Korean Partnership Produces Clinical Biometric Monitoring Solution

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) — a Korean state research institution — and medical device company Tribell Lab have announced that their jointly developed real-time biometric patient monitoring solution has received regulatory approval as a medical device from the Ministry of Science and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

The system, which is intended for patients with infectious diseases and was supported by the government due to its potential to help control and prevent the spread of COVID-19, consists of a patient monitoring device (VMA-1000) and a device to measure biometric signals (VDR-1000).

The VDR-1000 uses biometric sensors to collect data such as the patient’s electrocardiogram (ECG) readings, respiration rates, blood pressure, and pulse wave, and sends the captured data to the VMA-1000 where it can be analyzed by clinicians to give them a clearer picture of the patient’s condition in real-time without the need for face-to-face interaction.

Remote patient monitoring systems have been growing in popularity during the COVID-19 outbreak, as they allow potentially infectious people to stay safely isolated at home while still receiving proper care, and serve to minimize the number of individuals who may be carrying COVID-19 that health workers come into contact with on a daily basis.

“Many local hospitals, including the Seoul National University Hospital, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, and the National Cancer Center showed interest in purchasing the device,” said a Tribell Lab spokesperson..

The approval of the solution by the Ministry, which worked closely with the Daegu Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, opens the door for both domestic use by clinicians and exporting it to other countries — Tribell is reportedly in talks with WAA Group regarding exporting it to Kuwait — amid fears that a second wave of outbreaks could threaten healthcare systems.

The next step according to the company is to seek CE certification in Europe and FDA approval in the United States, allowing for the wider distribution of the monitoring system.

Source: Korean Biomedical Review

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July 22, 2020 – by Tony Bitzionis