Fujifilm takes its one-stop pulmonary offering to ERS 2022

With COVID-19 now in retreat, the European Respiratory Society’s (ERS) International Congress 2022 marked a return to in-person interaction for the first time since 2019. Healthcare stakeholders gathered in Barcelona on 4-6 September were more than ready to catch up with old friends, forge new alliances and share the latest research, data and technological advances in the field.

Along with that spirit of renewal, though, comes a host of new challenges for the sector. COVID-19 has aggravated backlogs of diagnoses and treatments across the healthcare spectrum, ratcheting up pressure on capacity and finances. As ever, patient outcomes are the biggest casualty.

In lung cancer, the main focus of Fujifilm’s renewed drive for market leadership in pulmonology solutions, late and inadequate screening and diagnosis have long contributed to some of the worst prognoses in all oncology. Patients face a grim combination of rapid disease progression and rapidly diminishing survival rates.

Diagnostic innovation and intervention also need to focus increasingly on improving systemic efficiency, speed and integration. That means redefining care pathways to optimise the patient experience while making the best possible use of available resources.

These considerations are central to Fujifilm’s expanded pulmonology portfolio, showcased at ERS 2022 with a comprehensive suite of solutions mapping out the care pathway from X-rays to CT scans, bronchoscopes, miniprobes, and 3-D simulations. As Dominik Vollbach, Fujifilm’s European Marketing Manager for Endoscopy Systems, comments, “no-one else in the industry can do all of this”.

The core pulmonology assets include the FDR Nano X-ray system, a lightweight and highly mobile digital X-ray machine equipped with advanced image-processing technology; FDR Cross,?the world’s first hybrid fluoroscopy and single-shot X-ray system; and Synapse Lung Analysis Resection, which provides detailed visualisations of the lungs, including pulmonary vessels and bronchi, to support preoperative planning.

Slim-line bronchoscopy

A new addition to the portfolio is the EB-710P slim bronchoscope, measuring just 4.1 mm in diameter at its tip, with a user-friendly grip and a rotation mechanism that makes for smoother, less invasive procedures. Crucially, these features enable clinicians to negotiate more easily the complex maze of airways and intersections that make up the bronchial tree, all the way to the lung periphery.

That daunting journey can be achieved in minutes, if clinicians know what they are looking for, Vollbach notes. With AI-enabled technology, such as Fujifilm’s Synapse image-management and -analysis platforms and Reili, Fujifilm’s AI platform, pulmonologists can build a detailed image of the entire lung space and plot a pathway through to the lesion of interest.

Once the EB-710P reaches the limits of visualisation, an ultrasound miniprobe can be threaded through the bronchoscope to improve diagnostic yield; the bronchoscope provides the access for diagnostic devices to reach the lesion of interest and obtain a biopsy. The bronchoscope is then used to take a biopsy of any lesion of interest.

Earlier diagnosis makes an enormous difference to outcomes. In Europe, lung cancer has the highest mortality and the lowest five-year survival rate per 100,000 population (18% overall, versus 65% for breast and 99% for prostate cancer) in oncology. Yet the five-year survival rate for stage 1 localised lung cancer is 61%.

Being able to probe as much of the lung as possible is therefore of vital importance. At ERS, Rd. Samy Lachkar, a pulmonologist from Rouen, France, said penetrating further into lung nodules, beyond the scope of a CT scan, was one of the most pressing challenges in the field.

Fujifilm’s pulmonary suite also chimes with broader trends and responsibilities in healthcare, such as shifting diagnosis and treatment into patients’ homes, or expanding access to advanced technologies in developing countries. As Vollbach emphasises, this is a core value for Fujifilm Healthcare.

Innovating for a healthier world includes addressing the broader issues that determine healthcare demand. A portable X-ray such as the FDR Nano, for example, can bring sophisticated diagnostic technology to developing countries which may struggle to afford, or even find space for, a full-size machine, Vollbach explains.

Education, training

At ERS 2022, Fujifilm also underlined its commitment to partnership with the pulmonology community, including education and training: further casualties of the pandemic. These activities included workshopping with hands-on Skills Lab Sessions and a visit from the EndoRunner, Fujifilm’s mobile training hub.

Launched at the European Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Days 2022 conference in Prague last April, the EndoRunner has already travelled extensively across Europe, highlighting Fujifilm’s GI solutions. It started its second European tour in Barcelona, with a focus on pulmonology. Germany, Slovenia, Poland, Italy and other destinations are still to come.?

Rapid technological development adds complexity even as it enhances clinicians’ diagnostic capabilities. The Endorunner brings education and live, in-person training on new tools for screening, diagnosis and treatment, to time-pressed clinicians at conferences or hospitals. ?

The EndoRunner is packed with Fujifilm bronchoscopy solutions, including the EB-710P and the ultrasonic mini-probe. With on-the-spot demonstrations, clinicians can experience for themselves how these components join the dots between pulmonology screening and treatment planning.

Fujifilm is also, for the first time, offering dedicated two-day pulmonology courses for physicians in Europe, ranging from basic bronchoscopy to interventional pulmonology. Participants can learn about Fujifilm’s full portfolio through lectures, hands-on sessions and live demonstrations. The initiative kick offs in France in December 2022, extending to Italy in January 2023.

As the EndoRunner makes clear, sometimes virtual communications don’t quite make it. Ultimately, they cannot compete with personal interaction and handling equipment or technology for real, Lachkar points out.

“Over the last few years, we have been sharing our experiences via virtual meetings,” Lachkar comments. “But there may be problems with the internet connection or the sound. The interactive part is complicated. We need more hands-on experience.”

Taking the Fujifilm portfolio out to pulmonologists as a one-stop vendor addressing a full complement of needs also reflects the value Fujifilm places on personal relations. As Salim Tayah, General Manager for Fujifilm France Medical Systems, observes, the approach is “Japanese-made, locally presented … We have all the tools doctors need for better detection and better care every day”.