Five Demonstration Support Centers Selected to Assist Clinical Trials and Distribution of Innovative Medical Devices

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is experiencing a medical device integrated with AI technology last January. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute announced on the 6th the selection of five new Innovation Medical Device Demonstration Support Centers. The selected centers include consortiums of five institutions: Dankook University Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University Dental Hospital, Severance Hospital, and Ajou University Hospital. Each center will receive approximately 1.8 billion KRW annually in operating expenses until 2022.

With the new selection of centers, it is expected that the process of verifying innovative medical devices, products from innovative medical device companies, or domestically produced medical devices proven to be innovative through non-clinical trials (animal testing and usability testing) or clinical trials involving patients will accelerate the dissemination of these devices. Previously, the government had been conducting a project to establish a Medical Device Translational Clinical Trial Support Center to support the commercialization of innovative medical devices.

Dankook University Hospital (with a detailed institution at Chungnam National University Hospital, hereafter the same) specializes in smart diagnostic and therapeutic devices applying convergent optical technology. Seoul National University Hospital (Bundang Seoul National University Hospital) focuses on diagnostic devices utilizing convergent imaging diagnostic technology. Seoul National University Dental Hospital (Yonsei University Dental Hospital, Kyung Hee University Dental Hospital, and Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital) specializes in dental medical devices using next-generation convergent therapeutic technology and bio-convergent materials. Gangnam Severance Hospital (Shinchon Severance and Yonsei University Wonju Medical Center) focuses on smart patient care technology-based medical devices. Ajou University Hospital specializes in next-generation interventional procedures, surgeries, and bio-convergent material-utilizing severe emergency and trauma reconstructive medical devices.

Previously, the preliminary projects were operated by single institutions per task, but this time, the Ministry of Health and Welfare explained that the consortium structure expands the base for demonstration. It is expected that the consultative bodies of each center will develop into the core of medical device clinical research. Lim In-taek, Director of the Health Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "As the project scale expands from next year, we will elevate clinical infrastructure to a global level centered on the five centers and link it to the dissemination and expansion of verified domestic products."

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