Olympus Medical: A Century of Innovation - Timeline of Main Events

1919:

* Takeshi Yamashita establishes Takachiho Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Tokyo on October 12th, with the goal of producing high-quality, Japanese-made microscopes.

1920:

* Takachiho Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (soon to be known as Olympus) unveils the Asahi microscope, Japan’s first domestically manufactured microscope.

1920s-1930s:

* Olympus expands its product range and technical expertise, producing more advanced microscopes like the Showa GK immersion microscope (1927).

* Olympus ventures into photographic lenses under the "Zuiko" brand.

1936:

* Olympus releases its first consumer camera, the Semi-Olympus.

1949:

* Takachiho Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is renamed Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.

Late 1940s:

* Surgeons at the University of Tokyo Hospital conceive the idea of a camera to photograph the inside of the stomach and approach Olympus.

* Olympus engineers begin developing the gastrocamera under the leadership of Tatsujiro Kirschner.

1950:

* Olympus unveils the world’s first practical gastrocamera, the GT-1, at a meeting of the Japan Surgical Association. Dr. Shigeru Kanai is among the first to use it.

1950s:

* Olympus continues to refine the gastrocamera, improving image quality and ease of use.

1957:

* Olympus introduces the GT-III gastrocamera, featuring sharper photos of the stomach lining.

Early 1960s:

* Olympus engineers begin experimenting with fiber-optic endoscopes.

1964:

* Olympus achieves a breakthrough by attaching a fiber-optic bundle to a modified gastrocamera, allowing live viewing and photography.

* Winter & Ibe introduces fibre-optic illumination in urology scopes.

Mid-1960s:

* Olympus releases its first fully flexible fibre gastroscope, enabling real-time observation and biopsies.

1966:

* Olympus, working with Dr. Shigeto Ikeda and Machida, co-develops the world’s first flexible fibreoptic bronchoscope. Dr. Ikeda presents it in Copenhagen.

Late 1960s:

* Fibre bronchoscopes become widely used in hospitals.

June 1969:

* Dr. William Wolff and Dr. Hiromi Shinya perform one of the world’s first total colonoscopies using a prototype colonoscope developed in collaboration with Olympus.

* Olympus has a dedicated colonoscope in development, incorporating feedback from Wolff and Shinya.

Around 1971:

* Dr. Hiromi Shinya, working with Olympus, develops a wire loop snare-cautery device for endoscopic polyp removal.

1969-1972:

* Wolff and Shinya perform over 1,600 colonoscopies and remove hundreds of polyps using Olympus colonoscopes and snares.

1973:

* Wolff and Shinya publish their landmark findings on colon polyps and endoscopic removal in the New England Journal of Medicine.

1975:

* Olympus establishes a partnership with Winter & Ibe GmbH, gaining access to their line of surgical endoscopes in exchange for optical systems.

Late 1970s:

* Olympus begins selling laparoscopes and other rigid scopes under its brand.

1970s:

* KeyMed Ltd. becomes a key distributor and partner for Olympus endoscopes in Europe.

* Olympus begins investing more heavily in its medical division due to the success of endoscopy.

1979:

* Olympus acquires Winter & Ibe GmbH, establishing "Olympus Winter & Ibe" as its European manufacturing base for surgical endoscopes and instruments.

* Olympus acquires majority ownership of KeyMed Ltd.

* Olympus opens a major repair and service centre in San Jose, California.

Early 1980s:

* Olympus can offer a comprehensive suite of flexible and rigid endoscopes and related instruments.

1983:

* Olympus merges its U.S. operations into a unified subsidiary, Olympus Corporation of America.

1983-1985:

* Olympus develops its first video endoscope system.

1985:

* Olympus introduces its first complete Endoscopic Video Information System (EVIS), the first generation video endoscope setup.

1987:

* Olympus fully acquires KeyMed Ltd.

* Olympus establishes an office in Beijing, China.

* Laparoscopic cholecystectomy begins to gain popularity, contributing to a boom in minimally invasive surgery.

1989:

* Olympus launches the EVIS 100 system.

1990:

* Olympus launches the EVIS 200 system.

1992:

* Olympus introduces EndoALPHA, an integrated operating room concept for minimally invasive surgeries.

2002:

* Olympus launches the EVIS LUCERA system (EVIS EXERA in some regions), the world’s first high-definition (HD) endoscope platform.

* Olympus launches the Visera line, the world’s first integrated video system for surgical endoscopy usable across various departments.

Around 2005:

* Olympus introduces Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) technology.

2008:

* Olympus acquires Gyrus Group, a UK-based maker of surgical energy devices and endoscopes.

2010:

* Olympus acquires Spiration Inc., a U.S. company developing the Spiration Valve for severe emphysema.

2011:

* Michael Woodford, the British CEO of Olympus, goes public with allegations of a major accounting fraud within the company. Tsuyoshi Kikukawa resigns as chairman.

2012:

* Hiroyuki Sasa becomes the new president of Olympus, initiating a transformation program focused on medical technology.

* Olympus Surgical Technologies America is created, integrating Gyrus’s facilities.

2015:

* Sony Olympus Medical Solutions introduces one of the first surgical endoscopy systems with true 4K resolution.

2019:

* Olympus celebrates its 100th anniversary. Yasuo Takeuchi is President and CEO. Olympus takes a minority stake in Medineering, a robotic endoscope holder company.

2020:

* Olympus exits the traditional camera business, selling its imaging division.

* Olympus launches the ENDO-AID AI platform in its latest endoscopy system, the EVIS X1.

* Olympus spins off its scientific microscope division.

2021:

* Olympus rolls out H-SteriScope™ single-use bronchoscopes, entering the single-use endoscopy market.

2022:

* Olympus's spun-off scientific microscope division is rebranded as Evident Corporation.

2023:

* Olympus agrees to acquire Odin Vision, a British startup focused on cloud-based AI for endoscopy.

* Stefan Kaufmann's tenure as CEO of Olympus is cut short, indicating stronger corporate governance.

Present Day (2020s):

* Olympus focuses on advanced imaging (4K, 3D), AI-powered diagnostics, single-use devices, and therapeutic innovations in endoscopy and minimally invasive surgery.

* The company maintains a leading position in the global endoscope market.

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