On September 25, Dong-A ST (Chairman Eom Dae-sig) announced that the company had released the microarthroscopy ‘Troy’ (TREU means ‘faithful’ in German).

Troy is a medical device that is used to perform a diagnosis by inserting an arthroscopy equipped with a micro-camera into the affected area, such as the stretched or ruptured ligaments of a knee or shoulder, a jaw joint, or damaged cartilage.

‘Troy’ directly inserts the arthroscopy into the affected area for faster and more accurate diagnosis than X-ray, MRI or CT. Its diameter is 1.4mm, i.e. thinner than that of a normal arthroscopy, which means diagnosis can be performed with only a minimal incision. In addition, the scope, which is inserted into the affected part and delivers the image, is available in several lengths (60mm, 95mm, or 120mm) so that the most suitable size can be selected.

‘Troy’ is the first joint project undertaken by Dong-A ST and Haesung Optics. Dong-A ST signed a business agreement for the development and sale of a medical endoscope with Haesung Optics in 2016 with a view to releasing ‘Troy’. Dong-A ST is responsible for product planning, marketing and sales, while Haesung Optics took charge of developing the camera module.

Established in 1988, Haesung Optics is a professional optical lens manufacturer that manufactures and supplies camera modules and actuators for smartphones. Based on its accumulated optical lens development and manufacturing know-how, the company has succeeded in developing a micro-camera module for application to ‘Troy’.

An official of Dong-A ST said, “The microscopic endoscopy ‘Troy’ can be used to diagnose only with a local anesthetic, which has the advantage of reducing pain as well as time and cost compared to MRI.” He went on to say, “We will continue to improve our competitiveness in the global market by overcoming the domestic dependence on imports of medical devices from the US and Germany by combining the excellent sales and marketing capabilities of Dong-A ST’s medical device division with the technology of Haesung Optics.”

Meanwhile, Dong-A ST’s medical device division imports and sells orthopedic artificial joints, maxillofacial implants, and various types of surgical and diagnostic equipment.