New AI Device Simplifies One of the Most Annoying Parts of Routine Physicals

Iris, a Japanese company led by former emergency physician Sho Okuyama, developed Nodoca, an AI system that analyzes pharyngeal images captured by a compact camera-equipped device, along with patient interview data, to return an influenza assessment in just over 10 seconds. This eliminates the need for the conventional nasal swab test, which is uncomfortable and can be used earlier after symptoms start. In 2022, Nodoca became the first AI-equipped medical device in Japan to receive approval as a new medical device and gain national health insurance coverage, and it has since been adopted by over 2,000 medical institutions; in October 2025, it received approval for an additional Covid-19 function. Okuyama, who previously practiced medicine on remote islands with limited equipment, founded Iris in 2017 and collected training data by lending cameras to about 100 medical institutions over three years, overcoming challenges in hardware development, data collection, and proving AI diagnosis viability. After commercialization, Nodoca's accuracy improved through a network effect: throat images grew from hundreds of thousands to several million, creating a barrier for competitors. The company is also researching AI to detect lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension from throat images, and Okuyama envisions a future where a single throat photo enables comprehensive tests, with data and algorithms expected to be transferable overseas, and clinical trials in the US under consideration.