Olympus will integrate a Korean medical artificial intelligence (AI) solution into its gastrointestinal endoscopy systems for the first time. As the solution is being incorporated into the market-leading endoscopy platform, rapid growth of the medical AI solution is anticipated.

Olympus Korea announced on the 7th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ainex Corporation to expand the domestic business of its AI-powered endoscopic image analysis software, ENAD.

Ainex is a specialized company developing medical AI solutions for gastrointestinal endoscopy, including both upper and lower GI applications. Recently, its flagship product ENAD received Class 3 medical device approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). In September last year, its AI-based diagnostic support software, ENAD CADx, also passed the MFDS integrated review for innovative medical devices.

Under the agreement, the two companies will collaborate on a wide range of activities, including joint sales, marketing, and promotion of ENAD in Korea; operation of educational programs such as product demonstrations, user training, and workshops for healthcare professionals; development of market expansion strategies and information exchange; and support for promotional activities at conferences, exhibitions, and symposiums.

ENAD is a deep learning-based AI software that detects and characterizes lesions in real time during gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures and displays the results on-screen. The software is compatible with a wide range of Olympus endoscopy systems and is currently used in more than 200 medical institutions in Korea.

This marks the first time Olympus Korea has integrated a domestic medical AI solution into its gastrointestinal endoscopy systems. Olympus is estimated to hold nearly 80% of the GI endoscopy market share in Korea. With ENAD potentially being integrated as a standard solution, its adoption across medical institutions is expected to accelerate significantly.

Takeshi Tamai, CEO of Olympus Korea, stated, “By combining Olympus Korea’s established medical business network and educational infrastructure with ENAD’s advanced technology, we expect to generate strong synergy in improving the efficiency and accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis.” He added, “We will continue to leverage the strengths of both companies to provide meaningful support to healthcare professionals and deliver better care experiences for patients.”