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.
