Redefining Global Standards for Endoscopic Diagnosis and Treatment
Assisting Physicians in Detecting Subtle Abnormal Lesions
Visitors listen to an explanation about a smart endoscope at the MedInTech booth during the 40th Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES 2025) held at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul on March 20, 2025.
ⓒ News1 Reporter Park Jung-ho
(Seoul = News1) Reporter Moon Dae-hyun
Surgical approaches in medical practice are rapidly evolving. The trend is shifting toward minimizing scars on patients’ bodies while expanding and refining the physician’s field of view during procedures.
At the center of this transformation is endoscopy.
Even in orthopedic surgery, endoscopy is no longer considered merely an auxiliary device. Instead, it is becoming a core technology that is reshaping the treatment paradigm itself. Against this backdrop, MedInTech is taking on the challenge of localizing endoscopy-based orthopedic surgical devices.
According to industry sources including the Korea Medical Device Development Fund, MedInTech is a medical device startup established in 2020 based on technologies developed at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI).
Founder and CEO Chi-won Lee graduated from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Seoul National University, earned a Ph.D. in the Bioengineering Interdisciplinary Program, and previously served as a senior researcher at the Seoul National University Medical Research Center. He later developed endoscopy technologies at KERI.
Currently, the global gastrointestinal endoscopy market is dominated by Japanese companies such as Olympus and Fujifilm, which together account for roughly 90% of the market. MedInTech has stepped forward to challenge this dominance.
The company has grown around the development of a smart flexible endoscope that combines motorized control technology with AI-powered lesion detection.
Most conventional endoscopes are mechanical. In these systems, physicians manually manipulate the control section to steer the endoscope inside the patient’s body, which requires many mechanical components inside the control handle.
Holding and operating such equipment for extended procedures can place significant physical strain on physicians. MedInTech addressed this issue by redistributing key components into the main system body connected to the endoscope, reducing the weight of the control section by approximately 50%.
When abnormal areas are detected during an endoscopic procedure, the system displays visual indicators on the screen. Physicians can adjust the thickness, color, and shape of detection boxes, as well as detection sensitivity, separately for the stomach and colon.
Additional customizable options include alarm types, volume levels, and image resolution, enabling physicians to configure an optimized environment for endoscopic examinations.
An industry official commented,
“MedInTech’s AI software, which has been developed and validated in collaboration with gastroenterologists at leading university hospitals in Korea, has the potential to significantly enhance the reliability of endoscopic examinations.”
Combining AI and Robotics to Overcome Limitations in Endoscopic Medicine
MedInTech envisions a future where AI and robotics technologies transcend the current limitations of endoscopic medicine, redefining global standards for endoscopic diagnosis and treatment.
Over the past two years, the company has conducted approximately 500 clinical trials in collaboration with six major university hospitals in Korea, including Seoul National University Hospital, demonstrating the technological capabilities of its solutions.
Investment activities have also accelerated. On May 13, 2024, MedInTech secured KRW 20 billion (approximately USD 15 million) in Series B funding, bringing the company’s total cumulative investment — including Series A (KRW 8 billion) and seed funding — to more than KRW 28 billion.
In addition, the company is participating in multiple government-supported projects, including the KRW 9.5 billion Korea Medical Device Development Program, a pan-government initiative supporting the full lifecycle of medical device development.
By advancing electrified modules and AI-based technologies, MedInTech is accelerating the development of a differentiated endoscopic system.
The company is also in the process of obtaining regulatory approvals from domestic and international authorities, while exploring partnerships to deploy its technologies in real clinical environments across Southeast Asia, South America, and the United States.
A MedInTech representative stated,
“Our goal is to provide an integrated solution that encompasses the entire workflow of endoscopy. We aim to evolve into a platform that supports the full process from diagnosis to treatment.”
eggod6112@news1.kr
Reference : https://www.news1.kr/bio/healthcare/6086076
Redefining Global Standards for Endoscopic Diagnosis and Treatment
Assisting Physicians in Detecting Subtle Abnormal Lesions
Visitors listen to an explanation about a smart endoscope at the MedInTech booth during the 40th Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES 2025) held at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul on March 20, 2025.
ⓒ News1 Reporter Park Jung-ho
(Seoul = News1) Reporter Moon Dae-hyun
Surgical approaches in medical practice are rapidly evolving. The trend is shifting toward minimizing scars on patients’ bodies while expanding and refining the physician’s field of view during procedures.
At the center of this transformation is endoscopy.
Even in orthopedic surgery, endoscopy is no longer considered merely an auxiliary device. Instead, it is becoming a core technology that is reshaping the treatment paradigm itself. Against this backdrop, MedInTech is taking on the challenge of localizing endoscopy-based orthopedic surgical devices.
According to industry sources including the Korea Medical Device Development Fund, MedInTech is a medical device startup established in 2020 based on technologies developed at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI).
Founder and CEO Chi-won Lee graduated from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Seoul National University, earned a Ph.D. in the Bioengineering Interdisciplinary Program, and previously served as a senior researcher at the Seoul National University Medical Research Center. He later developed endoscopy technologies at KERI.
Currently, the global gastrointestinal endoscopy market is dominated by Japanese companies such as Olympus and Fujifilm, which together account for roughly 90% of the market. MedInTech has stepped forward to challenge this dominance.
The company has grown around the development of a smart flexible endoscope that combines motorized control technology with AI-powered lesion detection.
Most conventional endoscopes are mechanical. In these systems, physicians manually manipulate the control section to steer the endoscope inside the patient’s body, which requires many mechanical components inside the control handle.
Holding and operating such equipment for extended procedures can place significant physical strain on physicians. MedInTech addressed this issue by redistributing key components into the main system body connected to the endoscope, reducing the weight of the control section by approximately 50%.
When abnormal areas are detected during an endoscopic procedure, the system displays visual indicators on the screen. Physicians can adjust the thickness, color, and shape of detection boxes, as well as detection sensitivity, separately for the stomach and colon.
Additional customizable options include alarm types, volume levels, and image resolution, enabling physicians to configure an optimized environment for endoscopic examinations.
An industry official commented,
“MedInTech’s AI software, which has been developed and validated in collaboration with gastroenterologists at leading university hospitals in Korea, has the potential to significantly enhance the reliability of endoscopic examinations.”
Combining AI and Robotics to Overcome Limitations in Endoscopic Medicine
MedInTech envisions a future where AI and robotics technologies transcend the current limitations of endoscopic medicine, redefining global standards for endoscopic diagnosis and treatment.
Over the past two years, the company has conducted approximately 500 clinical trials in collaboration with six major university hospitals in Korea, including Seoul National University Hospital, demonstrating the technological capabilities of its solutions.
Investment activities have also accelerated. On May 13, 2024, MedInTech secured KRW 20 billion (approximately USD 15 million) in Series B funding, bringing the company’s total cumulative investment — including Series A (KRW 8 billion) and seed funding — to more than KRW 28 billion.
In addition, the company is participating in multiple government-supported projects, including the KRW 9.5 billion Korea Medical Device Development Program, a pan-government initiative supporting the full lifecycle of medical device development.
By advancing electrified modules and AI-based technologies, MedInTech is accelerating the development of a differentiated endoscopic system.
The company is also in the process of obtaining regulatory approvals from domestic and international authorities, while exploring partnerships to deploy its technologies in real clinical environments across Southeast Asia, South America, and the United States.
A MedInTech representative stated,
“Our goal is to provide an integrated solution that encompasses the entire workflow of endoscopy. We aim to evolve into a platform that supports the full process from diagnosis to treatment.”
eggod6112@news1.kr
Reference : https://www.news1.kr/bio/healthcare/6086076