Philips Korea said on Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with medical artificial intelligence company, Aitrics, to build a smart critical care management solution using AI. 

The two companies plan to build a Korean smart critical care solution based on their technologies and actively explore opportunities to expand the solution to medical institutions in Korea and abroad. Specifically, the two will collaborate to deploy a clinical decision support system (CDSS) solution to help medical staff in the ICU respond quickly and accurately and improve patients' chances of survival.

Philips Koreas said it has actively supported the digitalization of various clinical fields, such as smart emergency medicine, maternal and fetal monitoring through big data, and smart critical care through collaborations with other hospitals and healthcare companies. 

A Philips Korea official said that smart critical care solutions play an important role in proactively managing emergency or critically ill patients whose condition can change rapidly by continuously measuring dozens of vital sign data from the patient.

Aitrics CEO Kim Kwang-joon said, "There is a high clinical demand for artificial intelligence monitoring technology that predicts risk factors for patient deterioration in ICUs and helps healthcare providers prepare for patient changes in advance." 

In another instance, JNPMEDI said on Monday that it signed a collaboration agreement with Kangbuk Samsung Hospital to strengthen the hospital’s digital-based research competitiveness of its clinical research center established this year to develop a patient-centered smart clinical trial center.

The two sides plan to expand the scope of collaboration, starting with implementing a non-face-to-face electronic consent service for Investigator Initiated Trials (IIT) conducted at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital.

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital will lead clinical trials based on its resources and infrastructure, and JNPMEDI will support the construction of smart clinical trial centers by incorporating digital technologies, such as AI and blockchain. 

"Building a patient-centered clinical trial environment based on digital technology is expected to be a stepping stone to becoming a smart clinical trial center," said Dr. Lee Dong-ho, head of the Clinical Trials Center at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. 

JNPMEDI Chief Business Officer Kim Min-seok said, "We look forward to playing a key role in the digital transformation and globalization of clinical research in Korea together with Kangbuk Samsung Hospital."