By Next Year, AI Will Be Integrated into Endoscopy... Reducing Misdiagnosis Rates and Maximizing Patient Safety

Olympus, the Renowned Brand in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Frank Drevalowski, Head of Endoscopy Solutions
"AI Endoscopy Will Be Used in Hospitals by Next Year"

The era of artificial intelligence (AI) endoscopy is coming. Olympus, a Japanese company that transformed from a camera business to a medical device manufacturer, plans to introduce AI endoscopy to about 100 hospitals starting next year. Frank Drevalowski, head of Olympus Endoscopic Solutions Division, said in an interview with reporters at the Tokyo Shinjuku office on the 5th, "AI endoscopy will advance modern medicine once again."

Frank Drevalowski, Head of Olympus Endoscopic Solutions Division

Although Olympus is well known domestically as a camera company, it is actually a prestigious manufacturer of gastrointestinal endoscopes. Seventy percent of gastrointestinal endoscopes used worldwide are Olympus products. Endoscopes, which involve inserting a camera into the mouth, anus, etc., to view internal organs, are highly regarded medical devices that have significantly advanced modern medicine by enabling early detection and treatment of diseases such as stomach and colon cancer.

However, for doctors who must perform endoscopic examinations at short intervals, endoscopy increases fatigue. Because of this, there is a possibility that doctors may fail to properly identify abnormal symptoms in patients’ internal organs even after conducting endoscopy. Drevalowski explained, "AI, trained with sufficient data, can highlight overlooked areas with green square boxes to draw attention. Through the latest processor called 'X1' integrated with the endoscope, it is possible to reduce diagnostic errors and maximize patient safety."

Currently, Olympus endoscopes are used in about 70,000 hospitals worldwide. Olympus aims to build a new medical ecosystem by equipping AI endoscopy in about 100 of these hospitals by next year. Medical facilities with endoscopic equipment can easily receive AI support by simply installing software.

Drevalowski stated, "We plan to introduce AI endoscopy to at least 20% of all hospitals by 2027." He also expressed expectations that "there are still many countries and patients who do not benefit from endoscopy, so market share can continue to grow. Global sales could increase by 5% annually."

Founded in 1919 as a microscope manufacturer, Olympus sold its camera division in 2021 and completely withdrew from the microscope business last April. Instead, it has been aggressively pursuing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) related to medical device companies. Over the past four years, the scale of M&A involving six companies has reached $1 billion. In February, it acquired the Korean gastrointestinal stent company Taewoong Medical for $370 million. Research and development (R&D), including disposable endoscopes, expanded to 8.5% of last year’s sales. The management team, once predominantly Japanese, is also becoming more diverse.

Drevalowski said, "This is an attempt to enhance the intelligence of endoscopes and elevate the ecosystem to the next level. Olympus has already transformed into a med-tech company thanks to gastrointestinal endoscopes. To compete with global medical device companies such as Boston Scientific and Medtronic, bold investments focusing on a single medical device are necessary."