A new generation of technological changes in medical endoscopes： low cost and consumables, and disposable endoscopes are expected to subvert the industry？
▲ article source: Eshare medical equipment exchange
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On July 27,Youwei Medical completed the A round of financing.
As a pioneer in the field of disposable endoscopes,At present, Youwei Medical has obtained FDA certification for four disposable endoscope products., including 3 disposable cystoscopy and 1 disposable hysteroscopy, have been listed in the United States.
It is understood that the disposable endoscope adopts an integrated and portable design, and the small mainframe can be equipped with a hysteroscope and a cystoscope consumable tube at the same time, so that one machine can be used for two purposes.It not only reduces the cost of hospital procurement and management, but also reduces the discomfort of patients and optimizes the inspection process.
In addition to Youwei Medical, Huaxin Medical, which previously focused on disposable electronic endoscope products, has also completed several hundred million yuan of Series A financing. In recent years, the endoscope track is hot and has received many financing. Why does capital favor the track so much?
01
Technical iteration promotes endoscopic innovation.
Endoscope is a common medical instrument in clinic. Endoscopic equipment is often used with consumables for endoscopic diagnosis and treatment, which plays the role of biopsy, hemostasis, dilatation and resection in endoscopic examination or operation, and has a wide application scene.
now Widely used in many departments. , including gastroenterology, urology, abdominal cavity, gynecology, etc. With the technological changes, the field of endoscopy is also constantly ushered in new changes.
Endoscope originated in the 19th century, There have been four technological changes:
In 1806,Rigid tube endoscopeBorn;
From 1932 to 1957,Semi-curved endoscopeBegan to be widely used;
In 1957,Fiber endoscopeAppear and be applied;
Since 1983,Electronic endoscopeBecome the mainstream product of endoscope application;
In 2009,Disposable electronic endoscopeIt was born and gradually spread at home and abroad.
Compared with traditional medicine, minimally invasive and non-invasive medicine improves the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment, reduces the pain of patients, is a revolutionary progress in the development of medical technology, and also indicates the development direction of medicine in the future.
As a new endoscope, disposable endoscope is not widely used in China at present, mainly in urology. According to the current development trend, Endoscope is gradually developing towards "miniaturization, multifunction and high image" As a new generation of endoscope, disposable endoscope will get more development opportunities in the future.
02
Domestic products are in full swing.
At this stage, many domestic enterprises have started the pipeline layout of disposable endoscope products. In addition to Youwei Medical, Chinese enterprises committed to this field also include Ruipai Medical, Innoway, Happiness Workshop, Youkang Technology, Lineset, Xianzan Technology, Xinguangwei, Beijing North Tengda and Pusheng Medical. Wait. Relevant statistics, Six domestic companies have obtained a total of seven NMPA registration certificates for disposable endoscopes.
Figure: List of disposable endoscope products in China
Source: Eshare medical equipment exchange
Although many companies are scrambling to lay out the track, urology endoscopes are still the main ones, only Xianzan Technology and Hanmei Medical have laid out a disposable gastrointestinal endoscope. Among them, the disposable gastrointestinal endoscope of Xianzan Technology has been certified by CE, FDA and approved by NMPA. The disposable gynecological endoscope of Zhiguang Technology is still under development.
Application scenario simplification It is one of the problems in the development of disposable endoscope in China at present. In the future, which enterprise can realize the full coverage of the application scene of disposable endoscope is the key factor of industry competition, and the one who struggles is the first.
03
Will disposable endoscope subvert reusable endoscope?
Endoscopes are classified in various ways, except for the conventionally known hard and soft mirrors. If they are classified according to the number of times of use, It can be divided into reusable endoscope and disposable endoscope.
Previously, the FDA had issued a warning message that Olympus reusable endoscope had caused many infections and deaths. Reusable endoscope has high purchase cost, short service life, low turnover frequency, difficult disinfection and high maintenance cost. But the disposable endoscope just solves this series of problems, and at the same time, it can also Reduce the procurement cost of the hospital, improve the safety of surgery and benefit more patients. Compared with the reusable endoscope, The disposable endoscope with low cost and consumables has higher commercial value. This is also one of the factors that attract many capitals to compete.
Is it possible for disposable endoscopes to replace reusable endoscopes in the future?
Compared with foreign countries, The application of disposable endoscope has not been widely popularized in China. Reusable endoscope is still the mainstream product in our market. According to the data of Xinguangwei Medical Prospectus, the global market share of disposable endoscopes will reach 2.6% in 2020, and The market share of disposable endoscopes in China is only 0.2%.
With the increase of residents’ per capita income and the growing health needs, patients will be more inclined to choose painless minimally invasive endoscopic surgery when seeking medical treatment, which will further promote the development of endoscopic industry. The education level of disposable endoscope market is not deep, and it will not become the mainstream product in the short term. With the continuous popularization and application in clinic in the future, there is still a great trend to replace reusable endoscope and subvert the whole endoscope industry.
In the field of traditional endoscopes, foreign capital occupies a great advantage, and it is difficult for domestic enterprises to get ahead. However, in the emerging field of disposable endoscopes, foreign enterprises are also in the initial stage of development, and domestic enterprises are expected to overtake in corners. However, as far as the application and popularization of disposable endoscopes are concerned, the popularization of disposable endoscopes in China is far lower than that of foreign countries. In order to realize the localization of disposable endoscopes, efforts should be made in market education in the future.
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