The medical device corporation Solendos, which manufactures endoscopic surgical equipment, received certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in September for its self-developed surgical gas insulator. The gas insulator is a medical device that inflates the abdomen by injecting gas during laparoscopic surgery using an endoscope to secure the surgical field.
Solendos is a medical device corporation that holds all three components of endoscopic surgery: the camera, light source technology, and the gas insulator. Based on this certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the corporation is preparing to expand not only in the domestic market but also to overseas markets. A Solendos representative noted, "We are the only company in Korea that can manufacture surgical gas insulators," adding, "Currently, the surgical endoscopic equipment market is dominated by major companies from the United States and Germany, but as a domestic corporation, we will compete with them in overseas markets."
The market for endoscopic surgical equipment is rapidly growing each year. Endoscopes are broadly categorized into flexible and rigid types, with Solendos focusing on the rigid endoscope sector. The global rigid endoscope market is expected to more than double from $7 billion in 2022 to $15 billion by 2032. As minimally invasive surgeries like laparoscopic procedures become more prevalent than open surgeries, the rigid endoscope market is also expanding.
Founded in 1998, Solendos is a medical device corporation that produces and supplies a variety of equipment necessary for endoscopic surgery. Recently, it succeeded in developing its own gas insulator needed for laparoscopic surgery, aiming to enter both domestic and overseas markets. A Solendos representative noted, "We have been closely collaborating with the German medical device corporation MGB to adhere to refined technological capabilities and strict quality standards," adding, "Based on our extensive experience and technology, we plan to establish our presence in the global market."
The development of Solendos' gas insulator benefited greatly from support provided by the G Valley Medical Device Development Support Center. The center was launched to assist medical device corporations rooted in the G Valley area, which encompasses the Guro and Geumcheon districts, through a collaboration between the city of Seoul and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Solendos received assistance from the G Valley Medical Device Development Support Center when conducting the conformity tests necessary to obtain certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
A Solendos representative explained, "Thanks to the financial support of 20 million won from the G Valley Medical Device Development Support Center needed for the conformity tests, we were able to conduct the tests efficiently within the schedule and meet the standard certification requirements," adding, "This was a significant help in obtaining certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety."
Solendos is developing not only surgical gas insulators but also spinal endoscopic surgery equipment and animal laparoscopic surgery equipment. Additionally, it is developing fluorescence endoscopic equipment used in tumor removal surgeries. A Solendos representative noted, "As the lifespan of pets increases, the number of surgical cases is rapidly rising," adding, "We have entered new businesses, such as supplying endoscopes suitable for animal laparoscopic procedures."