," said Zhao Xilong.
Hard mirror company Carl Stoss also told reporters that in February this year, Carl Stoss's German headquarters made an important strategic deployment: to split and restructure existing businesses, and establish a new subsidiary with robot solutions, AI, and virtual reality as its core, to promote the new development of minimally invasive technology in the digital age.
Clinical doctor experience is also important
However, the aforementioned interviewees emphasized that there are differences in clinical application scenarios between hard and soft lenses. "Hard mirrors can be combined with minimally invasive surgery, and AI empowerment can reduce the difficulty of minimally invasive surgery and benefit patients. However, in the field of soft mirrors, the combination of soft mirrors and AI mainly improves clinical detection rates. In this regard, there is a more cost-effective way to achieve this." He bluntly stated, for example, Aohua Endoscopy's newly developed product AQ-400 is equipped with a hyperspectral system, which is "computer-aided diagnosis under special light", It is also possible to improve the detection rate of early lesions without sacrificing screening efficiency.
Therefore, the aforementioned interviewees believe that from the current perspective, the added value brought by AI to endoscopic products is still limited. "In practical clinical applications, it is uncertain how much value it can bring." He told reporters, "Is there an ethical issue with AI assisted diagnosis?"? What is the acceptance of clinical doctors? These are all urgent problems that need to be solved. He said that the company had previously launched a water testing AI assisted diagnostic product, but clinical doctors did not show significant interest.
Zhao Xilong told reporters that the charging model for AI in clinical practice has not yet been established. "At present, many hospitals are still in the free use stage, but with the maturity of AI technology, they will gradually enter the charging stage," said Zhao Xilong.
The aforementioned interviewee stated that he believes that a more feasible innovation path for the Chinese market is to rely on the actual demands of clinical doctors and adopt a product innovation path of "combining medicine and industry". "The advantage of China lies in the large number of technologically advanced gastroenterologists. We hope to develop innovative products based on the clinical demands of these clinical doctors, so that the products developed will also be what clinical doctors need.".