On October 30, medicine.com, doctors' participation in product innovation is becoming a new trend, especially in the medical device industry.

・ Focus on clinical pain points and co-innovation of medical enterprises

In September 2017, a research project of large-scale cooperation between Chinese medical institutions and enterprises was officially concluded.

Shenzhen Mindray Biomedical Electronics Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Mindray), a leading enterprise of domestic medical devices, cooperates with Professor Zhan Weiwei and Professor Zhou Jianqiao of Shanghai Ruijin Hospital to successfully develop the world's first elastic intelligent tools based on dual-mode elastic imaging technology, such as shell and shear modulus.

In addition, Mindray also joined hands with Ruijin Hospital to jointly complete the Mindray dual-mode elastic imaging multi-center research project, which is the largest cooperation between Chinese medical enterprises, in conjunction with 16 third-class hospitals across the country.

Clinicians in 17 hospitals took time to collect and sort out cases and data outside of work, and successfully collected nearly 5000 cases of breast and thyroid positive cases from all over the country. Based on this, the first set of ultrasonic elastic clinical diagnostic criteria in China was established.

Elastic imaging technology is an emerging technology that has not been popularized at home and abroad, and few enterprises have mastered this technology. Mindray is the first and only enterprise in China to master dual-mode elastic imaging.

Through direct cooperation with front-line doctors to solve their clinical pain points, Mindray has opened a new way of play: the collaborative innovation model of production, learning and research with "enterprise as the leading factor and joint clinical experts".

・ "New play method" to create global leading products

In addition to the above elastic intelligent tools for thyroid and breast ultrasound examination, the results of this new method are as follows:

Smart Pelvic, an intelligent pelvic floor solution jointly developed by Mindray and Director Wang Huifang of Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, has a customized function, which solves the pain points that clinicians spend time and effort, complicated operation and difficult to use in conventional pelvic floor ultrasound examination.

The intelligent application of "obstetric automatic volume navigation Smart Planes" jointly developed by Mindray and Dr. Xiong Yi of the First People's Hospital of Shenzhen shortens the fetal brain screening from nearly ten minutes to a few seconds, and also reduces the requirements for the doctor's technique, so that the younger doctors can easily take out the fetal brain section and obtain the measurement value of the intracranial structure.

It is reported that these intelligent applications and products are the first in China and also the world leader.

・ Domestic products catch up with imports and have a new way

After the launch of "Smart Planes", young doctors in tertiary hospitals said that they had mentioned the clinical pain points of fetal brain examination to the import manufacturers several years ago. However, after several years, they did not get any feedback, and the demand sank into the sea. Unexpectedly, the final product is a Chinese brand.

Importers are unwilling to do things that are difficult to take into account in China. Domestically made goods do things, which in turn will create new competitive pressure on imports.

In the past 20 years, Mindray has expanded its product line from acting as an import agent, to its own research and development, and to its own mergers and acquisitions. It has spanned the fields of monitoring, anesthesia, ultrasound, in vitro diagnosis, and many of its market share is leading. Mindray has also gone abroad, and nearly half of its products have been sold to Europe and the United States.

However, it is undeniable that in the domestic medical equipment market, the key to surpass the import of domestic medical equipment lies in large hospitals. The monopoly situation formed by import for a long time and the penetration of doctors' choice in large hospitals are not easily broken. There are not only technical barriers, but also psychological barriers.

Obviously, while delisting from the US stock market in 2016 and determined to return to the A-share market, Mindray is also looking for a new way to reach the top three in China and catch up with imports.

This "enterprise-led, combined with clinical experts" industry-university-research innovation road will promote Chinese machinery enterprises to enter the high-end intelligent market, accelerate domestic alternative imports, and may also drive the entire industry to step up the value chain.

・ Doctors' participation in innovation should become a major trend

From another perspective, the participation of clinicians in product innovation not only meets clinical needs, but also greatly releases their own value.

Medical devices ultimately serve hospitals and patients. The innovation of medical devices cannot be separated from the support of clinicians. Only combining with clinical needs can we truly solve problems.

The new medical reform requires that the grey benefit chain between doctors and medical equipment products be cut off, but it also encourages clinicians to participate in the technological innovation activities of medical equipment, which is explicitly written in the 36 national articles encouraging medical equipment innovation.

With the rise of Chinese medical enterprises, Chinese doctors are also facing unprecedented new opportunities.

It can be predicted that the cooperation of medical enterprises and the participation of doctors in the innovation of pharmaceutical and mechanical products will also become a hot trend and a major trend, just as doctors do!