A New Device Eases One of the Most Annoying Parts of Routine Physicals
Nobody likes getting a swab shoved up their nose. A startup in Japan has developed a much less intrusive system.
A groundbreaking AI-driven device, Nodoca, has revolutionized the way doctors perform routine physical examinations in Japan by streamlining the process of assessing influenza and even Covid-19 infections. This compact device, equipped with an AI algorithm and a high-quality camera, can swiftly analyze images of the pharynx and generate an assessment within seconds, eliminating the need for the traditional and often uncomfortable nasal swab test.
The device was developed by Iris, Nodoca, and entered the Japanese market in 2022 as the first AI-equipped medical device to gain approval as a "new medical device" and be covered by national health insurance. Since then, it has been integrated into over 2,000 medical institutions across Japan. In October 2025, Nodoca expanded its capabilities to include additional functions related to Covid-19.
According to Dr. Okuyama, the device's creator and a former emergency physician, the true innovation lies in the sensing aspect of AI—how the data is acquired. He acknowledges that when people think of "medical AI," they often focus on diagnosis, but the real differentiation comes from the acquisition of data. To achieve this, the company gathered image data from 100 medical institutions over three years, overcoming significant challenges related to hardware development, data collection, and the feasibility of AI-assisted diagnoses.
As Nodoca's usage in clinical practice increased, the network effect led to a substantial growth in the number of throat images—growing from hundreds of thousands to several million. This growing database has made it challenging for competitors to enter the field and has positioned Nodoca as a leader in its domain. Beyond infectious diseases, the device's potential extends to lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, as the images of the throat can reveal patterns in the mucosa and blood vessels.
Looking towards the future, Dr. Okuyama envisions a radical redesign of healthcare, where AI will play a central role from medical interviews to in-person care and specialist consultations. He stresses that the future of healthcare does not rely on a single technological breakthrough but rather on leveraging existing technologies to close the gap between current capabilities and the ideal future.
In pursuit of this vision, Dr. Okuyama is actively advocating for regulatory reforms and lobbying government ministries, emphasizing that the necessary technologies already exist today.
Written by urgent.news from Wired Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
