(hereinafter referred to as ‘Aohua Endoscopy’) has recently been granted an invention patent entitled ‘Endoscopic Trolley and Medical Robot’ (Patent No.: CN202210369876.8). The patent is designed around the automation and functional integration of the soft endoscopic operating system, aiming to improve the efficiency of clinical operations and optimise the workload of doctors.

The core of the patent technology: modular operation platform to achieve functional integration.

According to the patent abstract, the invention consists of three main parts:

• The main body of the trolley: it contains a base and a liftable worktable, which supports flexible adjustment of the height of the equipment;

Dual telescopic arm system:

• The first telescopic arm: carrying endoscope driving device and instrument switching device, controlling the bending, rotating and advancing and retreating of endoscope;
• The second telescopic arm: integrates the endoscope conveyor device to achieve precise delivery of instruments;
• Multi-functional linkage: through the synergy of the robotic arms, the automated process of instrument switching, delivery and endoscopic manipulation is completed.
  The key value of the patented technology is reflected in the reduction of operational complexity: while traditional flexible endoscopes require doctors to manually coordinate mirror manipulation and instrument switching, the cart integrates the two through structural design, which reduces repetitive physical exertion by about 30% (based on simulated operational data).

Technology extension: from equipment to full chain solution

Aohua Endoscopy’s technological layout is not limited to hardware innovation, and its business coverage has formed a complete closed loop:

• Core equipment: mainly soft endoscopes, including gastroscopes, enteroscopes and bronchoscopes;
• Supporting consumables: providing six categories of diagnostic and therapeutic consumables (e.g. biopsy forceps, stents, ERCP special tools);
• Intelligent Expansion: Launched the ‘AUSIBO’ endoscopic AI assisted diagnosis system, which supports real-time lesion identification;
• Forward-looking area: developing flexible endoscopic surgical robots and exploring natural lumen minimally invasive surgery (NOTES) scenarios.

At present, its product matrix is accelerating the penetration of traditional departments (such as gastroenterology and respiratory medicine) and expanding to new areas such as urology, gradually narrowing the coverage gap with international head enterprises (such as Olympus).

Industry Perspective: Automation and Precision Become the Main Line of Endoscopy Upgrade
The global medical endoscopy market is expected to exceed USD 40 billion in 2030 (Source: Grand View Research), and technology iteration revolves around two major directions:

• Lightweight operation: Reducing the physical load on doctors by optimising the mechanical structure;
• Intelligent diagnosis and treatment: combining AI and robotics to improve diagnostic accuracy and surgical stability.

In the future, Aohua Endoscopy’s flexible endoscopic robot may further change the ecology of minimally invasive surgery if it achieves clinical transformation, especially highlighting its value in the precise intervention of complex and narrow cavities.