“With the effects of the increased medical service remuneration for laparoscopic surgeries, the medical carbon dioxide (CO2) delivered is estimated to reach 182 tons in 2012 which is up 7% from the previous year.

In the laparoscope-assisted surgery, the operation is performed with the insertion of endoscope or forceps through a small keyhole opened in the abdomen without any use of surgical knife.

Carbon dioxide is used for the expansion of abdominal part in the operation so that a field of operation can be secured. The operation started to be insured just in 1992, and the carbon dioxide delivery has been on the increase with the raised medical treatment fee since then. It makes a clear departure from the other medical gases which have already matured.

As for this endoscopic operation, there is a facility called “da Vinci Surgical System” which enables a remote control operation with a robotic arm. The system was developed by Intuitive Surgical of USA for the purpose to prevent blurring of surgeon’s hand movements and fill the technical gap among operating surgeons.

As of October, 65 units are installed mainly in university hospitals in Japan, thanks in part to the insurance application granted in the spring of 2012 for the extraction of prostate cancer which is a sort of the laparoscope-assisted surgery.

“Large Bowel CT Imaging” using carbon dioxide for testing was also granted for insurance in the spring of 2012. This application is aimed for diagnostic imaging with CT scans to detect bowel cancer in order to view the bowel more clearly. To this end, it is necessary to expand the bowel with about three liter of carbon dioxide inserted through the anus. In the domestic market two companies have been selling their “CO2 Insufflation Device” since autumn of last year. The expansion of the market may well be much expected from now on.”