About the adoption for the Medical-Engineering Collaboration Innovation Promotion Project

Shinwakogyo Co., Ltd. has been conducting research and development in collaboration with Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Medicine*1) (hereafter, Kobe University) and SEED Co., Ltd.*2) (hereafter, SEED) to achieve an antifogging and antifouling endoscope hood for practical use.
*1) Dr. Yoshinori Morita, Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Department of International Cancer Treatment and Research Promotion, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo, Japan; Masato Fujisawa, Dean of the Graduate School of Medicine/Chief of Medical Research.
*2) Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, President: Masahiro Urakabe, First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange: 7743

This research has been adopted by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) “Reiwa 2nd Year Medical-Engineering Collaboration Innovation Promotion Project” (planned for 112,667 thousand yen for 3 years).

In this project, we are in charge of manufacturing, Kobe University is in charge of creating needs and clinical evaluation, and seed is in charge of manufacturing management including material provision and pharmaceutical affairs.

Issues due to lens contamination in endoscopic diagnosis and treatment

In recent years, endoscopic diagnosis and treatment in gastrointestinal tumors have made great strides with advances in medical technology, along with advances in endoscopic tools This has made it possible to cure gastrointestinal cancers in the early stages by endoscopic resection, which is equivalent to surgery.

With the development of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in particular, ESD can be used to resect lesions that could not be resected by conventional endoscopic resection methods and required surgical intervention in many cases.

In the diagnosis and treatment of patients using these endoscopes, a hood is usually worn to protect the tip of the endoscope, and anti-fouling treatment is applied to the lens of the endoscope to keep the operating field free of fogging. However, since the gastrointestinal tract often comes in contact with mucus, blood, and fat, the effect of this treatment does not last for long, making it difficult to maintain a clear view.

Particularly in the case that there is significant contamination of the lens, because the examination and treatment must be interrupted, the endoscope must be removed, cleaned and reinserted, the burden on physicians and patients caused by the lengthy examination and treatment was an issue.

Joint development of endoscopic hood using hydrogel (contact lens material) with excellent anti-fog and anti-fouling performance

The endoscope hood, which we are aiming to put into practical use, uses hydrogel, which has antifouling properties cultivated by SEED through many years of research on contact lens materials, and has antifouling and antifogging effects on the lens and has a function to protect the tip of the endoscope.

When an endoscopic hood using this hydrogel is used, even if the field of vision becomes unclear during diagnosis and treatment with an endoscope, the water supply function enables sufficient cleaning. Since It is not necessary to remove the mirror, it makes possible to significantly reduce the examination and treatment time, results to reduce the burden on patients.

This product is in demand at all facilities that use gastrointestinal endoscopes, both in Japan and abroad, and we expect the market for this product to expand to include endoscopes other than those for the gastrointestinal tract.

We are in charge of the process of designing and manufacturing the resin mold for molding the hood for endoscopes, and as well as the process of molding.

Specifically, based on the rough sketch of the customer’s conception stage, we provided support by hearing the required specifications, designing the product, and making the actual resin mold.

Thus, our company is engaged in the joint development of medical plastic products, using our ability to make proposals for mold design and manufacturing that take the molding process into account. By doing so, we will continue to contribute to the development of medical care in Japan and abroad.

About the development system

<< Summary of "Reiwa 2nd Year Medical-Engineering Collaboration Innovation Promotion Project" by Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) >>

The project aims to revitalize the medical device industry and improve the quality of medical care in Japan by promoting the development and commercialization of medical devices that respond to the challenges faced in the medical field by utilizing Japan’s proud “manufacturing technology.”

In order to strategically select issues in the medical field, issues that are part of the excess imports and issues that are expected to be commercialized (including patents), and to develop and improve medical devices that correspond to these issues, promote commercialization through medical-engineering collaboration of the community composed of the following.

– Medical institutions responsible for clinical evaluation and effectiveness evaluation for issues

– Small and medium-sized enterprises that have the “manufacturing technology” to realize commercialization

– Companies and coordinators who are connoisseurs with an eye on manufacturing and sales

– Universities, research institutes, etc. that provide and evaluate advanced technology