Domestic high-end medical equipment, benchmarking world class

The world's smallest and lightest full magnetic levitation "artificial heart", the world's first 5.0T human body medical magnetic resonance system... In recent years, relying on advanced manufacturing foundation and technological innovation strength, high-end medical device achievements with completely independent intellectual property rights have been emerging in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.

Universities are rich in scientific research and clinical medical resources, key parts supply enterprises are highly clustered, and third-party supply chain enterprises have smooth logistics... The scale and total output value of the high-end medical device industry in Guangzhou and Shenzhen rank in the forefront of the country, and the cluster covers thousands of medical device production enterprises, forming a "one-hour supply circle" with rapid response, and successfully selected into the list of national advanced manufacturing clusters.

Jointly tackle difficult problems and master key technologies

At the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, several researchers conduct magnetic resonance scans in the operation room. Through the observation window, you can see the domestic 3.0T magnetic resonance equipment in operation.

Yang Xing, the core R & D personnel of the ultra-high field human body medical magnetic resonance system, has long been highly dependent on imports of many parts and consumables of magnetic resonance equipment, procurement and maintenance difficulties, driving up the cost of medical treatment for patients, and localization substitution and innovative research and development are imperative.

However, medical devices belong to medicine, engineering, electronics, materials and other multi-disciplinary precision instruments, research and development investment is high, difficult, long cycle, a single enterprise is often unable to grasp.

Since 2010, Shenzhen Advanced Institute and United Film Medical Company jointly launched the 3.0T magnetic resonance system research and development project, which opened the scientific research "national team" and industry leaders for more than 10 years.

"Doing experiments often goes into the wee hours of the morning."

"Meeting with engineers, supply chains, clinical experts and other parties, repeatedly testing and adjusting."

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After several years of research, the first 3.0T high-field magnetic resonance equipment was developed and successfully realized industrialization, and China became the third country in the world to master the manufacturing of high-field magnetic resonance components and complete machines.

Today, the world's first 5.0T whole-body medical magnetic resonance system has further achieved cross-generation leadership and international leadership. High-resolution imaging will help doctors diagnose the disease more accurately and earlier, and rapid imaging technology can effectively alleviate the pain points of the "long queue" of imaging diagnosis.

In April 2020, the National High Performance Medical Device Innovation Center (hereinafter referred to as "Guochuang Center") established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mindray Medical, and United Image Medical landed in Shenzhen, becoming the only national manufacturing innovation center in the field of medical devices in China.

Committed to overcoming the "stuck neck" problem, the National innovation Center and dozens of enterprises set up joint laboratories to carry out collaborative research.

Nickel-titanium superelastic capillary tube, a key raw material for vascular interventional instruments, was mass-produced. Laboratory research and development of high-end medical separation membrane materials and components has been completed; High performance ceramic materials and products for artificial joints are being developed...... Today, a number of key generic technologies have made remarkable progress.

Perfect chain to ensure product supply

Before organ acquisition, the blood vessels connected to the liver are connected to the "non-ischemic liver perfusion system" to supply blood to the organs for the human body to achieve a smooth transition; When the liver is implanted, the human blood circulation system "takes over" the liver at the same time that the machine withdraws... Relying on this system, human liver transplantation with "uninterrupted blood flow" can be realized and popularized.

The organ transplant team of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University spent 10 years to develop the "non-ischemic liver perfusion system", and achieved breakthroughs in principle and technology; Singularity Medical Technology (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. promotes the transformation of hospital scientific research achievements and carries out equipment development and production; Supply chain manufacturers according to enterprise requirements and clinical feedback, constantly improve the mold and parts, to help product iteration... There are many parts of medical devices, which require high precision and reliability. The birth of a medical device requires not only multidisciplinary, cross-field, cross-regional collaborative innovation in the field of research and development, but also the cooperation of upstream and downstream enterprises in the production link.

"A transplant machine has hundreds of parts, and all the core components have been developed and produced by ourselves." Zhao Qiang, chief physician of the Organ Transplant Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, introduced that the organ chamber, various pipes, consumables and shell accessories that simulate the physiological environment are mostly from manufacturers in Shenzhen and surrounding areas.

"The developed electronics manufacturing industry and mechatronics foundation in the Pearl River Delta region provide strong support for the development of high-end medical device industry." Shenzhen Medical device Industry Association executive vice president and secretary-general CAI Qiaowu said.

In January 2023, the domestic extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment product developed by Shenzhen Hanno Medical Technology Co., Ltd. was approved for listing, and on February 3 of the same year, the 300th device was successfully offline and successively sent to hospitals around the country.

In just three weeks, from 1 to 300 - the realization of this emergency expansion task is relying on the local strong precision manufacturing capacity and supply chain deployment capacity.

Machinery, materials, electronics and other upstream industries and related basic disciplines, technology research and development to increase investment, will promote the development of medical device industry; Research institutes, hospitals, inspection institutions and other applications, play a role in demand traction and application drive.

"Guangzhou's advanced medical level and Shenzhen's strong industrial strength support and complement each other." "We are calling for the establishment of a Greater Bay Area high-tech medical device industry alliance to strengthen upstream and downstream cooperation between medical institutions, research institutes and enterprises, and promote the deep integration of innovation chains and industrial chains," Zhao said.

Cluster growth, co-breeding innovation ecology

As one of the important symbols of advanced manufacturing capability and cutting-edge science and technology level, high-end medical devices have become a key area of competition around the world.

In 2022, Guangdong Province introduced measures to promote the high-quality development of the medical device industry, and proposed to form a high-end medical device industrial cluster against the world-class level by 2025.

In the view of the vice president of the Innovation Research Institute of the National Innovation Center, He Jianye, the development of China's high-end medical device industry represented by Guangzhou and Shenzhen, there are still many shortcomings. "The industrial conversion rate of scientific and technological achievements in the medical device field is still low, and many technological research does not match the market demand."

In order to enhance the original innovation ability and accelerate the industrialization of scientific research achievements, in recent years, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have launched a series of pragmatic measures to promote the breakthrough development of the industry with a multi-dimensional and whole-chain policy system.

Increase the application demonstration and promotion of innovative products, and encourage the purchase of certified innovative medical device products; Create a medical device industry characteristic park to break the barriers of physical space and personnel flow... In 2022, Shenzhen issued an action plan to cultivate and develop high-end medical device industrial clusters and a series of supporting measures to promote the linkage between production, university, research and medicine.

In 2023, Guangzhou once again proposed to support the acceleration of the development of the biomedical industry, and to grant up to 5 million yuan to enterprises that have obtained the first registration certificate of Class II and Class III medical device products.

In the field of optical microscopic instruments, Shenzhen Mingzhun Medical Technology Co., LTD., which was incubated by Guochuang Center, completed angel round financing; Continuous glucose monitoring subdivision track, Shenzhen silicon-based bionic Technology Co., Ltd. broke foreign technology monopoly, product market share increased rapidly; Implant medical device market, Guangzhou Maipu Regenerative Medicine Technology Co., Ltd. products have entered more than 80 countries and regions...

Today, a group of specialized and special new "small giant" enterprises are growing, leading backbone enterprises are strengthening their leading role, multi-echelon industrial clusters are accelerating the formation, and the high-end medical device industry with Guangdong and Shenzhen as the core and the world-class level of benchmarking is rising.


Reporter's notebook

We will continue to enhance the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing

The procurement of imported equipment is often subject to people, and the process of getting rid of the "cheap and inferior" label of domestic equipment is difficult... Talking about the past, the industry insiders interviewed by the reporter felt a lot, and everyone had a deep understanding of the necessity of independent research and development.

The high-end medical device industry reflects a country's scientific and technological innovation ability and manufacturing level: the birth of a product is the result of enterprises, scientific research institutes and medical institutions and other parties to work together, but also closely related to the full support of the supporting system.

Fully tap their own advantages, some of the products produced from running, and running, to achieve the lead - Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the field of high-end medical device innovation practice, is a microcosm of China's advanced manufacturing industry continues to make technological breakthroughs. At present, China has entered the fast track of development in this field, and the policy has been favorable, creating a good innovation ecology. It is expected that more and more enterprises will compete on their own high-end track and constantly improve the international competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing.



People's Daily (02-01-15, 2024)

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