Hanyang University

Amid doctors' strikes, the Ministry of Health and Welfare in South Korea has announced a new project that will harness artificial intelligence in the development of a clinical decision support system for emergency departments. It is investing 22.8 billion won ($16.7 million) over the next five years in the project, which aims to meet the following objectives: Establish an ER database Develop technology for optimising the treatment process in the ER Develop an AI model for experiencing the ER Develop a CDSS for predicting conditions such as cardiac arrest, cardiovascular diseases, and sepsis The project has involved five major hospitals, including Samsung Medical Center, Seoul Asan Medical Center, Korea University Medical Center, Gangnam Severance Hospital and Hanyang University Hospital. Korea's National Emergency Medical Center will also join the project to provide data and support AI demonstration, while the MOHW's Korea Health Industry Promotion Agency will also lend support through task management and evaluation and consultation. WHY IT MATTERS In a statement, the MOHW said it initiated the project to explore national-level solutions to pressing hospital issues, particularly the lack of emergency medical resources and poor emergency medical capabilities of health facilities outside metropolitan cities. The government has also noted the demand among members of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine and the Korean Society Of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine for emergency room AI that supports the early detection of patient deterioration and reduction of patient wait times. THE LARGER TREND Since February, around 10,000 junior doctors across the nation have been on strike, filing mass resignations and going on mass walkouts to protest the government's plan to increase admission in medical schools – a measure thought to raise healthcare staffing to meet the growing healthcare demand in one of Asia's fast ageing societies. Their collective action has led to strains on emergency departments, with many forced to cut hours and cancel life-saving procedures. Since then, the government has tapped into military forces and retired doctors to keep the public health system running.

An international team have developed a new material that moves like skin while preserving signal strength in electronics. The technology could enable the development of next-generation wearable devices with continuous, consistent wireless and battery-free functionality. A new material that moves like skin while preserving signal strength in electronics could enable the development of next-generation wearable devices with continuous, consistent wireless and battery-free functionality. According to a study published in Nature, an international team of researchers from Rice University and Hanyang University developed the material by embedding clusters of highly dielectric ceramic nanoparticles into an elastic polymer. The material was reverse-engineered to not only mimic skin elasticity and motion types, but also to adjust its dielectric properties to counter the disruptive effects of motion on interfacing electronics, minimize energy loss and dissipate heat. "Our team was able to combine simulations and experiments to understand how to design a material that can seamlessly deform like skin and change the way electrical charges distribute inside it when it is stretched so as to stabilize radio-frequency communication," said Raudel Avila, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Rice and a lead author on the study. "In a way, we are carefully engineering an electrical response to a mechanical event." Avila, who was responsible for conducting simulations to help identify the right choice of materials and design, explained that electronic devices use radio frequency (RF) elements like antennas to send and receive electromagnetic waves. "If you have ever been in a place with poor cellular reception or a very spotty Wi-Fi signal, you probably understand the frustration of weak signals," Avila said. "When we're trying to communicate information, we work at specific frequencies: Two antennas communicating with each other do so at a given frequency. So we need to ensure that that frequency does not change so that communication remains stable. The challenge of achieving this in systems designed to be mobile and flexible is that any change or transformation in the shape of those RF components causes a frequency shift, which means you'll experience signal disruption." The nanoparticles embedded in the substrate served to counteract these disruptions, with a key design element being the intentional pattern of their distribution. Both the distance between the particles and the shape of their clusters played a critical role in stabilizing the electrical properties and resonant frequency of the RF components. "The clustering strategy is very important, and it would take a lot longer to figure out how to go about it through experimental observations alone," Avila said. Sun Hong Kim, a former research associate from Hanyang and now a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University, pointed out that the research team took a creative approach to solving the problem of RF signal stability in stretchable electronics. "Unlike previous studies that focused on electrode materials or design, we focused on the design of a high-dielectric nanocomposite for the substrate where the wireless device is located," Kim said, highlighting the importance of collaboration across three different fields of expertise for developing "such a multidimensional solution to a complex problem." "We believe that our technology can be applied to various fields such as wearable medical devices, soft robotics and thin and light high-performance antennas," said Abdul Basir, a former research associate from Hanyang and now a postdoctoral researcher at Tampere University in Finland. Wearable technologies are having a profound impact on health care, enabling new forms of individual monitoring, diagnosis and care. Smart wear market predictions reflect the transformative potential of these technologies with health and fitness owning the largest share in terms of end use. "Wireless skin-integrated stretchable electronics play a key role in health emergencies, e-health care and assistive technologies," Basir added. To test whether the material could support the development of effective wearable technologies, the researchers built several stretchable wireless devices, including an antenna, a coil and a transmission line, and evaluated their performance both on the substrate they developed and on a standard elastomer without the added ceramic nanoparticles. "When we put the electronics on the substrate and then we stretch or bend it, we see that the resonant frequency of our system remains stable," Avila said. "We showed that our system supports stable wireless communication at a distance of up to 30 meters (~98 feet) even under strain. With a standard substrate, the system completely loses connectivity." The wireless working distance of the far-field communication system exceeds that of any other similar skin-interfaced system. Moreover, the new material could be used to enhance wireless connectivity performance in a variety of wearable platforms designed to fit various body parts in a wide range of sizes. For instance, the researchers developed wearable bionic bands to be worn on the head, knee, arm or wrist to monitor health data across the body, including electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) activity, knee motion and body temperature. The headband, which was shown could stretch up to 30% when worn on the head of a toddler and up to 50% on the head of an adult, successfully transmitted real-time EEG measurements at a wireless distance of 30 meters. "Skin-interfaced stretchable RF devices that can seamlessly conform to skin morphology and monitor key physiological signals require critical design of the individual material layouts and the electronic components to yield mechanical and electrical properties and performance that do not disrupt a user's experience," Avila said. "As wearables continue to evolve and influence the way society interacts with technology, particularly in the context of medical technology, the design and development of highly efficient stretchable electronics become critical for stable wireless connectivity."

To be registered as an official research organization by the National Assembly Secretariat... Expected to become Korea's leading medical think tank Planning to initiate global multinational clinical projects in digital therapeutics Establishing a future medical system centered around prevention and management... Expanding digital medical services SEOUL, South Korea, April 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid growing concerns about a medical crisis as a result of acute conflict between the government and the medical community due to an increase in the quota of medical school admission, the regular seminar of the Korea Medical Innovation Research Forum (KMIRF) kicked off; experts from various fields of the medical field gathered to prepare for future medical reform. It was held at Andaz Seoul Gangnam on the 17th of April. Continue Reading First ‘Korea Medical Innovation Research Forum’ regular seminar First ‘Korea Medical Innovation Research Forum’ regular seminar First ‘Korea Medical Innovation Research Forum’ regular seminar KMIRF was launched last March by experts in various fields of the medical industry, and is co-represented by Dae Hee Kang, former dean of Seoul National University College of Medicine, current president of the Telemedicine Society, and Jong Yoon Lim, former chairman of the Bio Association, registered director of Hanmi Science and chairman of COREE Group. Medical experts who serve as steering and working committee members of each division, including co-representatives Dae Hee Kang and Jong Yoon Lim, gathered and led a heated discussion for medical reform. In addition, the newly elected People Power Party Representatives Cheolsoo Ahn, Soomin Park, and Democratic Party Representative Do-geol Ahn (via video conference) attended and advocated the Forum at the National Assembly level. Co-representative Jong Yoon Lim mentioned the urgency of addressing immediate medical reform in his opening speech and said, "Medical intellectual property rights belong to the country and the people, and in order to improve the country's global competitiveness and future value in medicine, we need to go beyond Healthcare 4.0 and create a national and permanent proposition." "We will definitely propose future medical innovation policies," he said. "We plan to hold regular seminars for KMIRF at least six times a year and frequently put forward future medical innovation policies with the cooperation of experts and policymakers in each field." In his congratulatory address, Rep. Cheolsoo Ahn said, "The paradigm of health care has completely changed through COVID-19, and now, as part of medical reform, we need to establish a 'future-oriented legal system' that recognizes upcoming technological and social changes, and eliminates regulations that may become obstacles in advance." He emphasized, "It is time to play a role in preparing ahead for the future," and added, "I hope that KMIRF will be play a central role for this change." Co-representative Dae Hee Kang emphasized the importance and revitalization of digital healthcare and personalized preventive medicine through a presentation on the topic of 'Future Medicine and Digital Healthcare', as well as laying out the purpose and role in the establishment of KMIRF along with future goals. He also explained the operation plan and said, "We plan to register as an official research group within the National Assembly Secretariat and will fulfill our role as Korea's representative medical think tank." Industrial Division Director Mahn Soon Hwang gave a presentation on 'Bio-Industry Trends' and emphasized the importance of the country, companies, and investments for the development of the bio-ecosystem and medical reform. In addition, a free discussion was commenced in relation to digital health, especially digital therapeutics, as with new therapeutics. It was suggested that regulatory bodies should be able to determine the price and fee structure that will compensate private companies for their enormous investment in clinical research at the time of approval, and came to a consensus that the tone should be set globally in which any country applying for clinical trials or regulatory approval should be adequately recompensed according to such profit structure logic. As the first step in accomplishing this vision, we have decided to pursue a project regarding multi-national digital therapeutics' clinical trials around the world. Hee Hwang, CEO of Kakao Healthcare, expressed his encouragement by saying that he deems it as a very timely strategy and said, "As a healthcare expert, I will utilize my expertise to help with the research group's first project." Hong Taek Yong, a professor at Hanyang University (former 1st Vice Minister of Science and Technology), said, "I am looking forward to the role of Hanyang University at a time when innovative policies need to be promoted in order to incorporate the remarkable advancements in science and technology into healthcare, and I will do my best to contribute as a member." Professor In Taek Lim of Catholic University (former Director of the Health and Medical Policy Office of the Ministry of Health and Welfare) said, "In order to effectively respond to the rapidly changing medical environment and technological changes, our medical system must develop into human-centered digital-based medical care, and the launch of KMIRF at this time is critical." "We will strive to ensure that the research committee stands at the center of this," he said. Meanwhile, the KMIRF aims to create a healthcare ecosystem where the government, medical community, companies, and citizens can coexist, establishing a future healthcare system centered around prevention and management, and resolving intergenerational and regional medical service imbalances through digital medicine, and other platforms. It will be a proponent in presenting ways to expand access to medical services. In addition, it plans to serve as a bridge through which medical policymakers and decision-makers can come together to commonly recognize and empathize with the all related policies that are put forth. KMIRF is comprised of policy, human resources, and industry divisions; while Hong Taek Yong, former 1st Vice Minister of Science and ICT, leads the policy division, Yu Mi Seo, former 11th director of the Korea Education and Research Information Service, heads the human resources division, and Mahn Soon Hwang, current CEO of Korea Investment Partners leads the industrial division. [Appendix] Korea Medical Innovation Research Forum Steering Committee SOURCE Korea Medical Innovation Research Forum