Issue No.1 'K-Workthrough' Patent Registered... Targeting the Global Market

KIPO Grants Registration Decision in 3 Months
'K-Workthrough' Blocks Medical Staff Infection and Reduces Time
Utilized at Screening Clinics Nationwide
Focus on Promoting Excellence to 61 Countries

A case applying the 'K-Walkthrough' screening clinic operation method developed by Kim Sang-il, director of H Plus Yangji Hospital. Photo by H Plus Yangji Hospital website capture

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] A non-face-to-face virus testing method developed by Korean medical staff has received a patent registration decision from the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). This so-called 'K-Workthrough' technology involves medical personnel remaining stationary while patients move through the testing process. Notably, KIPO completed the registration just three months after the application, actively supporting the promotion of the excellence of K-quarantine technology worldwide.

According to KIPO on the 25th, the head of a hospital-level medical institution in Seoul registered a patent for the Korean-style screening clinic technology, which was applied for in May.

This technology creates an enclosed outdoor space similar to a public phone booth, allowing medical staff to conduct COVID-19 diagnostic tests without direct face-to-face contact with patients.

Dr. Kim Sang-il of H Plus Yangji Hospital, the developer, received favorable reviews by applying his technology while operating screening clinics.

The technology was devised based on the principle of handling hazardous materials inside a glass box using gloves connected through a glass wall in a laboratory setting.

Within the sealed transparent space, medical personnel wear gloves connected to the outside and conduct diagnostic tests, effectively preventing secondary infections among medical staff and reducing waiting times for tests. As a result, it is currently utilized in screening clinics nationwide.

KIPO plans to register more workthrough technologies as patents in the future to protect K-quarantine technology in the global market and establish a stable supply foundation.

Additionally, KIPO intends to publicize K-Workthrough-related patented technologies to 61 countries worldwide, including the United States, China, Japan, and Mexico, through the Korean Patent Abstracts (KPA) project, thereby promoting the excellence of K-quarantine globally.

Previously, KIPO has supported workthrough technology developers by expediting the patent registration process to secure rights within a short period.

For workthrough technologies, the examination procedures have been simplified and shortened through ▲priority examination ▲preliminary examination ▲three-person consensus consultation examination.

This workthrough technology also received patent registration within three months of application, whereas priority examinations typically take an average of 5.5 months and general examinations about 15.6 months.

Won Jong-hyeok, head of the Bio Healthcare Examination Division at KIPO, stated, "We will enhance the motivation of developers by ensuring that creative K-Workthrough inventions can be protected by patents and that K-Workthrough technology can be shared with medical personnel worldwide through technical disclosure in patent specifications."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.