VA7031/VA7042A 의료용 내시경 칩셋

Background Problem: Concerns about cross-infection due to endoscope reuse persist, and the FDA recommends the use of disposable endoscopes to the medical community. In fact, serious problems have occurred since 2013, with more than 35 deaths due to incomplete disinfection. However, even when trying to switch to disposable endoscopes, there are problems with reduced image quality or increased costs, which has slowed adoption.

Limitations of Existing Methods: Reusable endoscopes implement high-quality images with expensive CCDs/optical cables, but making them disposable would cause a surge in costs and waste. On the other hand, disposable endoscopes previously had problems with low image quality or reduced real-time performance due to compressed video transmission, and reliability was poor in high electrical interference (EMI) environments.

Valens' VA7031/VA7042A chipset consists of a Serializer/Deserializer and is a bridge technology that allows disposable endoscopes to have the same video performance as high-end reusable endoscopes. Using this chipset, endoscope camera video is transmitted in real-time in an uncompressed state over a single thin coaxial or UTP cable, and the transmission error rate is as low as 10^-19 (virtually negligible), resulting in excellent video reliability.

In addition, it has a built-in noise-canceling circuit that offsets strong electromagnetic interference generated when operating peripheral equipment such as electrosurgical devices, so the video remains stable even during surgery. The chipset complies with the industry standard MIPI A-PHY specification to increase compatibility, and is optimized for endoscope disposability by designing the ultra-small Serializer chip on the endoscope disposable side and the receiver chip on the main body.

As a result, this solution is a groundbreaking component that enables high image quality and stability without additional cost or complexity in a disposable design compared to existing endoscopes.

Endoscope manufacturers and medical device OEMs (B2B). The end users are hospitals, but the direct buyers are endoscope manufacturers, who will adopt this chipset to launch next-generation products. It can also be applied to video transmission in other industries such as automobiles, but this product is specialized for medical endoscope applications.

It can be applied in the global medical imaging market, and wide demand is expected, especially if the adoption of disposable endoscopes increases according to US FDA policy.

Since it follows the standard specification (MIPI A-PHY), it can be adopted by various manufacturers, and it is scheduled to be mass-produced in the second half of 2026 and has already been designed into (reflected in the design) several endoscope companies. In the future, it can be expanded to other fields that require high-reliability video transmission, such as disposable diagnostic devices such as ultrasound probes and automotive sensors.

Performance verification is key rather than special regional regulations, and it is already attracting industry attention through high-reliability data and clinical tests.

Called *"a hidden innovation for medical safety,"* it won the CES Innovation Award in the embedded technology category. The level of technical completeness is at the tape-out (design completion) stage, demonstrating industry-leading EMI resistance and error rate performance, and officials say it is a "game-changer in the transition to disposable endoscopes."

Market expectations are very high, and global endoscope leaders are known to be interested. However, the speed of dissemination of disposable endoscopes determines the size of the market, and debates over increased waste versus the value of infection prevention are variables.

Overall, there is a stronger perception that it is a necessary solution than underestimated factors, so the market risk is low compared to the technology.