2019-06-14
A Shenzhen Satellite TV reporter visited PRO
"Our current goal is to open up the European market, such as Germany. We will take cooperation with German companies as an opportunity to open up the EU market. We will then be able to bring the intelligent Chinese products of non-invasive ultrasound treatment technology to the whole world so that more people in need can enjoy quality health care," President Zhang Ji told the reporter from the Shenzhen Satellite TV Station.
Founded in 2003, PRO completed the development of its first-generation products in 2007. PRO successfully launched its focused ultrasound system for non-invasive gynecological treatment in 2012 and received the CE certification from the European Union in the same year. PRO has been committed to focused ultrasound for more than 16 years. By the end of 2018, PRO had installed hundreds of units in China. PRO is also stepping up its efforts to develop the international market.
Non-invasive treatment is the trend
There are no technical issues with focused ultrasound. Focused ultrasound has advantages over traditional treatments, such as less damage to the body. It is a high-tech medical treatment to prolong the life span. PRO is also working on multi-center clinical research projects simultaneously. With the continuous improvement of technology, such as the big data-based application, patients will be able to receive professional treatment at a nearby medical facility without traveling to a big city.
President Zhang Ji also provided an example. "In the past, doctors in regional hospitals did not have enough experience, and patients who wanted to receive better treatment had to go to big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Such treatment incurs transportation and accommodation costs, which undoubtedly increases the burden on the patient. Now, we have a technology that allows patients to have their disease cured in a small county. Patients can also get reimbursed for some of their costs through health insurance. In this way, their pain and stress can be greatly relieved," he said.
Many university institutes and Chinese and foreign enterprises are conducting relevant research projects, which proves the superiority of focused ultrasound in treatment. However, we still need to face the current situation and resolve some issues.
The current situation of focused ultrasound
As for the promotion of non-invasive treatment in the industry, President Zhang Ji admitted that non-invasive treatment is not a must-have technology like traditional treatment. Therefore, it is still not regarded as a necessary treatment for malignant tumors. Although many large hospitals have begun to accept this technology, it is not popular.
There are some focused ultrasound issues, such as low technology and low industrialization. In addition, original technology is available but there is no large-scale support. There is also insufficient investment of time and money in focused ultrasound. In addition, information asymmetry between hospitals and the general public is also a great obstacle in the promotion of focused ultrasound. "Because there are many surgical techniques to solve problems, many small hospitals are reluctant to introduce this technology because of its cost," President Zhang said. It is also difficult to collect clinical cases. The technology is not well known to the general public. All these problems have made it very difficult to market this technology.
President Zhang said that PRO will still focus on R&D. PRO has cooperated with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a number of universities. PRO has already built a scientific product development system and a stable and efficient R&D team. The company has also carried out scientific research cooperation with a number of hospitals on the focused ultrasound gynecological treatment system, which have achieved good clinical effects. PRO is currently working on the substantive clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer and is trying to achieve a new breakthrough in the near future.
Learning more about PRO
The reporter then interviewed Yang Kai, Vice President of the R&D Center. Mr. Yang introduced one of the latest new products developed by the company - the Mobile Focused Ultrasound Therapeutic System PRO300 - to the reporter. This is the world's first mobile focused ultrasound robotic therapeutic platform, which was developed independently by PRO. Using the latest generation of annular self-focusing transducer, this treatment platform has many advantages such as simple operation, precise ablation without damage to surrounding normal tissues and real-time monitoring and feedback. The treatment platform has been optimized to remove site restrictions on the installation of large equipment and meet the requirement for flexible movement, relieving hospitals of worries.
Then, the reporter visited PRO's R&D department. Watching the staff's operation demonstration, the reporter learned how the focused ultrasound equipment works.
As for the future development of the company, President Zhang said that PRO is not facing focused ultrasound technology issues, but should think about how to promote this new technology and let the public understand it. PRO will focus on developing more products and expanding indicationsto fulfill its mission of allowing patients to receive treatment with dignity and to enable more patients to enjoy the benefits of non-invasive treatment.
