Correspondent Choi Tae-bum of Money Today | 2023.05.16 08:25
[테크업팩토리]Start-ups develop solutions for early diagnosis of dementia
Editorial comment | ‘Tech-up Factory’ is a corner to discover the most promising ‘hot’ technologies of the future in the start-up and investment industry. We look at future research and development trends of promising technologies that will change our daily lives and industry landscape, commercialization timing, and growth potential.
Early diagnosis of dementia is very important, but unlike other diseases, there is no direct and objective way to diagnose dementia in its early stages. The later it is discovered, the more difficult it is to treat. A diagnosis of dementia can usually be confirmed by measuring the amount of amyloid beta protein known to cause dementia in brain tissue by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or amyloid positron emission tomography (PET-CT).
However, it is extremely rare that it leads to an actual inspection due to low accessibility. For this reason, various technical efforts are being made to increase the accessibility of dementia screening and early diagnosis.
The affiliate market is also growing. According to Ink Research, a global market research organization, the dementia diagnosis market is expected to grow from $1.598 billion (about KRW 1.97 trillion) in 2020 to $1.989 billion (about KRW 2.45 trillion) in 2025, growing at an average annual rate of 4.5 % Forecast.
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Ensor develops ‘N2’ to help diagnose dementia with near-infrared spectroscopy
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While several digital therapeutics (DTx) are being developed in relation to dementia diagnosis, unlike DTx, technology that detects dementia through smell rather than app-based technology stands out. ‘N2’, developed by medical device startup Ensor, measures the olfactory response of dementia patients and determines whether they have dementia in just five minutes. Founded in 2019, Ensor was co-founded by Jeongdae Yun, CEO of Gachon University, who completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering, and former CEO Jaewon Kim, who received a doctorate in engineering from the Institute of Science and Technology Gwangju (GIST). CEO Jeon Kim confirmed the applicability of medical devices to dementia patients at the time of GIST and studied solutions with CEO Yoon.
N2 was developed based on the fact that most dementia patients cannot smell well. Near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which analyzes reflected blood flow data by shooting near-infrared rays into the frontal lobe of a patient’s brain with suspected dementia, helps doctors determine whether or not they have dementia .
N2 consists of a flat patch-shaped irradiator smaller than a pack of cigarettes, a disposable probe device (probe) with a built-in sensor, and discrimination software.
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Significant reduction in inspection cost, easy introduction to medical sites
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N2 features a portable device and an intuitive application, so it can be conveniently used in various medical institutions such as large hospitals and public health centers. Currently, it collaborates with Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul Asan Medical Center, Gangnam Resignation Hospital, and Gachon University Gil Hospital.
Meanwhile, Ensor also developed ‘N3’, a device for alleviating the symptoms of early dementia based on near-infrared gamma stimulation. This headband-style device emits near-infrared gamma waves from the front to stimulate the frontal lobe, and the bone conduction speaker on the side provides the effect of waking up the whole brain through 40Hz gamma waves.
Based on near-infrared rays and sound stimulation of the front and side parts, it is a product that helps brain activity by promoting brain senses through simultaneous stimulation. Ensor aims to expand its business into the field of developing digital therapeutics that treat dementia in the form of games or electronic medicines rather than drugs.
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Baikal AI analyzes the risk of dementia through speech sounds
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Technology that identifies the risk of dementia through speech sounds is also attracting attention. Founded in 2019, Baikal AI developed technology to diagnose dementia and cognitive disorders by analyzing human speech sounds. The founder, Ki-Hyun Yoon, has built a career as a software developer for 30 years. In 2018, based on his experience of developing a voice-recognizing chatbot leading financial transactions at the AI company MindsLab, he developed the technology to detect even subtle changes in speech.
Representative Yoon believed that when dementia appears, a flow is seen where the cells in the center seem to have been cut off, and the precursor symptoms can be understood through the sound of speech. The ‘Sunny My Friend’ service, launched after its establishment, diagnoses health conditions and analyzes fluency through the user’s speech.
It informs the level of dementia risk by comprehensively analyzing whether a variety of vocabulary is used sufficiently and whether meaningless repetitive phrases or words are used. The service does not stop at analysis, but also provides training that improves the user’s cognitive ability.
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Seven Point One selects high risk groups for dementia through simple conversation
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Seven Point One, a new digital healthcare company, has developed a solution that screens people at high risk of dementia in two minutes by determining whether cognitive function is declining with just a simple conversation. Currently, it is in the process of entering the US market. SevenPoint One’s flagship product is ‘Alzwin’, a screening solution for the high risk group of dementia. If you answer a few simple questions as many as possible within 1 minute, AI analyzes language fluency and semantic memory based on the conversation, identifies brain activation state, and identifies high risk groups for dementia early.
This solution is based on a technology researched since 2010 by Professor Ki-woong Kim of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, who served as head of the Central Dementia Center. Its advantage is that it can be used simply for the elderly with low digital literacy (literacy) without the need for specialized equipment or manpower.
It can be tested through an AI speaker or smartphone without visiting a specialist center or hospital, and it can be tested by calling in an environment where it is difficult to install an app. In a test conducted by telephone at a local dementia care centre, the response rate was high at 48%.
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Know before dementia starts… Neurogen, early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease
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Neurogen, an AI technology startup that predicts the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, the biggest cause of dementia, is also drawing attention. Neurogen has the technology to analyze and predict the genome that causes Alzheimer’s disease with AI, and to automatically process cognitive function tests, which are difficult to conduct extensive investigations, with AI. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 76% of all dementia cases in Korea in 2021. Vascular dementia caused by cerebrovascular damage due to brain infarction is next at 8.6%, followed by alcoholic dementia or Parkinson’s disease at 15.4%.
Neurogen can analyze and predict MRI with AI to calculate brain volume that is reduced by brain nerve cell death. It is explained that it is possible to predict a positive beta-amyloid test with more than 80% accuracy without taking an expensive PET-CT.
Specifically, reflecting the difference in brain structure between Koreans and Westerners, the brain regions that show volume changes according to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease are segmented and analyzed. When quantitative analysis becomes possible, it is possible to know more clearly how quickly dementia develops, making it possible to choose various treatments.
[머니투데이 스타트업 미디어 플랫폼 ‘유니콘팩토리’]
[저작권자 @머니투데이, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
