Olympus Korea Launches AI 'EndoBrain Eye' to Assist in Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis in Korea

On the 17th, Endobrain Eye was demonstrated at the launch press conference held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Lee Chunhee

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Olympus Korea announced on the 17th at a press conference held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, that it is launching 'EndoBrain Eye,' an AI-based colonoscopy software that assists in real-time detection of cancer and polyps during colonoscopy procedures.

EndoBrain Eye is the first AI-based software medical system from Olympus, a global digestive endoscopy company. It was developed to assist diagnosis by deep learning approximately 3.95 million colonoscopy images into the AI. EndoBrain Eye is the first Olympus product to apply AI technology.

During colonoscopy examinations, EndoBrain Eye helps medical staff by alerting with a sound and highlighting the screen in color when lesions such as polyps or cancer are detected. Olympus Korea explained that clinical results showed EndoBrain Eye achieved a sensitivity of 98% in diagnosing lesions such as polyps or cancer as lesions, and a specificity of 93.7% in diagnosing normal areas as normal, ensuring accuracy.

EndoBrain Eye can be used with Olympus’s digestive endoscopes 'EVIS Lucera Elite' and 'Exera III.' Medical institutions performing colonoscopy examinations using these products can receive AI support during examinations by installing EndoBrain Eye. It is not compatible with endoscopic devices from companies other than Olympus.

However, the cost is likely to be a burden. When EndoBrain Eye was first launched in Japan in 2020, the launch price was about 3 million yen (approximately 30.71 million KRW). The domestic launch price has not yet been confirmed.

On the 17th, Park In-je, Head of GIR at Olympus Korea, is speaking at the press conference for the launch of 'EndoBrain Eye' held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. (Photo by Olympus Korea)

Park In-je, head of Olympus Korea’s GIR (Gastrointestinal and Bronchoscopic Endoscopy) division, said, "It takes considerable time for medical devices equipped with innovative technology to be applied clinically," adding, "Although insurance coverage has not yet been applied to EndoBrain Eye in Japan, I have heard that the company and academia are making multifaceted efforts to resolve this, so we will also make continuous efforts in Korea."

Olympus Korea is the Korean branch of the global medical company Olympus. Olympus manufactures and sells medical endoscopes, laparoscopes, surgical equipment, and more, based on optical medical technology.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.