It was back in 1932 when German physician Rudolf Schindler together with George Wolf produced semi-flexible instruments that were used for the endoscopic examination of the gastrointestinal tract. Over the last three decades or so, endoscopy has become the quintessential tool for the gastroenterologist. Today, modern endoscopes come with increased visualization of the colonic mucosa and intend to lessen pain associated with the medical procedure.
Endoscopes play a prominent role in minimally invasive surgical procedures that have made them preferred and sought after devices in the healthcare sector. These devices find varied applications across medical practices such as gynecology/obstetrics, pulmonary, urology, neurology, ENT, and more.
Different operative devices in the endoscopy include access devices, suction/irrigation systems, energy systems, operative hand instruments, and more. With the increase in demand for groundbreaking technologies, improved versions of endoscopes are now gaining traction, including robot-assisted endoscopes. The emergence of ultrathin endoscopes, which are as thin as hair strands, tadpole endoscopes for early diagnosis, are few technologies that are still on the rise but will be widely adopted in the future.
Endoscopic devices that started with the fiberoptic endoscope (fiberscope) at the beginning of this era has now shifted to video scope, and it remains widely used equipment presently. However, in the next five to ten years, it will be capsule endoscope that will be used extensively, as by far it is the most effective tool to diagnose the anomalies in the body. This change, however, will be primarily driven by patient preference rather than superior results from capsule studies. Additionally, image analysis of capsule endoscopy will be accelerated by software that highlights abnormal areas. Talking about the trend in image analysis, it is towards leveraging high-resolution technologies such as 3D systems that comprise of HD systems, and standard definition (SD) systems, ultrasound devices, and others. With the increase in the number of minimally invasive procedures, the need for endoscopy devices is all set to increase in the next few years. Moreover, technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and edge-computing will also have a positive impact on the landscape.
Many solution providers are coming up with novel endoscopy devices that are transforming the healthcare landscape. Technological advancements such as the adoption of Flexible Spectral imaging color enhancement (FICE), Near-Infrared Radiation technology (NIR), Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (CLE), I-Scan technology, and Computer-Aided Detection systems are enhancing the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of endoscopy devices. With a plethora of solution providers leveraging advanced technologies, often, healthcare providers are challenged to choose the right solution that can assist them in their medical practices.
To assist healthcare providers in having the right endoscopy solutions, the editorial board at MedTech Outlook has selected leading endoscopy solution providers after evaluating their technical prowess. We have considered the vendor's ability in delivering solutions, keeping in mind the factors like the expertise in the domain, skills, and competencies.
We present to you MedTech Outlook's "Top 10 Endoscopy Solution Providers - 2019."
