GE Medical Molecular Imaging Equipment Photo by reporter Li Mengyang
The 7th China International Import Expo (referred to as the "CIIE") was held in Shanghai from November 5th to 10th. In the field of medical devices, the world's top ten medical device companies made a collective appearance, focusing on innovative intelligent products and digital precision solutions for life and health, and displayed a number of high-tech exhibits that were first in the world, first in Asia, and first in China.
A reporter from China Securities Journal recently conducted an actual visit to this CIIE. In the medical equipment exhibition area with extremely high technological content, many cutting-edge technologies in this field were unveiled, and the exhibition area was extremely popular. Industry insiders analyze that the combination of medical devices and AI software and hardware will drive the development of in-hospital diagnosis and treatment in a more precise and intelligent direction. Among them, AI-empowered medical imaging is expected to significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of disease diagnosis and treatment.
Multiple debut products unveiled
As a "full-time student" who has participated in the CIIE for seven consecutive years, Siemens Healthineers showcased nearly 20 innovative medical technologies and solutions this year. It is worth noting that during the seventh China International Import Expo, Siemens Healthineers released the “dual ultra-high field” scientific research magnetic resonance platform. The platform consists of two systems, the 7T ultra-high field magnetic resonance MAGNETOM Terra.X and the ultra-high gradient field magnetic resonance MAGNETOM Cima.
In terms of application, Lu Yi, Marketing Manager of the Magnetic Resonance Division of Siemens Healthineers Greater China, told reporters: "This equipment has a very wide range of applications. For example, in epilepsy, there is a type of epilepsy called refractory epilepsy. Conventional means cannot find the lesions and can only control them with drugs. However, through MR (magnetic resonance imaging equipment) scanning, we have the opportunity to see some hidden lesions, so that we can prescribe surgery and other treatment options. Another example is Alzheimer's disease. Now that we have this device, we have the opportunity to use this non-invasive and radiation-free method to make early diagnosis in a very short time. "
As a "frequent visitor" to the China International Import Expo, Medtronic debuted nearly a hundred innovative products and solutions this year, including the world's first product, the Evolut PRO+ transcatheter aortic valve replacement system. According to Medtronic, it is the latest generation of Medtronic’s TAVR product in the world and is dedicated to providing lifelong management for patients with aortic stenosis. Its innovative "valve large window" design provides more space for future coronary intervention catheter operations, which will help improve the safety and success rate of the operation.
In the field of weight loss that has attracted much attention, Boston Scientific has brought a product that was “debuted at the CIIE”—the Apollo ESG endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty system. Peng Lin, director of Boston Scientific Medical Department, told reporters that this product was exhibited for the first time at the CIIE and was also its first show in China. It is suitable for adult obese patients with a BMI (body mass index) between 30kg/m2-50kg/m2. There is a small "sewing machine"-like device at the end of its head that is about the thickness of a thumb. This device can perform full-thickness suturing of the stomach. After 6 to 8 times of full-thickness suturing, the volume of the patient's stomach can be reduced. 70%-80%.
In addition to the eye-catching products such as their global debut and China's first exhibition, as the "spillover effect" of the CIIE continues to expand, many products have transformed from exhibits to commodities. Take the intuitive Fosun Ion bronchoscopy robot ("Ion" for short) as an example. In 2019, Ion was exhibited for the first time at the China International Import Expo and was well known by professionals and the public; in March 2024, Ion successfully passed the approval of the National Medical Products Administration , was approved for listing, and in September of the same year, the first commercial installation of Ion was achieved and the first commercial application was successfully completed. At this year's CIIE, Ion made its debut at the CIIE after being approved for listing in China, attracting the attention of many exhibitors.
In addition, according to Boston Scientific, since its first exhibition in 2019, driven by the accelerating effect of the China International Import Expo, Boston Scientific has accelerated the introduction and implementation of innovative products, and a total of 21 innovations have achieved the transformation from exhibits to commodities. Since the end of the 6th CIIE, 9 innovative products that Boston Scientific has participated in have been approved in China, 4 of which will be released as new products at this CIIE.
AI empowers industry development
"AI + medical" products became the focus of attention at the scene. The deep integration of AI and medical technology will help improve the efficiency and accuracy of disease diagnosis and treatment.
The reporter actually explored the digital PET/CT Max Apollo, the first digital PET/CT Max Apollo launched by GE Healthcare in China that empowers the full imaging chain with AI and deep learning technology. According to GE Healthcare, Max Apollo can significantly improve the quality of data collection, improve quantitative accuracy, bring new ideas to the precise diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, tumors and other serious diseases, and help the development of nuclear medicine disciplines and clinical applications in China.
At the same time, at the GE Healthcare booth, the reporter discovered a ChatGPT in the field of medical equipment. "At this CIIE, GE Healthcare exhibited its world's first large language model 'Jiyi Answer'. Our product has three main advantages. First, the answers it gives are very accurate. After our current testing , its accuracy can reach 92%. The second is that the answers it gives are complete, and it can completely focus on the questions raised by the customers, find all relevant content, and compile a logical and complete answer. The product is intelligent. On the one hand, it is reflected in its understanding of user questions and can predict what questions users want to ask; on the other hand, it can accurately intercept video clips by analyzing user questions." GE Healthcare China Chief. Digital Officer Huang Feng said in an interview with reporters.
At this CIIE, Siemens Healthineers exhibited its artificial intelligence flagship cardiovascular ultrasound system Acuson Origin for the first time in China. According to staff at the Siemens Healthcare booth, Acuson Origin's AI function was trained on the world's largest cardiac image database and can provide more than 5,600 AI automated ultrasound measurements. Acuson Origin can help reduce the variability in examinations by doctors with different qualifications and improve the accuracy and consistency of diagnostic results.
In addition, surgical robots are also favored by exhibitors. ZAP-X Mars Ark Radiosurgery Robot (ZAP-X for short) is a radiosurgery treatment system specially developed for solid malignant tumors and lesions in the head and neck. It is also the world's first radiotherapy equipment with self-shielding function. "This is the first time that we have brought a very innovative non-invasive surgical equipment to the CIIE. It is a non-invasive stereotactic radiosurgery equipment with a self-shielding design. We can see that its structure is similar to traditional radiotherapy equipment. There are essential differences. First, it completely encloses the entire radiation ray inside the device. Second, it is a device designed for head and neck radiosurgery, and all parameters are designed around maximizing efficacy. For example, it The penumbra is the narrowest in our entire industry," ZAP Surgical China senior clinical operations manager Xian Zheng told reporters.
"In terms of installation, more than 30 foreign customers have installed it, mainly from North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. In China, we have cooperated with the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army to conduct clinical trials. On June 20, 2023, the equipment was officially launched It has been approved for marketing in China. At present, we have some customers in China who have installed this equipment. We reached a strategic cooperation with Baheal Pharmaceutical Group in July this year. The two parties will work together to complete the production and manufacturing of ZAP-X in China and hope to supply it to the world. Market. ZAP-X has obvious technical advantages in head and neck treatment, and may be introduced into hospitals as a new head and neck tumor treatment device in the future, replacing the gamma knife.
It is worth mentioning that Stryker brought a total of 6 products to China’s first exhibition at this year’s CIIE, including the Mako smart joint robot total hip replacement (THA) 4.0 system. According to the staff at the booth, this smart joint robot can help doctors plan the angle of prosthesis implantation before surgery, and at the same time achieve new upgrades in functions such as simulating postoperative joint function and intraoperative femoral neck navigation osteotomy, improving doctors' use. experience.
Broad market space
Technological innovation is the main line of development of the medical device industry. In recent years, AI has been increasingly used in the field of medical devices, innovative products continue to emerge, and the market space is vast.
Zhongtai Securities stated that the application scenarios of artificial intelligence technology in the field of medical imaging cover early screening, diagnosis to mid-to-late treatment and follow-up, and there is a very considerable market space. "We expect that as more department products are registered and approved, the popularity of AI imaging products is expected to accelerate. From the perspective of departments, there is a significant demand for the autonomy of hardware equipment in imaging departments. We expect that the collaborative promotion of 'software + hardware' is expected to accelerate AI Product admission.”
"Compared with emerging artificial intelligence companies, companies already in the medical industry can give full play to their product advantages. The combination of medical devices and AI software and hardware will drive the development of in-hospital diagnosis and treatment in a more precise and intelligent direction." China Merchants Securities believes that, specifically, It seems that “AI + diagnostic and treatment equipment” and “AI + medical robots” are currently popular subdivisions. The core value of "AI+ diagnostic and treatment equipment" lies in improving the precision of treatment and effectively solving the contradictions of uneven distribution of medical resources and uneven doctor levels between regions. "AI+ medical robots" have high clinical value, among which rehabilitation robots and surgical robots are widely used.
Specific to the field of surgical robots, Toubao Research Institute released a research report stating that China's surgical robot market currently has great growth potential. From 2018 to 2021, the market size of China's surgical robot industry increased from 1.07 billion yuan to 4.19 billion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of 57.7%; it is expected that by 2028, the market size will further increase to 45.13 billion yuan.