Endoscopy fit for the future

By Dominic Biliczky

?FUJIFILM has a legacy of excellence spanning over 70 years. From analogue to digital, we’ve grown from a camera business founded in 1934 to cutting edge healthcare technologies today. Within our healthcare business, that means collaboration and working in partnership with those who can help us take healthcare further into the future.

Two years ago, FUJIFILM entered into an agreement to acquire medwork, a company that develops, manufactures and markets endoscopic instruments. These are medical devices used in combination with endoscopes for applications such as resecting polyps in the digestive system. We had in fact been working together for many years before the acquisition, but the year before the pandemic hit saw us become formally merged. This is an example of partnership working at its finest; bringing together two companies whose contributions to medical technologies complement each other.

The merger means that in the new incarnation of FUJIFILM as an Endo solutions provider, we can now offer technologies across the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway for flexible endoscopy, so that clinicians have a ‘one stop shop’ for their flexible endoscopic equipment.

It has always been our aim for healthcare professionals to always have the best tools at their fingertips to help them deliver the best possible care for patients, no matter how simple or complex the procedure. Quality is key to reliability. Clinicians need to know that they can rely on our tools to help them make the difference for their patients.

This has become even more vital as we navigate our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the backlog of appointments and more patient demand placing extra pressure on hospitals, medical technologies that can help make the patient pathway smoother in gastroenterology is an advantage.

Also, many countries across Europe are facing backlogs in cancer diagnosis and treatment, as many procedures have had to be postponed due to the pandemic. With the ability to see inside a patient, assess abnormalities and even remove them, the process of diagnosis through to therapy is streamlined. There is also less stress for a patient, knowing that they can have problems dealt with then and there.

Quality and efficiency are vital for healthcare, now more than ever. In endoscopy, we must also consider the comfort and wellbeing of our patients, which is the most important thing. Having excellent equipment, offering solutions from screening to treatment, is the best way for healthcare professionals to trust that they can provide that to their patients every time.