Small Uterine Cavity, Big World. A capacity of onlyA 5ml uterus can nurture infinite miracles of life. The uterus is the organ that undergoes the most significant morphological and functional changes throughout a woman’s life, and it is also the most vulnerable organ in the female body.

Intrauterine diseases account for approximately 20%–40% of gynecological outpatient cases, indicating a substantial demand for diagnosis and treatment. Hysteroscopy is currently a commonly used minimally invasive diagnostic method in gynecological clinical practice and is regarded as the “gold standard” for diagnosing intrauterine diseases. However, traditional optical hysteroscopes entail high procurement costs, require preoperative cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization before each procedure, resulting in low turnover efficiency and high maintenance costs. It is common to encounter situations such as inability to perform surgery on the same day due to waiting for instrument sterilization, patient queueing, and repeated visits.

Furthermore, due to the presence of multiple small, long open channels in the endoscope structure, thorough cleaning and disinfection are difficult. Even with high-level disinfection (HLD), cross-infection incidents frequently occur. Moreover, repeated disinfection cycles compromise the image quality of traditional endoscopes and shorten their service life.

DOHIS^®The advent of disposable electronic hysteroscopes has resolved a long-standing pain point in the endoscopy industry.

• From the perspective of hospital management,Disposable electronic hysteroscopes offer lower procurement costs and eliminate the need for sterilization process management, significantly reducing maintenance expenses. As they require no assembly and are ready for immediate use upon arrival, they enable point-of-care diagnosis, effectively improving outpatient diagnostic and treatment efficiency, alleviating inpatient bed pressure, and achieving cost reduction and efficiency enhancement.

• From the perspective of physician use, disposable electronic hysteroscopes require no assembly and are ready for immediate use upon unpacking, saving preoperative preparation time; they eliminate the need for cervical dilation and anesthesia, offering convenient operation and enabling integrated outpatient diagnosis and treatment, with immediate examination at the point of care and comprehensive testing as indicated;

• From the perspective of patient experience,Primary care outpatient clinics can also perform single-use electronic hysteroscopy, significantly improving the convenience and accessibility of medical services. The "one patient, one scope" approach eliminates the risk of cross-infection, ensuring greater safety. Meanwhile, most patients can be discharged immediately after the procedure, and the absence of costs for cervical dilation and anesthesia helps reduce both out-of-pocket expenses for patients and expenditures by health insurance funds.

However, the development of disposable electronic hysteroscopes is no easy feat. Although designed for single-use, these devices must not lag behind traditional optical hysteroscopes in terms of product performance, including image quality, safety, and stability. Furthermore, due to their high precision, disposable electronic hysteroscopes demand more advanced technologies in areas such as precision structural design, high-definition wide-field imaging, real-time image processing and transmission, and microelectronics assembly, making mass production challenging. It is also crucial not to overlook cost control, as these devices are classified as consumables.

In September 2021, Shanghai Yodo Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yodo Medical”)’s DOHIS^ⓇThe disposable electronic hysteroscope has obtained NMPA registration certification, becoming the first disposable electronic hysteroscope in China to achieve megapixel high-definition resolution, as well as the first globally to reach this standard.

Actual Photos of Yodo Medical’s Corporate Environment. Image Source: Official Website of Yodo Medical

Hao Jinzheng, founder of Yodo Medical, graduated from Anhui Medical University in 1982 and subsequently worked at the Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. As a surgeon, he gained profound insights into the significance of minimally invasive surgery through extensive surgical practice, which gradually inspired him to embark on an entrepreneurial venture focused on developing minimally invasive surgical instruments.

As one of the founding shareholders of Jiangsu Simcere Pharmaceutical, Hao Jinzheng decided to revisit his long-held dream after facilitating the company’s listing on the main board of the Dow Jones. Confronted with the reality that China’s medical device industry lagged behind, with per capita spending far below that of developed countries in Europe and the United States and even beneath the global average, he transitioned from the pharmaceutical sector to the medical device industry. Through this second entrepreneurial venture, he aims to provide advanced minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and products for clinical practice.

Hao Jinzheng, Founder of Yodo Medical

In China’s endoscopy sector, general surgery, urology, and thoracic surgery represent the primary application scenarios, with most companies entering the market through products such as laparoscopes and cystoscopes. Through meticulous investigation and professional industry research analysis, Hao Jinzheng identified that at the time, there was a near absence of new minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for gynecological diseases in China. In particular, hysteroscopy had not yet been widely adopted; key gynecological diagnostic and therapeutic instruments like hysteroscopes were monopolized by foreign brands, commanding high prices, while reusable devices posed risks of cross-infection.

Having identified the right strategic direction, Hao Jinzheng founded Shanghai Yodo Medical Technology Co., Ltd. and, by pursuing a dual strategy of “recruiting external talent” and “cultivating internal talent,” rapidly built a multidisciplinary team with professional expertise and extensive experience in R&D, production, marketing, and corporate management. Since its inceptionChinese Brands'On the Path of New Technologies and Products for Minimally Invasive Gynecological Diagnosis and TreatmentMoving Forward。

Yodo Medical closely addresses the critical challenges and clinical needs in minimally invasive gynecological diagnosis and treatment. Through independent innovation by its R&D team and a collaborative research and development system integrating industry, academia, research, and clinical practice, the company provides advanced, comprehensive solutions for minimally invasive gynecological diagnosis and treatment to healthcare institutions. Currently, it has successfully launchedHysteroscopic Cold Knife, 4K Camera System, Disposable Visualized Hysteroscopic Tissue Aspiration System, Endoscopic Imaging Workstation, Disposable Electronic Hysteroscope...and other new products, becoming a leader in the domestic track of minimally invasive gynecological diagnosis and treatment.

Yodo Medical’s Integrated Solution for Minimally Invasive Gynecological Diagnosis and Treatment. Image source: Yodo Medical official website

Hao Jinzheng, founder of Yodo Medical, told VCBeat that most hysteroscopic procedures in China currently require hospitalization and general anesthesia. Even when outpatient hysteroscopy is available, it is mostly limited to diagnostic examinations rather than operative hysteroscopic surgery. Yodo Medical’s DOHIS^ⓇDisposable electronic hysteroscopic diagnosis and treatment enables immediate examination and concurrent therapy; if abnormalities are detected during the procedure, physicians can provide simultaneous treatment, achieving integrated diagnosis and therapy. This approach eliminates the need for hospital admission or scheduling a separate hysteroscopic surgery on another day.

DOHIS^ⓇDisposable Electronic Hysteroscopy SystemThe disposable electronic hysteroscopy system comprises a disposable electronic hysteroscope, an image processor, a disposable hysteroscopic surgical pack, and hysteroscopic surgical instruments. Based on "electronic hysteroscopy" technology, the system features integrated equipment and touchscreen control integration, with a unique rigid endoscope design and dual-pump linkage. It aims to provide medical institutions with a one-stop, efficient, professional, minimally invasive, and safe comprehensive solution for establishing "rapid outpatient hysteroscopy operating rooms (centers)."

DOHIS^ⓇDisposable Electronic Hysteroscope Total Solution. Image source: Yodo Medical official website

It utilizes a disposable scope that requires no assembly, capable of meeting the high-volume demands of outpatient clinics. Sterilization is unnecessary, significantly reducing the risk of cross-infection. The product features megapixel resolution, an outer diameter of ≤5mm, and an independent instrument channel compatible with 5Fr instruments, eliminating the need for cervical dilation or anesthesia. It is suitable for the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding, endometrial assessment, intrauterine diseases, early-stage endometrial cancer screening, and post-IUD removal endometrial evaluation. The system enables immediate diagnosis and treatment during the examination, ensuring comprehensive screening.

World's First High-Definition Disposable Electronic Hysteroscope - DOHIS^ⓇHysteroscopy

In addition to the highlights of “megapixel resolution + instrument outer diameter ≤ 5 mm + 5 Fr,”Dual-Pump Linkage of Uterine Distension Pump and Suction PumpThe design is also a major feature. Since the diameter of the disposable electronic hysteroscope is less than 5 mm, making it extremely slender, both inflow and outflow require pressure support. In cases such as uterine bleeding, rapid fluid exchange cannot be achieved, leading to a blurred surgical field. To address this challenge, Yodo Medical has adopted a non-coplanar continuous convection design. By linking the distension and suction pumps, it can quickly restore a clear surgical view, maintain the safest uterine distension pressure required during the procedure (typically 80 mmHg) throughout the circulation, and enable continuous convection along with real-time monitoring of intraoperative flow rate and pressure.

In addition, DOHIS^ⓇThe disposable electronic hysteroscope boasts over ten patented technologies and software copyrights. Key innovations include a medical-grade ceramic tip (ensuring safety and compatibility with electrosurgical instruments), rapid hysteroscopic tissue aspiration and sampling under distension conditions, streamlined preoperative preparation without the need to replace the distension tube, intraoperative shaping of the insertion section to conform to uterine curvature, a “straight-scope, straight-handle” design (facilitating “wall-contact” maneuvers in any orientation within the uterine cavity), and an ultra-wide 140° field of view. Empowered by these innovative patented technologies, clinicians can perform more efficient, safer, and comprehensive hysteroscopic diagnosis and treatment in outpatient settings, enabling immediate diagnosis, examination, and therapy.

According to Hao Jinzheng, founder of Shanghai Yodo Medical Technology Co., Ltd.,DOHIS^®Sales of disposable electronic hysteroscopes exceeded RMB 10 million in the first quarter of 2023.

In terms of marketing, Yodo Medical deeply engages with and comprehensively empowers its distributors through the “3-Year Strategic Partnership + Joint Development of Eight Major Markets” initiative. The “3-Year Strategic Partnership” refers to Yodo Medical signing three-year strategic cooperation agreements with channel distributors and other partners, featuring shared investments, resource pooling, and benefit sharing. The company commits capital, resources, and manpower to work closely with partners in cultivating the market. The “Joint Development of Eight Major Markets” involves collaborating with distributors to jointly build sales channels, expert networks, demonstration bases, government affairs capabilities, and marketing promotion activities, among others. This approach fosters deep alignment with distributors, providing comprehensive empowerment and achieving mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.

Recently, Shanghai Yodo Medical Technology Co., Ltd. has entered into a strategic partnership with Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Medical Devices (Beijing) Co., Ltd., further accelerating its commercialization process.

Yodo Medical Enters into Strategic Partnership with Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Medical Devices (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

In addition, Yodo Medical boasts a youthful marketing team with an average age of 28, 80% of whom are professionals in clinical medicine or related fields. The company provides high-quality products and technical services to medical institutions through its comprehensive four-tier customer service system, comprising the Technical Service System, Academic Service System, Co-construction System for Clinical Demonstration Bases, and Customer Satisfaction Evaluation System.

Shanghai Yodo Medical Technology Co., Ltd., with its impressive performance, has naturally attracted widespread attention from investment institutions.In 2021, the company secured Series B financing from renowned investment institutions, including Oriental Fortune Capital, Zhejiang Xin Gan Shiye Investment, Zhonghe Venture Capital, and Yongshi Investment.

In conclusion, Hao Jinzheng shared with VCBeat his three predictions on the future development direction of disposable electronic hysteroscopes:

• First, future disposable electronic hysteroscopes will offer higher clarity, greater minimally invasiveness, and enhanced convenience;

• Second, existing products will evolve from standalone diagnostic tools to cover the entire diagnosis and treatment workflow, thereby driving innovation in optical hysteroscopes;

• Third, the application of disposable electronic hysteroscopes will extend to scenarios such as AI-assisted diagnosis, hysteroscopic surgical robots, and big data software.

“No matter how long the journey, perseverance leads to arrival; no matter how difficult the task, diligence ensures success.” We look forward to Shanghai Yodo Medical Technology Co., Ltd. delivering safer and more efficient minimally invasive gynecological solutions to women worldwide.