[Edaily Reporter Hong Ju-yeon ] Endoscopic examinations place a significant physical strain on medical staff. They must operate the controls—which weigh over 600g—using their fingers and wrists, and in the case of therapeutic endoscopies, procedures can sometimes last over an hour while maintaining the same posture. As the number of procedures and the difficulty of treatments increase, the strain on the wrists, shoulders, and lower back inevitably grows.

Professors Ryu Ji-gon and Jeong Hyun-soo of the Department of Gastroenterology at Seoul National University Hospital cited Mediintech’s motorized endoscope, the “INTION S,” as an alternative solution to these issues. It is evaluated as reducing the physical strain compared to conventional mechanical endoscopes while also providing a foundation for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) by converting the medical staff’s movements into digital signals.

The two professors have been involved in the development and clinical research of the INTION S since the launch of the Inter-ministerial Advanced Medical Device R&D Project in 2021. They are also participating in the current Inter-ministerial Advanced Medical Device R&D Project, researching AI-powered autonomous steering and automated therapeutic techniques. E-Daily’s pharmaceutical and biotech premium content platform, Pharm E-Daily, met with the two professors to hear about how the INTION S is transforming the endoscopy examination and treatment environment.

Reducing the Burden of Long Procedures… Manipulability Confirmed to Be Equivalent to Foreign Products

Conventional endoscopes are designed such that when a clinician rotates a wheel on the control unit by hand, an internal wire is pulled, changing the direction of the endoscope tip. Clinicians must support the weight of the endoscope while simultaneously generating movement directly using the strength of their fingers and wrists.

Professor Ryu Ji-gon explained, “Many medical professionals suffer from musculoskeletal disorders in their necks, lower backs, and wrists because they hold the endoscope in the same position while performing procedures.” He added, “Therapeutic endoscopies, in particular, can sometimes last over an hour, and since the endoscope is inside the patient’s body, it’s difficult to set it down or hand it off to another medical professional midway through.”

Professor Jeong also noted, “Performing endoscopies while standing and concentrating all day causes significant physical fatigue.” He added, “With the number of diagnostic procedures increasing and therapeutic endoscopy advancing—which tends to lengthen procedure times—the burden on medical staff is growing even further.”

Intion S replaces the manual force previously provided by the medical staff’s hands with a precision motor. When the medical staff inputs a control signal, the motor moves the tip of the endoscope. This has reduced the weight of the control unit by more than 40 percent—from 610g to 350g—and lowered the force required to operate the wheel by up to 85 percent.

Professor Ryu commented, “When you use it yourself, you can really feel the difference—it’s lighter than existing products,” adding, “In particular, since the strain on the fingers and wrists is reduced, the benefits are even greater during therapeutic endoscopy, where the device must be held for extended periods.”

Clinical trials were also conducted to evaluate the performance of the motorized endoscope and the workload on medical staff. In a single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at Seoul National University Hospital in 2024, the Intion S demonstrated performance equivalent to that of conventional mechanical endoscopes in key maneuverability assessments. The medical staff’s physical fatigue and workload were found to be lower. The results of this study were published in the international journal *Scientific Reports* in 2026.

In 2025, the scope of the research was expanded to a multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial involving five medical institutions: Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Severance Hospital, and Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital. The study comprehensively evaluated examination time, maneuverability, healthcare providers’ workload, patient satisfaction, and safety in 11 healthcare providers and 320 patients.
Moving Away

from Reliance on Foreign Products… Medical Staff Involvement from the Development Stage Onward

One of the reasons the two professors participated in the research was the medical community’s long-standing demand for the localization of endoscopes. Japanese companies such as Olympus, Pentax, and Fujifilm account for more than 95% of the global flexible endoscope market. Domestic medical staff had been limited to using finished products developed by foreign companies and found it difficult to participate directly in the research and development or performance improvement processes.

Professor Jeong Hyun-soo stated, “Japanese companies conduct research and development primarily with their own medical professionals, leaving Korean medical professionals in the position of simply receiving and using products after development is complete,” adding, “The greatest strength of domestically produced products is that medical professionals can directly participate in the research, development, and improvement processes to reflect the needs of the field.”

There were also inconveniences associated with reliance on foreign-made equipment in terms of maintenance and repair. Professor Ryu pointed out, “When an endoscope malfunctions, it requires prompt repair, but in many cases, it cannot be addressed immediately in Korea and must be sent to Japan.” He added, “A structure has also formed where, once a company’s equipment is selected, users are forced to continue using that company’s products due to system compatibility issues.” He continued, “Considering the level of domestic camera and imaging technology, we determined there was no reason we couldn’t develop endoscopes,” adding, “When Mediintech presented a prototype, we agreed that we should create a product capable of competing with global companies.”

However, domestic production alone is not enough to win acceptance in clinical settings. The product must match the performance and safety of existing imported equipment and offer convenience that medical staff can actually experience during treatment. Professor Ryu emphasized, “The core objective of the Phase 1 study was to confirm that the INTION S is not inferior in clinical performance to existing foreign-made endoscopes while reducing weight and the burden of manipulation,” adding, “Medical devices are not used simply because they are new; they must prove their safety and usefulness in clinical settings.”

“The Essence of Motorization Is Data Collection”…Laying the Groundwork for Physical AI

Professor Jeong Hyun-soo emphasized that the significance of motorization goes beyond simply reducing the weight and handling burden of endoscopes. This is because a motorized structure allows for the digital recording of detailed maneuvers—such as the direction and extent to which medical staff move the endoscope, as well as the exact timing of water injection or suction.

“Electrification means that every maneuver performed by medical staff is converted into data,” explained Professor Jeong. “We can accumulate detailed technical data—ranging from whether the endoscope scope was moved slightly or significantly to the processes of water injection and suction.”

He added, “This is similar to how self-driving electric vehicles use various sensors to convert the driving process into data and refine their functions based on that data,” noting, “When endoscopic manipulation is digitized, data can be utilized to add various software and AI features, greatly enhancing scalability.”

The motorized structure serves as the foundation for “physical AI,” which goes beyond simply analyzing images to directly controlling the endoscope’s movements. With conventional mechanical endoscopes, even if AI identifies the location or direction of a lesion, it lacks the drive mechanism to move the endoscope, making it difficult to translate this information into actual maneuvering.

Professor Ryu said, “While several products featuring diagnostic AI that helps locate lesions have already been developed, the crucial next step is for AI to actually move the endoscope,” adding, “Because Intion S features an electric drive mechanism, it can implement a system where AI controls the tip of the endoscope in all directions—forward, backward, left, and right.”

Mediintech has developed “EndoPilot,” which recognizes the direction of advancement during insertion to assist with steering, and “EndoTrack,” which adjusts the endoscope tip to re-track a lesion when it moves off-screen. The company plans to expand the scope of AI applications in the future to include lesion measurement, treatment path planning, and assistance with precise manipulation during the treatment process.

Professor Jeong said, “Since AI does not experience fatigue, it can assist with procedures at a consistent level even when medical staff are exhausted,” adding, “To provide practical assistance to medical staff, the two pillars—cognitive functions for locating lesions and physical functions for supporting endoscope manipulation—must be combined.”

“Combining AI and Robotics with Endoscopes… A Ray of Hope for Equal Access to Healthcare”

MediInTech and the two professors are actively integrating AI and robotics into motorized endoscopes through the Inter-ministerial Advanced Medical Device R&D Project, which began in April of this year. Following the first-phase project in 2021, which had a budget of 9.5 billion won, they were reselected as the lead institution for the Inter-ministerial Advanced Medical Device R&D Project and secured an additional project worth 22.8 billion won.

Led by Mediintech, the industry-academia-research-hospital consortium—which includes the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University, and the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)—will develop a “next-generation intelligent robotic endoscope platform featuring AI-based autonomous steering and ultra-precise automated therapeutic techniques” by December 2031.

One of the core technologies is “AI-powered autonomous steering,” which is similar to autonomous driving in automobiles. This technology enables the AI to recognize the narrow and curved structure of the digestive tract to find the optimal path forward and control the tip of the motorized endoscope to assist with insertion. Once commercialized, it is expected to shorten examination times, reduce patient discomfort, and mitigate variations in examination quality caused by differences in medical staff proficiency.

Professor Ryu explained, “In Phase 1 of the project, we confirmed that the motorized endoscope is not inferior in clinical performance compared to existing imported products and can reduce fatigue among medical staff.” He added, “In Phase 2, our goal is to combine this with physical AI to clinically validate the autonomous steering technology and complete the robotic endoscopy platform.”

The scope of the research extends beyond general diagnostic endoscopes for the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts to include specialized diagnostic and therapeutic devices such as duodenoscopes and small-bore choledochoscopes. Ultra-compact, multi-jointed surgical instruments capable of moving in multiple directions within narrow organs will also be integrated with the endoscopes. Through this, the team plans to implement robotic technology that precisely assists with high-difficulty therapeutic procedures—ranging from grasping and traction of lesions to incision and suturing.

However, the fact that a technology can be technically implemented is a separate issue from whether it can be safely applied to actual patients. Professor Jeong emphasized, “Even if autonomous steering technology has been developed to a considerable level, sufficient safety verification must precede its application to patients.”

Professor Ryu also noted, “Once automation is in place, a key issue will be determining to what extent medical staff should intervene and supervise,” adding, “Discussions regarding regulations based on the level of autonomy and the allocation of liability in the event of an accident must proceed in tandem with technological development.”

The ultimate goal envisioned by both professors is an environment where medical staff can perform endoscopic procedures while seated, with greater comfort and precision. Professor Ryu stated, “In surgery, the introduction of robotic surgery has allowed surgeons to perform procedures while seated at a console and watching a monitor, rather than standing next to the patient for extended periods,” adding, “In the field of endoscopy as well, the ultimate goal is to create an environment where medical staff can perform procedures comfortably while seated.”

The AI-powered robotic endoscope is expected not only to reduce the physical strain on medical staff but also to minimize variations in the quality of diagnosis and treatment caused by differences in skill level.

Professor Jeong remarked, “Endoscopy is a procedure in which examination results can vary depending on the medical staff’s level of skill,” adding, “If AI assists with lesion recognition and endoscope manipulation, even less experienced medical staff can be helped to ensure a certain level of diagnostic and treatment quality.”

He went on to emphasize, “Reducing variations caused by medical staff proficiency and examination environments, and raising the overall standard of endoscopic care, is an important role that AI will play in the medical field.”