NEC China Labs Submits IPO Prospectus for Endowise® AI-Powered Endoscopy Quality Control System, Demonstrating 50% Reduction in Missed Key Inspection Sites
Data released by the National Cancer Center shows that in 2015, there were over 1 million new cases of gastrointestinal cancer in China. Gastrointestinal cancers are mucosal lesions; through digestive endoscopy, a necessary screening method, the five-year survival rate for early detection and treatment can exceed 90%. Currently, the early diagnosis rate for gastrointestinal cancer in China is approximately 15%, which still lags significantly behind countries like Japan, where the early diagnosis rate ranges from 40% to 70%.
According to Olympus' annual report, Japan has 250 endoscopists per million people, while China has only 22 per million.The significant shortage of endoscopists and the uneven quality of their technical skills are the primary reasons for the low early detection rate of gastrointestinal cancers in China.
Directly Affiliated with NEC Global R&D Group, JapanofNEC China Research Institute (NEC Labs China)Independently developed an AI-assisted endoscopy quality control system (Endowise) targeting the current state of digestive endoscopy examinations.®), by training the examining physiciansOperation、Edge Inspection、On-the-Job Trainingin the form of, to improve the quality of gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures and reduce missed diagnoses of early-stage gastrointestinal cancers.
NEC (Nippon Electric Company, Limited) was established in 1899., is one of the leading suppliers of global IT and communication networks.In 1977, NEC introduced the C&C concept, foreseeing and realizing an era of convergence between computing and communications. As a leading enterprise in the ICT sector, NEC creates social value and holds multiple world-leading records across various fields, including supercomputers, optical communications, microwave technology, satellite communications, and artificial intelligence.
Leveraging the technological and product advantages of Japanese companies in the endoscopy field, NEC began research on AI-assisted endoscopic diagnosis in 2016, becoming one of the earliest enterprises to enter this domain.In 2017, NEC developedColon Polyp Detection System, initiated clinical trials in Japan in 2019, andObtained Japanese medical device registration approval in January 2021。
NEC China Research Institute was established in Beijing in 2003., with domestic talent as the core, market demand as the guide, and NEC's Japanese business as the foundation, to conduct research and strategic layout in mobile internet, information processing, 5G standardization, and AI data analysis.
In 2019, NEC China Research Institute and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University initiated a clinical collaborative research project on AI in endoscopy.Distinct from NEC Japan’s product features, which focus primarily on auxiliary diagnosis, NEC China Research InstituteIn response to the unique situation in China of insufficient numbers of endoscopists and uneven levels of operational technical proficiency, developed Endowise®AI-Assisted Endoscopy Quality Control System.
Endowise®It can provide real-time feedback on the procedural compliance of endoscopists during endoscopic examinations, ensure comprehensive coverage of the observation field, and thereby reduce the miss rate of early-stage cancers.It also enables post-procedure evaluation and statistical analysis of operational quality, rapidly improving the endoscopic skills of novice physicians.
The real-time monitoring module of this system is mounted as an independent external display alongside the original endoscope screen, connecting in real time to the endoscopic equipment’s signals without interfering with existing endoscopic procedures.
ForUpper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy，Endowise®The system focuses on key pointsCoverage of Locations. The system allocates a placeholder for each observation point in sequence, and the endoscopist captures images of each inspection point in a “check-in” manner. By guiding the operator’s workflow through the sequential placeholders and using “filling all placeholders” as the criterion to ensure comprehensive coverage of key points, the system further evaluates the quality of captured images via AI-based image recognition technology, thereby providing guidance and constraints to standardize endoscopic examination procedures. Leveraging NEC (China) Co., Ltd.’s proprietary automatic correction learning technology designed for data that are difficult to annotate accurately, the system achieves industry-leading accuracy in identifying key points.
ForLower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy，Endowise®The system primarily focuses onBlindness RatewithOperation Duration. Utilize AI-based image recognition technology to identify the cecum and evaluate the cecal intubation rate. Meanwhile, strictly adhere to the international standard requiring a minimum withdrawal time of 6 minutes, thereby preventing missed detections caused by excessively rapid scope withdrawal.
Endowise®The system's intelligent assessment and analysis module canDocument each procedure and evaluate the results, hospital directors, department heads, and other personnel can view the data through a dedicated cloud-based mini-program. The statistical data includes operational details for each examination performed by every device, aggregated on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, thereby facilitating quality control management of endoscopic procedures within hospital departments.
By using this system during endoscopy, issues related to endoscopists’ insufficient experience, unfamiliar techniques, and procedural fatigue can be avoided, compared with cases where the system is not used.The Missed Detection Rate at Key Endoscopic Examination Points Was Reduced by Approximately 50%。
NEC China Research Institute has completed Endowise by leveraging its R&D strengths in visual AI technology and extensive experience in medical system development, through in-depth clinical collaborations with hospitals.®System Development.
As a super-connector for China-Japan industrial cooperation, Orix China is actively committed to fostering innovative collaboration between the two countries’ industries and is currently promoting Endowise in its capacity as a business development advisor.®Commercialization of the System.Endowise®The system offers a variety of flexible business collaboration models: AI software services, comprehensive endoscopic AI solutions, and industrial resource partnerships.
AI software services are primarily delivered through collaborations with medical service systems or endoscope manufacturers. Unlike traditional medical devices, Endowise leverages NEC’s technical expertise in system development.®It enables lightweight deployment in hospitals, meeting the demands of large-scale applications. This is particularly beneficial for secondary and lower-tier hospitals, where endoscopists are in shorter supply, as it reduces system implementation costs and enhances the feasibility of widespread adoption.
Meanwhile, NEC China Research Institute is actively exploring the use of high-precision landmark recognition technology and quality control systems to empower emerging and diverse endoscopic products, striving to create the “optimal solution” for comprehensive AI-driven endoscopy solutions.
In addition, NEC China Research Institute also provides high-end artificial intelligence-related technical resources, including endoscopic AI solutions, to governments, innovation parks, and other entities.
Endowise®The system is the outcome of close collaboration between NEC China Research Institute and the hospital. NEC China Research Institute places high importance on legal and regulatory compliance in its partnership with the hospital, having undergone a series of intricate yet essential procedures—from project initiation, medical ethics review, and information security assessment to contract signing—thereby effectively ensuring the professionalism and rigor of the collaborative research.
In terms of system development and clinical validation, through top-down participation from hospital directors and department heads to clinicians across partner hospitals, we aim to maximize the adoption of Endowise among physicians.®system, and tangibly experience the benefits it provides. Large-scale clinical validation environments and extensive experimental data enable continuous iterative upgrades of the system, while demonstration collaborations with benchmark hospitals facilitate its implementation in primary care facilities.
CurrentlyEndowise®The system has entered the commercialization phase, with the medical device registration application expected to be completed in early 2023.NEC China Research Institute plans to expand from its current research on AI-assisted endoscopic quality control toward AI-assisted early cancer screening and diagnosis over the next three years, with the ultimate goal of improving the early detection rate of gastrointestinal cancers.
The high prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases in China has spurred a substantial market for digestive endoscopy. NEC (China) Co., Ltd.’s in-depth engagement in this field has begun to yield tangible results. Moving forward, we aim to collaborate with domestic enterprises that share our vision, addressing critical clinical challenges in China by jointly expanding the application and promotion of endoscopic quality control systems, thereby leveraging technology to benefit a broad patient population.