Korean AI Robotic Endoscopes Challenge Japan's 95% Dominance in the Endoscope Market

Medintech, a KERI Startup, Launches 22.8 Billion Won National Project with Seoul National University, Seoul National University Hospital, and DGIST

AI Autonomous Steering and Ultra-Precise Treatment Automation

"Overcoming 50 Years of Manual Endoscope Limitations"

A domestic 'dream team' from industry, academia, research institutes, and hospitals has set its sights on the global flexible endoscope market, where Japanese companies hold more than 95% market share. With the development of next-generation robotic endoscopes featuring artificial intelligence (AI)-based autonomous steering and ultra-precise treatment technology, interest is rising in the prospects for localizing medical devices and entering the global market.

On June 7, the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) announced that Medintech Co., Ltd., a startup founded on KERI technology, will collaborate with Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and KERI itself on the project titled "Development of a Next-Generation Intelligent Robotic Endoscope Platform with AI-Based Autonomous Steering and Ultra-Precise Surgical Automation Technology."

Soft electronic endoscope equipment of Medintech Co., Ltd., a technology startup company at KERI. Provided by KERI

This project is part of the pan-ministerial Advanced Medical Device Research and Development Program, and a total of 22.8 billion won in research funding will be invested from April 2024 through December 2031.

Currently, the flexible electronic endoscope market for gastric and colorectal cancer screening is virtually monopolized by Japanese companies such as Olympus, Pentax, and Fujifilm. The conventional method, where medical staff manually operate a dial, has remained unchanged for decades, leading to concerns about varying diagnostic quality and patient discomfort depending on the examiner’s level of experience.

The research team plans to integrate AI into Medintech’s existing motorized endoscope technology to realize “AI autonomous steering,” which enables the endoscope to independently find and follow the optimal path. The goal is to shorten examination times, reduce patient discomfort, and standardize examination quality.

The research scope will extend beyond diagnostic endoscopes to the treatment domain. The team plans to develop robotics technology that enables high-level procedures such as gripping, traction, incision, and suturing of lesions, by creating ultra-miniature, multi-joint surgical instruments that can move freely within narrow internal organs, as well as addressing specialized endoscope fields such as duodenoscopes and cholangioscopes.

Scope, a flexible electronic endoscope used for observing lesions and diagnosing and treating them. Provided by KERI

Each institution’s role has also been specified. Medintech Co., Ltd. will oversee the development of the intelligent motorized robotic endoscope platform, while Seoul National University Hospital will conduct clinical trials and technology validation. Seoul National University will develop AI algorithms for diagnostic and surgical assistance, KERI will be responsible for optical and image processing technology, and DGIST will focus on core robotic endoscope drive technologies.

Bae Youngmin, Head of the Medical Electronic Device Research Division at KERI, stated, "By combining the institute's accumulated core technologies in electronic endoscopy with the collective capabilities of industry, academia, research, and medical sectors, we aim to build an innovative, domestically produced robotic endoscope platform that can surpass the current global monopoly. We hope this project will become a leading example of commercializing research achievements through spin-off companies."

Kim Namgyun, President of KERI, emphasized, "We will actively support efforts to prove the competitiveness of domestic technology in the global medical endoscope market, which is projected to grow to approximately 41.1 billion dollars by 2034."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.