Endoso Life: From Niche Endoscopy Segments to Comprehensive Solutions — 8 Products Approved Within Two Years
Recently, the “Disposable Electronic Bronchoscope” under Yingshu Life Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yingshu Life”) has been approved for market launch. According to reports,This product is the first high-definition, single-use electronic bronchoscope with megapixel resolution approved by the NMPA., compared with disposable electronic bronchoscopes on the market whose pixels are generally in the standard-definition range, this product can be said to fill a gap in this field.
Disposable Electronic Bronchoscope Source: Yingshu Life
Amid the rising wave of domestic substitution, single-use endoscopes have emerged as one of the key opportunities for Chinese manufacturers to achieve leapfrog development. In the domestic market, both the number of companies entering the single-use endoscope sector and the number of approved products are steadily increasing, with single-use electronic bronchoscopes representing one of the four major product categories.
The disposable electronic bronchoscope is a flagship new product launched by Inshu Life, but its product portfolio extends far beyond this. AsA medical device company engaged in the research, development, production, and sales of high-end medical endoscopy systems and related innovative productsTo date, InShu Life has received approval for several products, including disposable endoscopes, laparoscopes, endoscopic camera systems, and endoscopic cold light sources, covering clinical scenarios in general surgery, urology, gynecology, gastroenterology, and respiratory medicine.
According to Frost & Sullivan data, the size of China’s endoscope market reached RMB 24 billion in 2019, with an annual growth rate of 16.7%, far exceeding the global growth rate. The domestic endoscope market is firmly dominated by imported brands, particularly in the high-end segment.
Although single-use endoscopes have become a hot spot for overtaking competitors in the past two years, their original purpose was to eliminate cross-infection. The FDA basically announces a large number of infection cases caused by reusable endoscopes every year. For example, in 2018, Olympus was fined 9.7 billion yen because its products caused infections and it failed to fulfill its obligation to actively inform.
In the same year, an article published in the American Journal of Infection Control revealed that endoscopes ranked first among medical devices for the risk of cross-infection, with over 70% suffering from inadequate cleaning and nearly three-quarters of commonly used endoscopes being contaminated with bacteria.
Compared with single-use endoscopes, reusable endoscopes present several issues: First, their complex structure makes thorough sterilization difficult. Second, the disinfection process is cumbersome, requiring multiple steps and typically taking 90–150 minutes. Third, reusable endoscopes are prone to damage during disinfection, necessitating repairs and thereby increasing maintenance costs.
Disposable endoscopes completely eliminate the risk of cross-infection between patients. By eliminating the need for sterilization, they significantly reduce patient wait times and improve the work efficiency of healthcare professionals, while also lowering hospital operational and equipment maintenance costs.
Moreover, with the decline in the cost of core components in recent years, disposable endoscopes have entered a period of opportunity. According to financial report analysis data from Ambu, a leading company in the field of disposable endoscopes, the global market size for disposable endoscopes is expected to grow rapidly from $500 million in 2021 to $2.5 billion in 2025.
Therefore, Yingshu Life chose to enter the market through the niche segment of single-use endoscopes.It has launched its flagship differentiated product—the disposable electronic bronchoscope. Beyond its single-use design, the product’s most notable feature is its ability to deliver megapixel-level high-definition imaging.According to reports, domestically produced bronchoscopes have long faced the persistent challenge of “low pixel count and insufficiently clear surgical fields,” a gap that YingShu Life’s product effectively fills in terms of image clarity.
Specifically, apart from being single-use, this product is comparable to reusable bronchoscopes in terms of scope design, handling, functionality, and performance.Its key highlights include the adoption of a new high-definition processor, delivering megapixel-level resolution, vertical video resolution exceeding 720p, and a wide 110° field of view., providing not only clear imaging during diagnosis and treatment but also enabling observation over a wider field of view.
Secondly, the product's instrument channel ranges from 1.2 mm to 3.2 mm, with bidirectional angulation of up to 180°., enabling therapeutic procedures such as biopsy, polyp forceps removal, and foreign body extraction. When the flexible endoscope encounters resistance while entering a body lumen, pressure is redistributed, allowing the insertion tube to bend accordingly and conform to the contours of the body cavity.Additionally, it supports both desktop and portable host units, accommodating a variety of usage environments.。
Product Image Source: Yingshu Life
In addition to this single-use electronic bronchoscope, Inshu Life has also launched its single-use electronic ureterorenoscope on the market. Looking ahead, in response to the vast untapped potential of the single-use endoscopy market, Inshu Life will continue to expand into more clinical departments and scenarios, introducing targeted single-use endoscopic products for various specialized fields.
Yingshu Life is an emerging startup that has established operations in Shenzhen, Hunan, and Hangzhou, with over 3,000 m² of GMP-compliant sterile manufacturing facilities.
From the perspective of approved products, we find that Yingshu Life has a broad product portfolio and is not solely focused on the disposable endoscope segment. Its offerings include minimally invasive rigid endoscopy systems, disposable electronic endoscopy systems, and high-value consumables related to endoscopic procedures. Its product model demonstrates"Equipment + Endoscopes + Consumables"comprehensive solution configuration.
Product Portfolio Source: Yingshu Life
At this stage, Yingshu Life aims to rapidly penetrate the market and achieve self-sustainability by focusing on specialized medical departments with proven market size., thereby focusing on the research, development, and promotion of its 4K fluorescence rigid endoscope camera system, disposable bronchoscopes, ureteropyeloscopes, and arthroscopes.To go a step further, it is necessary to develop comprehensive solutions that address the clinical needs of both internal medicine and surgery across multiple specialties, including general surgery, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, gastroenterology, and pulmonology., to create cross-departmental solutions integrating equipment and consumables.
Product Category Source: Yingshu Life
According to reports, Yingshu Life has obtained eight registration certificates (covering active, passive, and sterile products) in less than two years. Such rapid R&D progress is inevitably attributable to its team. Yingshu Life has assembled a group of talents from internationally renowned medical device companies, universities, and research institutes, possessing dozens of domestically leading core technologies in the field of endoscopy, including advanced optical design, high-end image processing, and precision manufacturing technologies.
Its core team boasts over 10 years of experience in the endoscopy industry and nearly a decade of accumulated expertise in R&D management.The team possesses comprehensive expertise in development, manufacturing processes, quality control, regulatory affairs, and quality management systems, enabling it to systematically drive deep cross-functional collaboration and efficient product R&D.
The approval of multiple products also demonstrates YingShu Life’s deep expertise in optics, materials, electronics, mechanics, manufacturing processes, and supply chain management. Its team is capable of delivering comprehensive solutions across the endoscopy sector—spanning rigid endoscopes, flexible endoscopes, and under-scope consumables—to meet the diverse clinical needs of various medical departments.
As global population aging intensifies, the incidence and diagnosis and treatment rates of severe, critical, and chronic diseases are on the rise. Inshu Life has stated its aspiration to become a globally leading minimally invasive life sciences company, aligning with and meeting the public’s needs in areas such as disease prevention and early diagnosis.
Therefore, in its long-term development, Inshu Life will continue to focus on the integration of medicine and engineering, dedicate itself to clinical innovation, and create leading products with forward-looking vision and clinical value. In the future, it will leverage the regional resource advantages of the Yangtze River Delta (Hangzhou Inshu), the Pearl River Delta (Shenzhen Inshu), and Hunan (Hunan Inshu), striving to grow into a world-class brand of medical endoscopes.