2025Year4Month24Day,Global medical technology giant Medtronic (Medtronic, New York Stock Exchange Code:MDT）Announce withDragonfly EndoscopyReached a strategic cooperation, officially incorporating the latter's developedDragonflyPancreaticobiliary Endoscopic System Introduced to the U.S. Market.This agreement marks the first major technological upgrade in the field of pancreaticobiliary disease diagnosis and treatment in decades, aiming to enhance surgical precision, expand treatment scope, and improve patient outcomes through innovative design.

Traditional cholangioscopy has long faced two major limitations in the diagnosis and treatment of the pancreatobiliary system (including bile ducts and pancreatic ducts): insufficient visualization and restricted operational flexibility.DragonflyThe system addresses these issues through three core innovations:

Omni-directional Rotatable Axis Design:

Endoscope Shaft Implementation360Degree of Free Rotation, combined with highly flexible materials, enables doctors to precisely locate lesion areas within complex anatomical structures, particularly suitable for in-depth exploration of pancreaticobiliary duct branches.

Expansion of Working Channels42%：

While maintaining the compactness of the equipment, the channel diameter has significantly increased, making it compatible with larger electrohydraulic lithotripsy devices (EHL) Probe (used for breaking up gallstones) and biopsy forceps, allowing for larger sample collection or stone removal in a single surgery.

Integrated Diagnosis and Treatment Platform:

The system integrates high-definition imaging, therapeutic channels, and fluid management functions, supporting real-time intervention, reducing the need for intraoperative equipment changes, thereby shortening operation time and lowering the risk of infection.

President of Medtronic Endoscopy BusinessRaj ThomasSaid: "DragonflyThe system is expected to increase the one-time diagnostic accuracy rate for pancreaticobiliary diseases by approximately30%, while increasing the stone clearance rate to95%Above." Its design is specifically targeted at the followingClinicalScene Optimization:

Complex Biliary Stones: Larger Channel Supports High PowerEHLProbe, capable of crushing hard stones that are difficult to handle with traditional methods;

Early Tumor Screening: Increased Biopsy Sample Size (Improved Compared to Existing Equipment)40%) helps improve the detection rate of tiny lesions;

Minimally Invasive Treatment Expansion: Flexible instrument maneuverability provides more stable support for operations such as pancreaticobiliary stent placement and stricture dilation.

According to the agreement,Medtronic will2024Within the year, first in the United States20Launch of Top Academic Medical Centers and General Hospitals in ChinaDragonflySystematic clinical application to gradually cover the entire United States over the next three years。The company did not disclose the financial terms, but emphasized that this cooperation is itsA key step in the "Gastroenterology Innovation Strategy" is to consolidate its leading position in the field of minimally invasive intervention by integrating cutting-edge technologies.

More than X new cases of pancreatic and biliary malignancies are reported globally each year.50Ten thousand cases, while the early diagnosis rate is less than20%。DragonflyThe introduction of the system not only provides a new tool for clinical practice but may also reshape the diagnosis and treatment process. Director of the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Department at Johns Hopkins UniversityMichael WallaceThe professor commented: "This technology is expected toERCP(Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) has evolved from a diagnostic tool to an efficient therapeutic platform, which is of great significance for the early intervention of highly lethal diseases such as pancreatic cancer."

WithDragonflySystem implementation,American patients will have the hope of receiving shorter-duration pancreaticobiliary surgeries with lower risks of complications.Medtronic predicts that after the technology becomes widely adopted, the average hospital stay for related surgeries can be shortened.2-3Days, saving over annually for the medical insurance system5Billions of dollars in postoperative care costs.

This collaboration highlights the trend of medical device giants driving clinical revolutions through technological integration.DragonflyThe system's debut in the United States not only sets a new benchmark for the treatment of pancreaticobiliary diseases but also signifies that endoscopic technology is rapidly evolving from a "visualization tool" to an "intelligent surgical platform."