Heuron gets certification of its AI solution to diagnose Parkinson's disease

Heuron, a medical artificial intelligence company specializing in cerebral neurological diseases, said Monday that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has certified its AI solution, Heuron NM, as a Class 2 medical device.

Heuron NM is an AI solution that automatically analyzes 3D MRIs of the brain to define areas of neuromelanin, a protein polymer located in the substantia nigra (SN) of the midbrain, and provides quantitative analysis data.

Neuromelanin is a protein polymer synthesized to protect dopaminergic neurons, which are damaged or killed in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's. As such, neuromelanin is an important biomarker for diagnosing Parkinson's disease, and quantitative changes in neuromelanin can be analyzed to predict the progression of Parkinson's disease.

“As the number of patients with degenerative brain diseases increases worldwide, we are continuously researching and developing solutions to detect degenerative brain diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, at an early stage,” Heuron CEO Shin Dong-hoon said. ”Following our globally recognized Parkinson's disease solutions, Huron IPD and Huron NI, we expect Huron NM to help healthcare providers in clinical settings and laboratories greatly.”

Last November, Heuron was awarded the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) Commissioner's Award at the 2023 Korea Invention and Patent Competition for “Apparatus and Method for Providing Parkinson's Disease Information Using Neuromelanin Imaging.”