Ambu
Driving a Patient-First Future in Endoscopic Care

Modern healthcare often adds layers of complexity in the name of safety. Reusable endoscopes are a case in point. They require more than an hour of reprocessing, which ties up staff, delays procedures and costs hospitals hundreds of pounds per cycle. Even with careful checks, contamination and breakdowns are possible.

It should be no surprise that regulators and health systems across Europe are rethinking the model. NHS England now links infection prevention directly to operational efficiency and is investing heavily in diagnostic capacity closer to communities. Ongoing trials, set to conclude in 2025, will weigh the costs, safety and environmental impact. Yet hospital leaders already see the writing on the wall; waiting lists, patient safety and reputational risk demand faster solutions.

Ambu anticipated this shift long before it reached the policy agenda.

More than a decade ago, it recognised that simplicity would drive healthcare forward. As the pioneer of single-use endoscopy, Ambu has built a portfolio of sterile, ready-to-use devices that bypass reprocessing, eliminate repair costs and deliver ‘like-new’ performance every time. Flagship devices such as the Ambu^® aScope^™ 4 Cysto and Ambu^® aScope^™ 5 Broncho HD show that safety and efficiency can combine when tools are built for both.

Great innovations should not be imposed on healthcare; they should grow from within it. We aim to set new standards with our customers, rethinking what is possible and influencing what comes next in endoscopic care.

“Our philosophy is that innovation must solve real-world problems,” says Sjur Noland, Vice President, Ambu UK & Ireland, Nordics & Baltics. “For hospitals, that means freeing staff from bottlenecks, cutting hidden costs and giving patients care with the highest standards of safety and clarity. That is the future single-use technology delivers.”
The New Scope of Hospital Efficiency

Ambu’s shelf-ready design speaks the practical language of hospitals. Each variant scales services quickly, keeps budgets predictable and supports sustainability targets without compromise, whether in community hubs or weekend ‘super clinics.’

The model reshapes hospital economics by replacing fixed capital outlays with flexible operating costs. Instead of tying budgets to fleets of reusable scopes and reprocessing units, hospitals pay per procedure. Costs are aligned with demand. Unused assets no longer sit depreciating, and hidden expenses—detergents, utilities, PPE and specialist staff—are removed from the balance sheet. Resources can be redirected into patient care.

That financial clarity is matched by environmental responsibility. In 2023, Ambu introduced the Ambu ^® aScope^™ Gastro Large, the world’s first endoscope to incorporate bioplastics in its handle, cutting the carbon footprint of its raw plastic materials by around 70 percent. By the end of 2024, all endoscope handles were manufactured using bioplastics. The Ambu^® Recircle Program builds on this, collecting used endoscopes for recycling and reintegration into non-material streams. Pilot programmes in Germany and the UK have proven that the model works. The Ambu^® Recircle is already expanding in the U.S. and France, operating more than 25 sites across four countries, with many more in the pipeline for 2026.

Advanced imaging technology completes this integrated solution. Ambu^® aView^™ 2 Advance and Ambu^® aBox^™ 2 platforms feature 12.8-inch full HD touchscreens with adaptive light control that optimises brightness and clarity across clinical specialities. Intuitive interfaces reduce training requirements, while built-in capture and export functions, supporting USB, SMB and DICOM protocols, ensure seamless integration with existing hospital information systems. The result is consistent, high-quality imaging aligned with established clinical workflows.

These digital solutions meet NHS Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC). Independent assurance by SafeHand confirms compliance with NHS standards for clinical safety, interoperability, usability and cybersecurity. Hospitals gain confidence that the system is secure and reliable, supporting immediate clinical needs, while underpinning broader digital transformation initiatives across the care delivery landscape.

Innovation that Begins at the Bedside

Healthcare needs solutions forged where pressure is highest; at the patient’s side. Ambu’s approach to innovation starts there. It works shoulder to shoulder with clinicians, listening, learning and uncovering the needs that surface long before they reach policy papers or procurement lists.

Collaboration ensures that new tools are practical answers to real challenges. Insights gathered in fast-paced environments, where tasks multiply and time is scarce, form the foundation for devices that help staff do more with less, shorten decision-making times and improve outcomes.

Behind this philosophy stands the dedication of the world’s largest single-use endoscopy R&D team, with more than 400 engineers focused solely on advancing the field. Decades of iterative learning and technology development allow breakthroughs in one speciality, such as respiratory care, to be rapidly adapted across areas like ENT or urology, keeping innovation cycles fast and relevant.

“Great innovations should not be imposed on healthcare; they should grow from within it. We aim to set new standards with our customers, rethinking what is possible and influencing what comes next in endoscopic care,” says Noland.

Proving the Model in Practice

A leading example is the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust. In April 2024, the trust moved its flexible cystoscopy service from the main hospital to the new Warwickshire North Community Diagnostic Centre, adopting the Ambu^® aScope^™ 4 Cysto standard for every procedure.

This shift enabled the launch of a Haematuria One-Stop Clinic, where patients receive imaging (ultrasound or CT-U) and flexible cystoscopy on the same day. By eliminating delays associated with reprocessing reusable scopes, the clinic increased its weekly cystoscopy sessions and increased throughput from six to nine patients per week.

The results were immediate. Between February and April 2025, the Trust’s performance against the NHS 28-Day Faster Diagnosis Standard improved by 4.1 percent compared with the previous year. Faster cystoscopy delivered faster answers, supporting earlier intervention in suspected cancer cases.

Staff noted that reprocessing bottlenecks and scope shortages would have made this model impossible. The clinic demonstrates how single-use technology can streamline operations and develop new service models that enhance patient outcomes.
Shaping the Future of Endoscopy

Recognition has come with Ambu’s drive to rethink endoscopy. In 2021, Frost & Sullivan named it Most Innovative Endoscope Company, and in 2022, Fast Company placed Ambu among the Top 10 Most Innovative Medical Device Companies. In 2025, Frost & Sullivan once again recognized Ambu as a Technology Innovation Leader. Its designs have earned prestigious international honours, including Red Dot and Danish Design awards, underscoring how innovation extends beyond function to usability and impact.

That recognition is matched by scale. With over 2.4 million single-use endoscopes sold annually, more than all other providers combined, Ambu has proven that this model is the new global reality.

Ambu’s clinical support model helps providers transition smoothly to single-use technology with free staff training and ongoing assistance to embed new practices without disruption. The aim is straightforward; make adoption seamless so clinicians can focus on care.

The future of endoscopy is agile, scalable and patient-centred. Single-use technology enables hospitals to expand capacity, streamline workflows, reduce infection risk and bring services closer to communities without the delays, costs or complexities of reprocessing.

Ambu’s vision is to lead this transformation globally, setting new benchmarks for safety, efficiency and sustainability in endoscopic care. It sees a future where clinicians devote their full attention to patients, confident that their tools are always ready, reliable and responsibly designed.