FUJIFILM to build a new ‘smart’ endoscope manufacturing facility using AI and IoT
FUJIFILM Corporation says it is building a new “smart” manufacturing facility in Tokyo that will use artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies to double its endoscope production capacity. The $36 million facility will be fully operational by September to manufacture endoscopes compatible with FUJIFILM’s ELUXEO and LASEREO endoscopy systems, said the company in a release, adding that the new site will support the global increase in demand for endoscopy systems that facilitate direct in-vivo observation while reducing stress on patients.
FUJIFILM says the manufacturing of endoscopes requires refined and highly precise processing technology, and complex manufacturing processes to deliver high performance operability, ease of insertion and durability. However, the company said increasing production has been challenging as manufacturing requires superior technical skills to install tiny lenses and visually inspect the focus and color accuracy of endoscopic images.
The ELUXEO and LASEREO systems use two distinct light wavelengths for observation to help diagnose inflammation and detect minute lesions. Image-enhancing functions include blue light imaging (BLI) which highlights fine blood vessels and structures in the mucosal surface of organs, and linked color imaging (LCI), which accentuates subtle tonal differences in red coloration in endoscopic images.
The company says the new facility will employ IoT to “control the movements of workers and goods as well as the condition of equipment.” Using sensors installed throughout the plant, a centralized platform will collect data on man-hours, manufacturing and inspection records, parts inventory, equipment operation status and worker-traffic. “The ability to monitor the equipment and the production progress in real-time speeds up the cycle of analysis and improvements for streamlining the facility’s operation,” the company stated.
The AI aspect will automate the equipment inspection process by learning the “judging criteria” applied by experienced technicians to endoscopic images during the visual inspection steps – a move that should significantly decrease the number of steps required. The work can also be filmed with a video camera and projected onto smart glasses (spectacle-type wearable device that uses augmented reality technology to overlay virtual visual data onto actual scenery), along with supplementary information obtained from the sensors during frontline production operation.
