"Aspiration Pneumonia, Easy Diagnosis with App: KT's Joint Research Based on Sound AI"

KT Collaborates with the Korean Dysphagia Society for
Dysphagia Screening and Rehabilitation Research Cooperation

KT and the Korean Dysphagia Society signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for joint research on dysphagia screening and rehabilitation on the 28th at Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Park Yoon-gil, President of the Korean Dysphagia Society (left), and Lee Hae-sung, Executive Director of KT Digital & Bio Health TF (right), are taking a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] Digital platform company KT is partnering with the Korean Dysphagia Society to conduct joint research on dysphagia screening and rehabilitation using ‘Sound AI (acoustic artificial intelligence)’ technology.

KT and the Korean Dysphagia Society announced on the 30th that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for joint research on dysphagia screening and rehabilitation on the 28th at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Dysphagia is a symptom characterized by abnormal swallowing function, such as food getting stuck in the airway or difficulty swallowing during food intake, and is a representative geriatric disease with a prevalence rate of 33.7% among the population aged 65 and older. Based on its capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and cloud technology, KT will collaborate with the Korean Dysphagia Society to pursue research on ▲ a ‘dysphagia normal and airway aspiration screening model’ using Sound AI ▲ patient condition-customized ‘dysphagia diet (viscosity-enhanced foods for people who have difficulty eating due to reduced swallowing function)’ recommendations and patient-tailored rehabilitation treatment content.

The Korean Dysphagia Society will actively support clinical research design, clinical trials, patient recruitment, and data acquisition at the society level for the joint research. Seoul Asan Medical Center (Research Director Professor Kyunghyo Choi), Gangnam Severance Hospital (Research Director Professor Yoonkil Park), and Gachon University Gil Medical Center (Research Director Professor Jugang Lee) will take leading roles in participation.

Through the newly developed dysphagia diagnostic service, patients will be able to detect aspiration pneumonia in advance and receive appropriate treatment. Aspiration pneumonia can occur when food enters the airway during eating. Previous dysphagia diagnosis evaluated airway aspiration through tests such as the ‘videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS),’ but the diagnostic process was cumbersome and required specialized equipment. Continuous monitoring was also difficult due to time restrictions related to radiation exposure.

Therefore, through this research, a screening model will be developed that easily assesses the degree of airway aspiration by analyzing the sound of the examiner at home using AI, and it will be made conveniently accessible in daily life through a mobile app.

Earlier, KT established the ‘Digital & Biohealth P-TF Organization’ directly under the CEO at the end of last year to foster new digital and biohealth businesses. This MOU signing is expected to serve as a stepping stone for advancing new medical AI businesses.

Seongsung Lee, Senior Executive Director and Head of the Digital & Biohealth P-TF at KT’s Future Value Promotion Office, emphasized, “We will do our best to develop technology that can easily and quickly monitor dysphagia, which poses a high risk due to the aging trend, to improve hospital work efficiency and reduce patient discomfort, realizing medical AI services.”

Jakyung Han, Senior Executive Director and Head of the Industry AI Core TF at KT Convergence Technology Institute’s Platform Research Lab, leading the development of Sound AI technology, stated, “We aim to actively secure core technologies of medical AI, a key area of future medical business, through KT’s Sound AI capabilities.”

Yoonkil Park, President of the Korean Dysphagia Society, said, “Although the number of dysphagia patients is increasing, early diagnosis and treatment remain slow. If patients suspected of dysphagia at home can be detected quickly, it can prevent progression to severe diseases such as pneumonia,” adding, “The research collaboration between the society and KT will greatly help the public maintain a high quality of life in an aging society.”

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