Olympus has launched its new surgical system integration solution Endoalpha, designed to improve work efficiency of endoscopy units and operating rooms inside hospitals of all sizes, in South Korea.

Endoalpha brings multiple tasks -- such as operating diverse medical devices and sending endoscopic images and videos -- under a single network, so they can be controlled via a single smart touch panel.

Doctors and medical staff can control everything from the main endoscopic device and supporting medical equipments to the surgical lights and bed, by using only the touch panel. The integration helps reduce the complexity of operating multiple medical devices and improves overall workflow, according to the Japan-based company.

“An operating room has more than 20 medical devices that must be manually managed by the medical staff, who are moving around a conglomeration of cables connecting the devices,” Kwon Young-min, director of Olympus Korea’s surgical product business division said at a press conference Tuesday in Seoul to introduce Endoalpha.

“By clearing up space and reducing unnecessary mobility in the operating room, our solution enhances procedural efficiency as well as lessens the likelihood of surgical site infections,” Kwon said.

A case study on Endoalpha’s usage by a Japan-based hospital showed that the system reduced surgical operation time by an average of four minutes per operation, making time for additional surgeries or other tasks, according to Olympus.

The solution is compatible with most brands' medical devices except in the case of endoscopy equipment, which must be an Olympus device as other brands do not allow outsiders to access their devices’ network signals needed to connect them to Olympus’ integration solution, Kwon explained.

Building an Endoalpha-integrated operating room takes around two weeks, a relatively short period of time as the design of the space is meticulously rendered in 3-D prior to construction.

“The goal of Endoalpha is to allow doctors and medical staff (to) work in the most convenient and efficient setting, reflecting Olympus’ mission to contribute to the improvement of medical systems,” said Olympus Asia-Pacific Surgical Group Leader Ito Hiroyuki.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)