Japan-approved AI throat camera system aims to replace flu nasal swabs

In short: A Japanese company’s AI system can assess influenza from a throat photo in about 10 seconds, reducing the need for uncomfortable nasal swab tests.

What happened

A Japanese company called Iris has built a medical system named Nodoca that looks at a photo of the back of your throat and estimates whether you have influenza. It uses a small camera device to capture images of the pharynx (the area behind the nose and mouth), then analyzes them with AI, which is software trained to spot patterns, like how a photo app can recognize faces.

Nodoca combines the throat image with information from the patient’s medical interview and other data. Iris says the system returns an influenza assessment in a little over 10 seconds. The goal is to avoid the common flu test that requires a swab pushed deep into the nose, which many patients find painful or uncomfortable.

In 2022, Nodoca became the first AI-equipped medical device in Japan approved as a “new medical device” and it gained coverage under Japan’s national health insurance. According to the report, it has been introduced at more than 2,000 medical institutions across Japan. In October 2025, it also received approval for an added function related to Covid-19.

The company’s founder, Sho Okuyama, said Iris had to build its own camera hardware and collect training data, because throat images were not widely available for this kind of AI. The company loaned cameras to about 100 medical institutions and gathered data over about three years with patient consent.

Why it matters

For patients, this could mean faster testing with less discomfort, especially during flu season when many people need quick answers. Iris also says the same kind of throat image analysis might eventually be used to look for signs of other conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, by checking patterns in throat tissue and blood vessels.

Source: Wired