Entering the World of Medical Endoscope

Endoscope is an integrated monitoring instrument that concentrates various technologies, such as optics, ergonomics, precision mechanics, modern electronics, mathematics, software, etc. It consists of three parts: the endoscope system, the image display system, and the lighting system. In clinical practice, it can enter the human body through natural or percutaneous puncture channels, directly observe lesions in relevant parts, make lesion diagnosis or perform pathological diagnosis through direct visualization, and also provide timely treatment or implantation of artificial products that have therapeutic effects. Medical endoscope can be divided into rigid endoscopes and flexible endoscopes according to whether the channels are bendable. They can also be classified into rigid endoscopes, fiber endoscopes, and electronic endoscopes according to their development history and imaging structure. At present, fiber endoscopes have been basically replaced by electronic endoscopes.

Main uses of medical endoscope

Rigid endoscopes can be used for clinical diagnosis and surgical treatment. Invasive surgeries mainly use rigid endoscopes, urethral electric cutting scopes, and rigid endoscopes for high-frequency electric cutting surgery. Fiber medical endoscopes are mainly used for examination and diagnosis through natural human cavities, and can be used for surgeries such as the removal of nasal polyps. They mainly include: endoscopic surgery with urethral electric cutting scopes, fiber endoscopes for high-frequency electric cutting surgery, endoscopes for the upper digestive tract, colonoscopes, sigmoidoscopes, bronchoscopes, etc. Electronic endoscopes have a larger caliber and are mainly used for invasive surgeries, while flexible endoscopes are mainly used for examination and diagnosis through natural human cavities. They mainly include: diagnostic endoscopes for the upper digestive tract, bronchi, colon, sigmoid, pancreas, etc.

International market for medical endoscope

Endoscope products account for 70% of the market share. The United States, Europe, and Japan are the main consumer markets for endoscopes. In these developed countries, the application of endoscopes is relatively extensive. It has now begun to form independent departments in some hospitals, with a greater demand for products with high definition and more clinical specificity. With the promotion and popularization of endoscope medical technology, the improvement of the medical level and the increase in medical investment in developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil, the demand for the market is rapidly increasing.

Future development direction of medical endoscope

In recent years, the minimally invasive surgical procedures under digestive endoscopy have entered a period of rapid development. Compared with traditional surgical procedures, minimally invasive surgical procedures under endoscopy combine medical imaging systems with advanced medical devices, and have the advantages of less surgical trauma, rapid postoperative recovery, low intraoperative and postoperative complications risk, etc. After many years of development, EMR and ESD have gradually become widely accepted digestive endoscopic treatment strategies for early cancer and precancerous lesions worldwide. In addition, clinical innovations such as endoscopic submucosal tumor resection, endoscopic myotomy for esophageal achalasia, endoscopic submucosal tunneling for tumor resection, endoscopic retrograde appendicitis treatment, and endoscopic full-thickness resection surgery for gastric and intestinal tumors are also emerging. The innovation in clinical procedures puts forward higher performance and technical requirements for endoscope medical.