Staff members demonstrate Canon software for animal imaging at the 11th East and West Small Animal Veterinary Conference in Xiamen, May, 2019. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Canon, the Japanese multinational imaging and optical products maker, announced its official entry into Chinese animal medical treatment market, marking the company's further step in expanding its business from camera to medical equipment.

At the 11th East and West Small Animal Veterinary Conference in Xiamen held from May 20 to May 23, Canon unveiled its two digital radiographic products designed for animals' X-ray imaging of various sizes.

Kurohara Hidemi, head of Medical Products Business Unit of Canon (China), said in an interview that the products launched during the conference mark the multinational company's formal entry in Chinese animal medical treatment market, and he's confident that the Canon's solution can excel amid its Chinese and Japanese counterparts that currently dominate the market.

"Chinse market is very large, although the United States is still the largest market in terms of medical equipment on a global scale, we firmly believe that in the near future, China will catch up with and even exceed the size of the US market," said Hidemi. "China currently owns advanced technology in Artificial Intelligence…and as the medical equipment arm of Canon, we believe the market will become more and more important."

He said it was the first time Canon has taken part in such a conference in China, and it has been actively in talk with many manufacturers of X-ray machines.